In truth, 2023/24 was not a campaign for defending.
The Premier League enjoyed a record-setting season in terms of goalscoring. With a month of the season remaining, teams across the division had surpassed the 2022/23 record total for goals, set at 1,071. By the end, 1,246 goals had been scored at a staggering rate of 3.28 per game.
There are many factors for this exponential increase which can be explained in greater detail than Diego Simeone’s rationale, which he put forward last November, that “nobody defends” in the English top-flight. The Premier League certainly boasts defenders who aim to stop the opposition from scoring (we think Sheffield United tried to do so anyway), they just didn’t do it very well in 2023/24.
Riskier defensive strategies, prolonged added time, and elite quality in forward areas are all contributors for the Premier League’s defensive demise, although there were a couple of collective standouts.
Here were the Premier League’s best defences in 2023/24 based on how many goals they conceded.
Brighton’s backline may well be the epitome of being the best of a bad bunch. Roberto De Zerbi’s tenure petered out towards the end of the season, with the Seagulls fading in 2024.
The defence certainly wasn’t aided by a litany of giveaways in the build-up which handed the opposition high-quality chances on a platter.
De Zerbi’s men conceded 62 times in the Premier League – a rate of 1.63 goals per game. Remarkably, that’s a record good enough for the median.
Marco Silva has been praised for establishing a sound balance in his Fulham squad, especially after Aleksandar Mitrovic departed for Saudi Arabia in the summer.
The Cottagers exceeded expectations by staying up without little fuss, and they boasted the second-best defensive record among teams that finished in the bottom half.
Joao Palhinha once again provided sound security in midfield, while Antonee Robinson enjoyed a flying season at left-back. Those are two Fulham would love to retain for 2024/25.
Fulham benefitted from Bernd Leno’s shot-stopping prowess as they conceded 3.8 goals fewer than expected. They also conceded the third-fewest from set pieces.
Tottenham’s backline was nothing short of a contradiction. Spurs shipped a whopping 61…
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