GARETH BALE has finally completed his season-long loan move to Tottenham after being frozen out at Real Madrid.
The golf-mad Wales ace, 31, helped Real Madrid win a hoard of trophies – including three Champions League crowns – during one of the club’s most-successful periods.
A detailed look at how the Big Six’s front-threes compare
A simplified look at how the Big Six’s front-threes compare
But Bale was surplus to requirements under Zinedine Zidane, with Spurs winning the race to bring him back to the Premier League.
Jose Mourinho is said to have stuck Bale on an intensive, personalised training schedule to get him up to match fitness.
But how will Spurs’ new-look front-three compare to the rest of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’?
We take a look at how Bale, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min stack up against Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
To keep things fair, we’ve looked at how each member of the front-threes rate in terms of minutes per goal involvement across the past two league seasons.
But where does Spurs’ new-look trio rank? We take a look, in reverse order…
6. ARSENAL
Willian, Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
WILLIAN announced himself at Arsenal with a sensational debut game in the 3-0 win over Fulham.
With Lacazette and Aubameyang – fresh from signing a new contract – alongside him, the Gunners have a front-three to fear this term, even with Nicolas Pepe on the bench.
Through the past two season, the trio have averaged one goal every 130.9 minutes.
In that run Aubameyang has been involved in 54 goals, at a rate of one per 112 minutes.
But he still couldn’t help them from finishing sixth, here…
5. MAN UTD
Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER struck gold last season when he signed Bruno Fernandes and was able to switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
With Greenwood and Rashford on the wings and Martial up front, United looked a force to be reckoned with post-lockdown.
None of United’s front-three has averaged better than a goal involvement every 124 minutes, with none worse than one per 134 minutes, proving consistency is key.
However, they lack a clinical edge, as they sit fifth, averaging a goal involvement every 126.8 minutes.
4. TOTTENHAM
Gareth Bale, Harry Kane, Son Heung-min
SPURS are desperately short of centre-forwards with Kane the ONLY out-and-out striker on the books.
But with talented wingers like Bale, Son, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn all helping out, they should be just fine this season, barring an injury crisis.
Kane has been involved in 46 goals across the last season, with Son adding 43 at a goal involvement every 113 minutes and 110 minutes respectively.
Bale drags that ratio down to 122.9 overall thanks to his 22 goal involvements at 192 apiece.
But having been limited at Real Madrid somewhat, you’d expect him to improve that tally in 2020-21.
3. LIVERPOOL
Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah
THE Reds were finally crowned champions after a 30-year wait thanks to a rock-solid defence and an attacking juggernaut.
With Mane, Salah and Firmino, Liverpool have a front-three capable of pressing high and seamlessly switching positions to keep defences guessing.
But they still rank just third out of the Big Six clubs at a goal involvement every 122.6 minutes.
Salah’s rate of one every 102 minutes is the Reds’ best, while Firmino drags the average down a tad with a goal involvement every 161 minutes.
2. CHELSEA
Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic
IT’S a brand-new look for the Blues this season – especially if Hakim Ziyech gets in the team over Pulisic.
But their three key attackers in 2020-21 will surely be ex-Bundesliga trio Pulisic, Werner and Havertz, regardless of formation.
Thanks in no small part to Werner, Chelsea sit second in the table, thanks to the German’s 59 league goal involvements, at one every 93 minutes.
Pulisic is a touch lower at 126 mins per goal or assist, with Havertz at 144 mins.
The question now is: will Havertz and Werner be able to be so prolific in England?
1. MAN CITY
Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne
WHILE not technically a forward, De Bruyne is so crucial to City’s attacking ranks, he can’t be left off the list.
In De Bruyne, Aguero and Sterling, Man City have a world-beating front-three – who will be itching to reclaim their Premier League crown this season.
Incredibly, Man City’s front-three average a goal involvement every 97.9 minutes.
Aguero boasts a particularly impressive return of scoring or assisting every 82 minutes since the start of the 2018-19 season.
But De Bruyne (99 mins) and Sterling (113 mins) aren’t far behind either.
In truth, Man City are the runaway winners… statistically, at least.
Gareth Bale says his main aim is to help Tottenham win trophies again
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
