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time around that figure has dropped, significantly, to 0.14. And although the English forward is still providing assists at a similar rate, it’s his goals that Celtic really miss at the moment.
That’s because Celtic’s other front players are also coming up short in front of goal. James Forrest is currently averaging over twice as many assists than he did last season, but his goals have dropped from 0.37 to 0.17 per 90 minutes.
Yet, perhaps the most worrying is record-signing Odsonne Edouard’s current form. The striker tasked with replacing Moussa Dembele has seen his average in all competitions drop from 0.79 to 0.5 goals per 90 minutes,
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Indeed, while Edouard’s average touches in the box per game has only fallen from 5.03 to this season’s 4.07, his shots per game have drastically reduced from 3.26 to 1.73. And as such the goals he is expected to score per 90 minutes has fallen from last season’s average of 0.66 to 0.34. Which may explain why he only has one goal in five league games so far this season.
When we couple this with the departure of Dembele, who was actually averaging a better goals per 90 ratio than last season’s performances before he left, we find a Celtic front line decimated by poor, individual form and missing players.
If there is one silver lining for Rodgers it may come in the form of Leigh Griffiths. The Scotland international only has one Premiership goal to his name this season, but in all competitions he’s averaging an almost identical goal tally to last season’s impressive return. And if he can keep himself fit he may offer a consistent source of goals that Celtic so desperately need.
The league campaign is still in its infancy, but if Celtic can’t find some consistent goalscorers up front they will continue to stumble against Premiership opponents and gift their rivals a larger head start.