Football is a game of fine margins and these Premier League woodwork stats prove it.
As things stand in reality, Leicester City are seven points clear at the top of the table, with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal sitting second and third respectively.
But the Premier League landscape would look very different this season were the goals the width of a crossbar higher and the girth of a post wider.
Some perspective for #THFC fans still cursing ‘bad luck’ from when Kane hit #LCFC crossbar > https://t.co/V5qRCrWw51 pic.twitter.com/wf1XA60VKy
— Robert Summerscales (@robsummerscales) April 6, 2016
Arsenal have hit the woodwork 19 times this season, while Spurs have seen their goal frame rattled on 18 occasions.
It may seem a silly thought, but what if all those near misses had gone in?
Well, if each of Arsenal’s ‘unlucky’ shots had hit the net, the Gunners would be top of the table, while Spurs would be sixth – having lost an extra six matches – if woodwork-striking shots counted as goals.
Spurs would be 10 points worse off, as would Leicester, but Liverpool would have an extra eight points, while West Ham’s tally would be six healthier.
At the other end of the table, Aston Villa’s meagre total of 16 points would be reduced by 25% to an even-more-embarrassing 12.
How BPL would look if all shots that hit the woodwork counted as goals vs cruel reality! (credit Opta & @Orbinho) pic.twitter.com/kMw66ilSiQ — CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 6, 2016