"With two 0-0 draws at the weekend, this season's Premier League has now featured more goalless games than the whole of last term - with 16 rounds of fixtures still to go. Already, 17 games have ended without either side breaking the deadlock. Two-time title-winner Joe Hart told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club "the pragmatic approach is a lot more favourable now" and said the financial implications of relegation made it "too dangerous" for many clubs to risk defeat."
"While the number of 0-0s currently is up on the previous two seasons, there have been more (18) at this stage as recently as 2022-23. And even if the pattern continues in the next four months, it seems unlikely the final number will come close to the peak of 51 goalless draws in 1994-95, when Blackburn Rovers won the league."
This season has produced 17 goalless Premier League matches so far, already exceeding the total from last term with 16 rounds still remaining. The number of 0-0 draws is higher than the previous two seasons but was 18 at this stage in 2022-23. Goals per game remain 2.74, above the average across seasons since 1992-93. The peak total of goalless draws was 51 in 1994-95, and four of the six seasons with more than 40 0-0s occurred in the 1990s when some seasons had 22 teams. The general trend since 2018 showed a decline in goalless draws, hitting a low of 11 two seasons ago, but the number is increasing again. A pragmatic tactical approach has become more common, with relegation's financial risks making cautious strategies more attractive to many clubs.
Read at www.bbc.com
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