Albion Analytics: Mitoma breaks Japan goalscorer record in Premier League

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Liam Tharme

Albion Analytics

2025-01-21T06:00+00:00

Kaoru Mitoma has scored 15 Premier League goals for Albion. 📷 by James Boardman.

With two goals in the space of three days, both scored away from home and almost exactly on the hour mark, Kaoru Mitoma equalled and broke Shinji Okazaki’s record: the most Premier League goals scored by a Japanese player.

His goal against Ipswich in midweek was the game opener and Mitoma’s 14th, while the Japan international put Brighton 2-1 up at Old Trafford for his 15th Premier League goal and to claim Okazaki’s record — a feat which he achieved in 40 fewer appearances than the former Leicester City striker.

“I am not a big fan of statistics, but this statistic is very nice and I have to congratulate him,” said head coach Fabian Hurzeler.

In fact, Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min (126), Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan (22) and former United midfielder Park Ji-sung (19) are the only Asian players with more Premier League goals than Mitoma. The Brighton winger has 12 Premier League assists, which is also the most among Japanese players, and Park (21) and Son (68) are the only Asians with more.

Mitoma scoring in consecutive games is something of a habit. Back in November he scored what turned out to be Brighton’s match-winner away to Bournemouth, finding the far corner after a Joao Pedro through ball, and then scored the opener in the next match at home to Southampton. For that one, he made a back-post run for Tariq Lamptey’s cross and finished with his first touch.

Similarly, he made three assists and scored once in the first four games of 2023-24. There were two excellent runs of form for Mitoma in early 2023, separated by two games with no goal involvements. He scored five in seven from the end of December 2022 to the start of February 2023, and then went seven consecutive matches with a goal or assist as Brighton went as many games unbeaten (W4, D3) between the end of that February and the start of April.

Mitoma is something of a good luck charm when he scores, as Brighton have won 13 of 17 those matches. The goal away to United was his fourth match-winner of the season, his sixth total in the Premier League and he has eight in all competitions for Albion. This Premier League campaign, only Chris Wood (7), Alexander Isak (6) and Erling Haaland (5) have more.

It is fitting that Mitoma finds himself surrounded by strikers. Even if he is renowned for his dribbling and ball carrying — Mitoma is one of only ten players to attempt 300+ Premier League dribbles since the start of 2022-23, and is tied fourth (with Bukayo Saka) for take-ons in the penalty area (56) — he scores goals like a number nine. His first in the league, away to Wolves, was a header, and over a quarter of his goals (4, from only 12 shots) have been headers.

Across all competitions since his debut, 15 of his 18 goals have been in the box, 11 are one-touch finishes and 6 have been inside the six-yard box, — the latter stat is the joint most at Brighton with Danny Welbeck. Incidentally, Welbeck (17) is the only member of the squad with more league goals than Mitoma (15) since his debut.

“He has everything,” said Hurzeler of Mitoma after the United win. “He is fast, he is good one against one, he can score goals, he can find solutions in narrow spaces with not a lot of time."

Mitoma’s variety of crosses and tendency to make aggressive runs for crosses from the right have improved Brighton’s back-post threat. They rank seventh in the Premier League this term for back-post chances (23), with Tottenham (10) and Liverpool (6) the only teams with more such goals. Mitoma’s goal against Manchester United was a prime example, beating wing-back Noussair Mazraoui to Yankuba Minteh’s in-swinging, deep cross.

Minteh had set up Mitoma in similar fashion away to Everton on the opening day, though that was more of a low cross. As a pair, they have combined for 15 passes, created five chances and produced thre goals this season — including Mitoma setting up Minteh for the opening goal in Manchester.

The 27-year-old is on eight Premier League goal contributions (5 goals, 3 assists) for the season, already an improvement on last campaign (7: 3 goals, 4 assists) where he missed 20 games with a back injury. The target will surely beat his debut season numbers of 12 contributions (7 goals, 5 assists) from 2022-23, and Brighton need their talisman to keep delivering if they are to sustain their push for European football.