Scarcely believable Premier League stats as look at Newcastle United comparison | OneFootball

I was having a read up on various stuff this Saturday morning, ahead of the Premier League fixtures kicking off this afternoon.

I then read some stats, had to read them again just to make sure I had read them right, then another just to make absolutely sure.

They were stats regarding two Premier League clubs.

The last 42 goals that Brentford have scored in the Premier League, none of them were scored by an English player (excluding own goals).

It gets better though, the last 75 goals that Wolves have scored, none of those scored by an English player.

Checking back, the last time an English player scored a Premier League goal for Wolves, was Max Kilman. This was back on 1 February 2024 in a 4-3 home defeat to Man U. Kilman was then sold months later to West Ham.

I think I can spot why not many English Wolves players are scoring for them…

In their midweek 4-3 League Cup defeat to Chelsea, it appears none of the 15 Wolves players who got on the pitch were English.

Whilst their last Premier League game, that was a 3-2 defeat to Burnley. There was actually one English player amongst the 16 who got on the pitch. However, that was Sam Johnstone, their goalkeeper…

How do Newcastle United compare?

The 2025/26 Premier League goals have so far been scored by Woltemade (4), Bruno (3), Osula (1) and Murphy (1). So just one Premier League goal so far scored by an Englishman this season for United.

In all competitions, we have Woltemade (6), Gordon (4), Barnes (3), Bruno (3), Osula (3), Joelinton (2), Murphy (1) and Schar (1). Which is eight of the 24 goals scored by three English players.

What about Newcastle United in 2024/25?

These are the goalscorers for NUFC last season, the total number of goals in all competitions and in brackets how many of those in the Premier League:

27 (23) Isak

6 (4) Tonali

5 (5) Bruno

4 (4) Joelinton

3 (0) Willock

2 (1) Burn

2 (1) Miley

2 (1) Osula

1 (0) Wilson

So last season, 85 goals scored in total in all competitions by Newcastle United players, with 35 of them scored between seven English players.

Of the 85 goals in total, 66 were scored in the Premier League and 25 of them shared between five English players.

Three of Newcastle’s top four scorers were English.

Does it matter?

I am certainly not somebody who thinks you have to have a team of English players BUT it surely isn’t ideal to have none at all, as Wolves did in midweek.

It makes sense to me, to have a a core of English players and then an injection of quality from elsewhere on top.

At Newcastle United we have the best of everything, in my opinion. A brilliant English manager with loads of excellent English players (Pope, Ramsdale, Tino, Hall, Burn, Trippier, Ramsey, Gordon, Miley, Barnes, Murphy and so on), then some real quality from elsewhere (Woltemade, Thiaw, Bruno, Tonali, Botman, Wissa, Joelinton, Elanga, Schar etc etc).

We are actually blessed even further, due to the fact that we have such a healthy sprinkling of Geordies/lifelong Newcastle United fans, with Burn, Miley, Murphy and Hall.

Already this season, we have seen Pope, Ramsdale, Tino, Hall, Burn, Trippier, Ramsey, Gordon, Miley, Barnes, Murphy and Lascelles all play for Newcastle United, enough to make an entire team plus one sub. Very doubtful any other Premier League club could currently claim the same. You also have the small fact that eight of these twelve above are English internationals, all eight of those signed by Eddie Howe and the NUFC boss guiding the likes of Tino, Hall, Burn and Gordon to their very first England caps after having signed for United.

A great balance and blend brought together by Eddie Howe, long may it continue.

Incidentally, I had the thought of not many English players I could think of at Liverpool. The other week they lost at home to Man U and Arne Slot didn’t have a single English player in their starting eleven…