Writer, analyst, podcaster, Spurs fan. Three out of four is not bad. If there is a data angle, I will find it.
Following reports that trials are set to take place to reduce matches to 60 minutes, OLBG has revealed what the current Premier League table will look like if matches ended after an hour on the clock.
Liverpool would have one hand firmly on the title and a nine-point gap over Manchester City at the top, showing their ability to quickly kill off games and not leave things too late.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the table, Everton would be in even greater trouble having relied on late goals recently to salvage points, while Burnley would be lifted to 14th with 35 points.
Arsenal would have an advantage over Tottenham in the top four race, while Chelsea’s third place would be far from a done deal as they'd be on level points with The Gunners and just three ahead of Spurs.
Newcastle and Wolves would improve their positions, with Eddie Howe’s side jumping from ninth to seventh and possibly securing European football.
West Ham would slide from seventh to 12th, while Brighton would sink to 16th from 11th.
Diogo Jota would join Mohamed Salah as the leading scorer with 13 goals - though Salah dominates the assists standings with 10 - while Cristiano Ronaldo and SPOTY 2022 Betting favourite, Harry Kane tied on 11 behind them.
2021/22 Premier League table if matches ended at 60 minutes
| Position | Team | Points | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 77 | 23 | 8 | 2 | 50 | 14 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 68 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 48 | 14 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 60 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 46 | 17 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 60 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 37 | 23 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 57 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 36 | 21 |
| 6 | Wolverhampton | 52 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 11 |
| 7 | Newcastle United | 48 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 30 | 29 |
| 8 | Manchester United | 44 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 30 | 32 |
| 9 | Southampton | 44 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 29 | 42 |
| 10 | Leicester City | 43 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 30 | 30 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 39 | 8 | 15 | 10 | 22 | 27 |
| 12 | West Ham United | 39 | 8 | 15 | 11 | 28 | 27 |
| 13 | Aston Villa | 39 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 21 | 27 |
| 14 | Burnley | 35 | 6 | 17 | 10 | 23 | 27 |
| 15 | Brentford | 32 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 22 | 33 |
| 16 | Leeds United | 31 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 22 | 44 |
| 17 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 31 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 16 | 28 |
| 18 | Norwich City | 27 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 38 |
| 19 | Everton | 26 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 33 |
| 20 | Watford | 22 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 16 | 43 |
As at the end of April, Man City are as short as 1/3 with UK betting sites to win the 2021/22 Premier League as they sat one point clear with five games to play. If the situation was per our table above then maybe bookies would already be paying out on a Liverpool title!
2021/22 Premier League top scorers if matches ended at 60 minutes
| Player | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Diogo Jota | 13 | 1 |
| Mohamed Salah | 13 | 10 |
| Harry Kane | 11 | 4 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 11 | 2 |
| Sadio Mané | 8 | 1 |
| Bukayo Saka | 8 | 4 |
| Jamie Vardy | 7 | 0 |
| Heung-min Son | 7 | 5 |
| Mason Mount | 7 | 8 |
| Ivan Toney | 7 | 4 |
| Raphinha | 7 | 2 |
| Emile Smith Rowe | 7 | 2 |
| Gabriel Jesus | 7 | 5 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 6 | 3 |
| İlkay Gündoğan | 6 | 1 |
| Maxwel Cornet | 6 | 1 |
| Armando Broja | 6 | 0 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 6 | 3 |
| Emmanuel Dennis | 6 | 3 |
| Teemu Pukki | 6 | 2 |
Salah looked to be heading towards the golden boot, five clear with five to play but our 60 minute table tells a different story.
