I might as well re-name the Inside the Numbers section after Clint Dempsey since it seems like every other one is about him, but when you keep scoring and adding new records to your totals, I will keep posting them.
I thought I would first update some numbers that I posted back in October. Yesterday’s goal gives Dempsey 49 career Premier League goals, the most ever by an American (um, duh). It is also the same amount as the guys listed at #2 (Brian McBride – 36) and #3 (Roy Wegerle – 13) combined.
The goal is also his fourth career league goal against Chelsea. The only teams that he has scored more against in league play are Wigan (six) and Bolton (five). He has also netted four against Blackburn and Newcastle United.
Dempsey needs one more to join the 50-goal club. From what I can find, 26 current Premier League players have scored at least 50 goals in league play. And of those 26 guys, only seven of them are midfielders like Dempsey (yeah, I know he plays some forward, but he is a midfielder).
Luckily I found some landmark goal data with premiersoccerstats.com (I found a few guys shortchanged on goals, but tried my best to double check everyone’s totals) and it lists what game number that they scored their 50th goal in. Looking at the seven current midfielders, Dempsey could reach 50 goals faster than six of them if he scores it some time in the near future. Only Tim Cahill, who scored his 50th league goal in his 174th league appearance, scored 50 goals faster than what Dempsey can do.
As for some other little tidbits regarding Dempsey and his goal scoring.
* Dempsey has now scored 14 goals in his last 12 games at Craven Cottage across all competitions.
* Four of his 16 goals this season, including yesterday’s goal, and nine of his 28 goals since the beginning of last season have been via his head.
* Dempsey joins Wayne Rooney as the only players to score in both league fixtures against Chelsea this season. Only Jermaine Beckford, who was at Everton at the time, did it last season.
* US Soccer believes his 22 goals across all competitions is a single-season record for an American playing in an European top-flight league. Michael Bradley scored 21 for Heerenveen in 2007-08 (I thought it was 18, but US Soccer/Brian Straus are saying 21).
And now watch the goal panel turn this into an own goal and make most of this useless.
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Simply Amazing… Dempsey is a superstar
Clint already had one goal taken away this year as an own goal. I forget which team, but it was a beautiful strike that rebounded off the top post and hit the keeper in the back or shoulder and bounced in the net.
Stewart also hit 21 one year with Willem II.