Which Premier League sides are one-man teams and who depend on a variety of goalscorers?
We investigate which players are most important to their clubs – and whether their team-mates need to step up to their level.
HULL CITY
Total team goals: 22
Top scorer: Robbie Brady – 3 goals (14% of team total)
Hull City Tigers have only scored 22 goals in 21 games this season, but those goals have been well spread throughout the team.
Robbie Brady has just three goals – the lowest total of any Premier League team’s top scorer – but thirteen players have scored for the KC Stadium side, and that has kept Hull clear of the relegation zone.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Total team goals: 23
Top scorer: Saido Berahino – 4 goals (17% of team total)
Saido Berahino has only started four Premier League games for West Brom, coming on as a substitute in twelve others.
Still just 20, his contribution to the Baggies will only grow in the coming years.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Total team goals: 26
Top scorer: Roberto Soldado – 5 goals (19% of team total)
Roberto Soldado has had a difficult start to life in the Barclays Premier League, scoring just once from open play in the Barclays Premier League.
However, his coolness from the penalty spot has been a major plus for Spurs, with his four Premier League penalties crucial in earning the north London side three points on each occasion.
Soldado now has a partner in Emmanuel Adebayor, and the additional support could make him a more crucial player to Tottenham in the second half of the season.
WEST HAM UNITED
Total team goals: 21 goals
Top scorer: Carlton Cole – 4 goals (19% of team total)
It says quite a lot about West Ham United this season that their top scorer is a player they released at the end of last season, but Can’t Control Carlton Cole has seemingly discovered a new lease of life since re-signing for the Hammers.
Perhaps it was brilliant man management from Sam Allardyce after all.
The failure of the strikerless formation (the 3-0 victory against Spurs excepted) suggests that the selection of Cole was more out of desperation from Allardici rather than a tactical masterstroke.
SUNDERLAND
Total team goals: 19
Top scorer: Adam Johnson – 4 goals (21% of team total)
Adam Johnson scored a hat-trick against Fulham in Sunderland’s last Premier League game, and instantly became the Black Cats’ top scorer.
That suggests that the rest of the team needs to step up if they are to escape the relegation zone.
MANCHESTER CITY
Total team goals: 59
Top scorer: Sergio Aguero – 13 goals (22% of team total)
Manchester City have scored an impressive 59 goals in 21 Premier League matches so far, putting them on course for 92 in the 38 game campaign.
Sergio Aguero might help the Eastlands club edge closer to Chelsea’s record of 103 goals in a season, with the Argentine forward having scored 13 goals in 14 matches prior to his injury.
ARSENAL
Total team goals: 41
Top scorer: Olivier Giroud – 9 goals (22% of team total)
Like Manchester City, Arsenal spread their goals throughout the team, and seventeen players have either scored and/or provided an assist for the Gunners in 2013-14.
Olivier Giroud, the focal point of the north London side’s attack, has been instrumental.
The Frenchman began the season in great form, and was almost undroppable thanks to a great scoring streak.
Fatigue and injury struck Giroud over the intense Christmas period, but the Arsenal striker’s build up play makes him a worthwhile selection for Arsene Wenger – whether scoring or not.
FULHAM
Total team goals: 22
Top scorer: Steve Sidwell – 5 goals (23% of team total)
Fulham are having a dreadful season by all accounts, with Dutchman Martin Jol being sacked as manager and Rene Meulensteen not doing much better as his replacement.
Fortunately for the Cottagers, Steve Sidwell has stepped up to the plate with some crucial goals, and Fulham are two points clear of the relegation zone.
STOKE CITY
Total team goals: 22
Top scorer: Charlie Adam – 5 goals (23% of team total)
Stoke City have drastically changed their playing style since Mark Hughes replaced Tony Pulis as head coach, and the midfield is no longer simply obsolete when in possession.
Instead of watching the ball fly over their heads towards the Potters’ gargantuan strikers, Stoke’s midfield now attempt to pass the ball around and get more involved in play.
That has resulted in five goals for Charlie Adam, and while Stoke remain in somewhat of a transition period, the signs are encouraging.
CHELSEA
Total team goals: 40
Top scorer: Eden Hazard – 9 goals (23% of team total)
Chelsea don’t seem to have received the plaudits that the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool have had from the media this season, but the Blues are ominously just two points behind the Gunners in third.
While Chelsea’s strikers Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba managing just seven goals in the Premier League this season, Jose Mourinho’s attacking midfielders have had to step up.
