Comeback Kings: Teams are winning from behind more than usual this season

This season’s Premier League campaign has begun in scintillating fashion, with thrills and spills galore as the fight for the title, top-four and relegation looks wide open following eight games. 

One of the most interesting aspects of this campaign, albeit only a couple of months old, is how many teams are turning games around by winning matches they were initially trailing. 

In total, 17 of the 79 matches played in the Premier League so far this season have seen a team win their game from a losing position. As things stand, that is the highest rate in any PL season since the division’s inception in 1991-92.

Last season set the record for the highest number of comebacks from clubs in the top-flight, with 16.1% of the 380-game campaign being won by a team who were at some point losing. This season it looks as though that figure will be surpassed once again, after an explosive start which has seen a colossal 21.5% of matches being won by a team coming from at least one goal behind to claim all three points. 

This Saturday saw the most amount of comebacks in one day in over a decade. In total, four of the seven games played out saw a team mount a comeback from a losing position to win their respective matches. Only once in the competition’s history has that been beaten, with five teams completing such a triumph on Boxing Day in 2013. Overall, after Manchester City turned the tide late on to beat Wolves on Sunday, five games in nine over the weekend saw a comeback occur. 

It’s not over till it’s over

West Ham kick-started proceedings in Saturday’s early kick-off against Tottenham, as they went from a goal up to four goals down in north London. Mohammed Kudus went from hero to zero after he put the Hammers ahead inside 18 minutes, only to be sent off for a senseless act of violent conduct just four minutes from the final whistle with his team by then well-beaten. 

Elsewhere, Southampton’s ongoing misery was compounded after they squandered yet another lead to lose 3-2 to Leicester at St. Mary’s. Russell Martin’s men raced to a 2-0 advantage within 28 minutes only to be completely undone after the break, with goals from Facundo Buonanotte, Jamie Vardy and a 98th minute strike from Jordan Ayew securing the spoils for the Foxes on the south coast. 

Manchester United avoided a scare at home to Brentford after initially slipping a goal behind through in-form Bees defender Ethan Pinnock. The Red Devils struck back via Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund in the second half, though, claiming their first league win since beating Southampton 3-0 on September 14.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa turned around their fortunes at Craven Cottage, winning 3-1 in west London after slumping to a 1-0 disadvantage within the opening five minutes. Morgan Rogers fired back for the visitors just four minutes after Raul Jimenez had opened the scoring, with a goal from Ollie Watkins and an OG from Issa Diop securing the points for Unai Emery’s men in SW6. 

Manchester City’s quest for a fifth consecutive title almost took a major dent after Pep Guardiola’s side fell behind away at Wolves on Sunday within just seven minutes – the fifth time in their last seven league matches they have found themselves behind. 

The Cityzens did manage to pull level via a stunning strike from Joško Gvardiol before half time but couldn’t forge an opening as the clock ticked closer to full-time. That was until supersonic saviour John Stones turned in a last-minute corner to rescue a much-needed win for the visitors in the West Midlands, keeping his team hot on the heels of leaders Liverpool – they are behind the Reds by a point – and ahead of Arsenal by three after the Gunners fell to an unlikely 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth.

The Premier League has always been an unpredictable beast. This season, however, things have seemingly been taken to a new level altogether with so much late drama unfolding. 

Top tip: don’t leave early just to beat the traffic – it will probably prove costly.