1067 goals were scored in Ligue 1 Uber Eats this season. Just like last season (also 1067 goals), our attackers players once again shone in the French league, and this inevitably had an impact on their statistics.
Three players finished the season with 24 or more goals: Kylian Mbappé (29), Alexandre Lacazette (27) and Jonathan David (24). This is the biggest such number in almost 50 years – since the 1977-78 season, when four players hit the 24-goal mark.
But that’s not all, as three other players have also reached or surpassed the 20-goal mark: Loïs Openda (21), Folarin Balogun (21) and Habib Diallo (20). Ligue 1 Uber Eats had not seen six players with at least 20 goals in a single season since 1978-79 (also six). But which of these strikers created the most chances? Which were the most accurate or the most valuable? Check out the key stats.
Expected goals: Folarin Balogun the king
On loan from Arsenal to Stade de Reims, Folarin Balogun had an exceptional year with the Champagne club. Scoring 21 goals in 37 games, the newly declared American international was involved in all the right attacking moves and ended the Ligue 1 Uber Eats season with the highest expected goals value (26.4).
He is ahead of Kylian Mbappé (26.3), the league’s top scorer with 29 goals, and Alexandre Lacazette (24.2), the second-highest scorer with 27 goals. Which is to say that the 21-year-old striker’s finishing needed a bit of fine-tuning give the quality of the chances he had. In terms of big chances, Ligue 1 Uber Eats’s top scorer Mbappé came out on top (44 clear-cut chances), while the SdR striker was second, tied with Alexandre Lacazette (43).
Expected goals:
1. Folarin Balogun (Stade de Reims): 26.4
2. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain): 26.3
3. Alexandre Lacazette (Olympique Lyonnais): 24.2
4. Jonathan David (LOSC): 24.0
5. Loïs Openda (RC Lens): 18.4
Big chances:
1. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain): 44
2. Alexandre Lacazette (Olympique Lyonnais): 43
–. Folarin Balogun (Stade de Reims): 43
4. Jonathan David (LOSC): 38
–. Habib Diallo (RC Strasbourg Alsace): 38
Neymar: King of cutting edge
Neymar was away from the pitch in the second half of the season, but proved highly effective in his first few months in the competition. The proof: the Brazilian racked up the highest percentage of shots converted into goals in Ligue 1 Uber Eats (34.2%) among players who played at least 1,000 minutes.
Just behind him was one of the season’s brightest prospects: Elye Wahi. Scorer of 19 goals, the 20-year-old French U21 international clocked a conversion rate of 30.2%. In terms of percentage of shots on target, we can forget all the players mentioned above, as Evann Guessand is in first place. The versatile striker, on loan from OGC Nice to FC Nantes, got an incredible 76.5% of shots on target.
Percentage of shots converted into goals:
1. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain): 34.2
2. Elye Wahi (Montpellier Hérault SC): 30.2
3. Breel Embolo (AS Monaco): 29.3%.
4. Wissam Ben Yedder (AS Monaco): 26.4%.
5. Alexandre Lacazette (Olympique Lyonnais): 23.5%.
*min 1000 minutes played
Percentage of shots on target:
1. Evann Guessand (FC Nantes): 76.5
2. Wilson Odobert (ESTAC Troyes): 75.0%.
3. Elye Wahi (Montpellier Hérault SC): 73.1%.
4. Martin Terrier (Stade Rennais FC): 73.0%.
5. Arnaud Kalimuendo (Stade Rennais FC): 72.4%.
*min 1000 minutes played
Jonathan David: King of points
The most prolific scorer for Stade de Reims since Carlos Bianchi in 1976-77 (28), Folarin Balogun, already mentioned in the first two categories, was also a major factor in his team’s results, scoring 46.7% of the Champagne club’s goals. That’s more than Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette (41.5%) and Strasbourg’s Habib Diallo (39.2%).
However, in terms of points won with his goals, Folarin Balogun was outdone by Lille’s Jonathan David. Scorer of 24 goals, the Canadian international’s goal helped Les Dogues to 19 points. Only Erling Haaland (24 points) and Harry Kane (also 24) did better among players from the top five European leagues.
Percentage of team’s goals:
1. Folarin Balogun (Stade de Reims): 46.7
2. Alexandre Lacazette (Olympique Lyonnais): 41.5
3. Habib Diallo (RC Strasbourg Alsace): 39.2%.
4. Jonathan David (LOSC): 36.9%.
5. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain): 32.6%.
Points won:
1. Jonathan David (LOSC): 19
2. Folarin Balogun (Stade de Reims): 17
3. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain): 17
4. Grejohn Kyei (Clermont Foot 63): 16
5. Gaëtan Laborde (OGC Nice): 16
6. Alexandre Lacazette (Olympique Lyonnais): 16
7. Habib Diallo (RC Strasbpurg Alsace): 16
Kylian Mbappé: King of kings
In terms of goals per minutes played, Kylian Mbappé is in first place. The French international scored a goal every 97 minutes, ahead of Alexandre Lacazette and his one every 109 minutes. Neymar came in fourth (119 minutes) ahead of Lens striker Loïs Openda (120 minutes).
Goals per minute:
1. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain): 97
2. Alexandre Lacazette (Olympique Lyonnais): 109
3. Wissam Ben Yedder (AS Monaco): 112
4. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain): 119
5. Loïs Openda (RC Lens): 120
*min 1000 minutes played
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