No one has impressed more than Hazard this season, who has nine goals in 20 games – a record not that dissimilar to a top striker.
SWANSEA CITY
Total team goals: 26
Top scorer: Wilfried Bony – 6 goals (23% of team total)
Swansea City aren’t enjoying as successful a campaign as last term, but Wilfried Bony has been an intelligent acquisition to the squad.
In the absence of last season’s top scorer Michu through, Bony has chipped in with six Premier League goals, and with time the Ivorian could get even better.
ASTON VILLA
Total team goals: 20
Top scorer: Christian Benteke – 5 goals (25% of team total)
Christian Benteke failed to find the back of the net in the Premier League between September 15th and January 13th, but remains Aston Villa’s top scorer.
That says much about the contributions from the rest of the team when his form dipped, but if the big Belgian can rediscover last season’s form, Villa could climb the table.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Total team goals: 35
Top scorer: Wayne Rooney – 9 goals (26% of team total)
David Moyes hasn’t had the easiest time at Manchester United this season, but he is getting the best out of Wayne Rooney.
The England forward has scored nine times and assisted nine goals in seventeen Premier League games this term, and leads the Red Devils in both categories.
The rest of the team just needs to step up to his level of performance.
EVERTON
Total team goals: 34
Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku – 9 goals (26% of team total)
Everton have benefitted from the signing of Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku on loan for the campaign, with the Belgian proving a more potent threat than Arouna Kone, Nikica Jelavic or er… Apostolos Vellios in the first half of the season.
Toffees boss Roberto Martinez will need to contemplate a long term replacement for Lukaku’s goals in the summer – unless he can convince Chelsea to part ways with the 20 year-old.
CARDIFF CITY
Total team goals: 15
Top scorers: Jordon Mutch and Fraizer Campbell – 4 goals each – 27% of team total
Cardiff City have only scored fifteen goals in 21 games, which is a real concern.
Jordon Mutch and Fraizer Campbell each have scored four each, meaning that the rest of the squad have only scored seven between them.
Indeed, only seven players have scored for the Bluebirds in the Premier League season, which new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have to remedy if they are to remain in the top flight.
NORWICH CITY
Total team goals: 17
Top scorer: Gary Hooper – 5 goals (29% of team total)
Norwich City have had a difficult campaign under Chris Hughton, but if the Canaries avoid relegation they ought to be safe.
After experimenting with Ricky Van Wolfswinkel up front, Hughton appears to have recognised that Gary Hooper is the more complete all round striker, and the Englishman has rewarded his manager with some fine goals.
SOUTHAMPTON
Total team goals: 27
Top scorer: Jay Rodriguez – 8 goals (30% of team total)
Southampton are in the midst of a bizarre season.
They begun incredibly well, suffered a string of losses and dropped down the table, then started to recover.
However, the departure of executive chairman Nicola Cortese throws another spanner in the works, and it will be interesting to see how Saints perform in the remaining 17 games.
At the very least, it has been an encouraging campaign for the likes of Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez, whose form in attacking midfield has brought them places in the England squad.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Total team goals: 13
Top scorer: Marouane Chamakh – 4 goals – 31% of team total
Marouane Chamakh became the butt of many a joke about woeful finishing during his forgettable spell at Arsenal but the Moroccan has come alive under first Ian Holloway and now Tony Pulis at Crystal Palace.
The powerful forward is benefitting from Pulis’ preferred long-ball tactic and proved a real handful for Tottenham’s experience captain Michael Dawson last weekend.
Chamakh may only have four goals but given Palace’s woes in front of net – with just 13 goals in total! – it’s not a bad total at this stage of the campaign.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Total team goals: 29
Top scorer: Loic Remy – 10 goals (34% of team total)
LIVERPOOL
Total team goals: 51
Top scorer: Luis Suarez – 22 goals (43% of team total)
Liverpool have been vindicated in sticking by Luis Suarez throughout his misdemeanours, with the Uruguayan now widely recognised as one of the greatest players in the world.
Suarez has scored an astonishing 22 goals in just 16 Premier League games, having missed the start of the season after being banned for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, but has raced to the top of the goalscoring chart with some superlative performances.
The 26 year-old has not made Liverpool a mere one man team though, as Daniel Sturridge, Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling have all performed admirably.
Brendan Rodgers knows that Suarez makes Liverpool play better – and the Reds could reach the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2009-10 as a result.