5 unluckiest Premier League clubs so far this season

Chelsea have taken an early lead in the 2021-22 Premier League race, notching up 25 points in 10 matches. They are being closely followed by Liverpool and Manchester City, who have 22 and 20 points respectively in their kitty.

Attack-wise, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool lead the line with 29 goals so far, compared to Chelsea's 26 and City's 20. On the other side of the spectrum are Norwich City with just three goals so far.

But as few clubs have scored goals for fun while some have struggled to, there are clubs who have been denied by the woodwork on multiple occasions too. The list is led by a team who have hit the framework as many as eight times in just 10 matches.

On that note, here's a look at the five unluckiest clubs who hit the woodwork the most in the Premier League this season:

#5 Leicester City - 5

Brentford v Leicester City - Premier League

Leicester City's season hasn't been as smooth as they would have hoped for. They have struggled to stitch together a run of results, often falling away soon after a confident win.

Their 4-2 win over Manchester United a couple of game weeks ago was followed by wins over Spartak Moscow, Brentford and Brighton. But Arsenal condemned them to a 2-0 defeat on Saturday, October 30, to put and end to their winning run.

They have also been unlucky with the woodwork, having been denied by it on five occasions in the ongoing Premier League season. They were unlucky against Arsenal too, where they hit the woodwork twice and failed to find the back of the net.

#4 Burnley - 5

Burnley are next on this list, having hit the woodwork five times in 10 Premier League matches this season. Sean Dyche's side are currently in the relegation zone with just seven points from 10 matches, and have registered just one league win this season.

They could consider themselves unlucky, however, having been denied by the woodwork on five occasions. Their recent 3-1 win over Brentford would give them some hope, however.

The Clarets desperately need to build a string of positive results before the gap between them and the teams above them widens. Currently, they are three points behind 17th-placed Leeds United.

#3 Arsenal - 5

Arsenal started the Premier League season in dismal fashion, losing their first three matches. They seem to have found their feet now, however, and are unbeaten in seven league games. This recent upturn in form has brought them into the top half of the table and they are now sixth following their victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Their Premier League campaign could have been even better though, as they have hit the woodwork on five occasions, just like Leicester and Burnley. Nicolas Pepe has been their unluckiest player. The Ivory Coast international has been denied by the woodwork twice, placing him joint-third on the list of players who have hit the framework the most this Premier League season.

Mikel Arteta will want the club to continue in a similar form to ensure they improve heavily on last season's eighth-place finish in the Premier League.

#2 Crystal Palace - 6

Crystal Palace v Newcastle United - Premier League

Crystal Palace have hit the woodwork the second-highest times in 10 Premier League matches of the 2021-22 season with six such instances. Patrick Vieira's side have recently returned to form with a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Manchester City in the Premier League.

As far as hitting the woodwork is concerned, Christian Benteke has been the unluckiest among the Eagles' players. The Belgian striker has hit the framework thrice in the league so far, taking Crystal Palace to second spot on this list.

Benteke, however, seems to have found form and has scored in two of his last three league matches. This will give Vieira some respite as he tries to improve the club's run of form.

#1 Brentford - 8

Brentford are the unluckiest side in the Premier League with respect to the woodwork this season. The newly-promoted side have hit the framework eight times in ten matches, the most in the league so far.

Despite their luck with the woodwork, Brentford have been highly impressive this season. They started off with just one defeat in their first seven matches, and despite a recent slump in form, they are 12th after 10 matches.

Bryan Mbeumo has contributed the most to Brentford's tally of eight. The forward has struck the framework six times, the most by any Premier League player this season. Pontus Jansson and Christian Norgaard have hit the woodwork once each, taking their side to the top of the list.

About the author

Sankalp is a veteran European and international football writer at Sportskeeda. He has a total experience of 8 years, having previously worked for some top companies such as Wisden India and Fox Sports Asia. An engineer by qualification, Sankalp places a very high emphasis on accuracy by leaving no stone unturned in his research, and prides himself on showcasing the human aspect of the sporting world.

Sankalp has had the privilege of interviewing senior Indian cricketers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Chris Woakes in his experience so far. He has also covered various Indian and international matches, such as the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup when working for FOX.

Sankalp started following football after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup with his family. He is a die-hard Manchester United supporter, who started following the club due to David Beckham. His favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and favorite player is Lionel Messi, both for setting unattainable benchmarks. He considers Barcelona’s incredible 6-1 second leg comeback win in the 2016-17 UCL against Paris Saint-Germain as one of the most iconic matches ever.

Along with European football, Sankalp also follows the Indian Super League. When not writing, Sankalp enjoys traveling and watching sports.

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Edited by Nived Zenith