In Tottenham's last three Premier League home games, they've managed an astonishing 85 shots. On average that's just over 28 shots per game, or a shot every three minute and 11 seconds. Some ratio.
True, those games have been against Burnley, Hull and Swansea, but they are part of a wider trend. No team in the Premier League have had more shots than Spurs this season. Yet intriguingly, they're only the league's fifth-highest scorers – some way behind top goal-getters Liverpool.
Spurs are shooting more this season
Essentially it means that this season, Tottenham need 11 shots to score one goal; Liverpool need just 7.4
Tottenham topped the Premier League shot count last season, although then it was a less surprising stat – they were in contention for the title and only Manchester City scored more goals, netting just two more than Mauricio Pochettino's men.
This season Spurs are taking even more shots – an average of 18.7 per game, compared to 17.3 last term. Despite that, and the fact that they netted an encouraging 10 goals in those last three home matches, overall this term they're actually scoring fewer goals – 1.7 per game, compared to 1.8 last season.
By contrast, before the Merseyside derby, Liverpool have been taking 18.4 shots per game, and scoring an average of 2.5 goals in each match. That essentially means that this season, Tottenham need 11 shots to score one goal; Liverpool need just 7.4. The Reds scored three at Bournemouth from only 10 attempts, and four at Arsenal from 16.
Reds' key men are clinical, Eriksen less so
A big factor in why Spurs are scoring fewer goals this season is the identity of the players actually taking the shots.
Harry Kane topped the Premier League shot count last season by some distance – he popped off 158 attempts, with Sergio Aguero next on 119. Kane was also the league's top scorer, netting 25 times.
Only Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic has peppered the goal with more attempts than Christian Eriksen this term, but the Dane has scored just five times
This season the England man has attempted only 35 shots, though, partly because injury has restricted his time on the field but also because he's just shooting less often. His ratio last season was a strike every 21 minutes on the pitch – and this season that's down to 29 minutes.
Kane is clearly Tottenham's most clinical finisher – he's scored an impressive seven goals with those 35 shots this term. When other players are doing most of the shooting, however, his team will score less often.
Christian Eriksen has had 67 shots this season – he had seven against Burnley on Sunday, two more than Kane. Only Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic has peppered the goal with more attempts this term, but Eriksen has scored just five times – a respectable figure for him, and improved greatly by recent doubles against both Swansea and Hull, but not a sensational tally given the amount of shots he's had.
Meanwhile at Liverpool, Sadio Mané has scored seven goals from 37 attempts, Adam Lallana has six from 24 shots, Roberto Firmino five from 45, and Philippe Coutinho five from 49. All are more clinical than Eriksen.
Spurs shoot from outside box... to little effect
The reason why Tottenham are generally shooting more than Liverpool is their willingness to have a go from outside the box.
Tottenham's 160 efforts from outside the box have produced just one Premier League goal this season – Eriksen's strike at Chelsea
Tottenham's shoot-on-sight policy is very different to Arsenal's, for instance. The Gunners prefer to create the perfect opening before shooting, so they'll always have fewer efforts but be far more clinical with them. That's borne out this season – they've had 75 fewer attempts than Tottenham, but need just 6.4 attempts to score one goal.
More than 50 per cent of Spurs' shots this season have been from outside the box – 160 of 318. Liverpool have had 113 shots from outside of the box, which is only 38 per cent of their overall total.
Despite that, Tottenham's 160 efforts from downtown have directly produced just one Premier League goal this season – Eriksen's strike at Chelsea. That's the lowest figure in the Premier League. Liverpool have scored seven, the highest figure in the Premier League.
Reds burn bright away, Spurs strong at home
While Spurs are undoubtedly less clinical than Liverpool, their willingness to shoot is definitely paying off at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham go into Christmas having accumulated more points at home than any other side in the Premier League – 23 from nine games. That's largely down to the fact that they've dominated their opponents and had 196 shots – a huge 21.8 per game. Even if they don't score with the first few shots, eventually they find the net (they score one goal per 10.3 attempts).
On the road it's been going... well, less successfully – they've taken only 10 points from eight games, attempting 15.3 shots per game and needing 12.2 to score one goal.
Liverpool's home and away stats are more closely aligned – they score a goal from every 7.2 shots at home, and find the net from every 7.5 away. That's why the Reds are scoring regularly home and away, while Spurs are much stronger at the Lane.
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