How the Premier League Table Would Look If the First Goal Scored Settled the Outcome of The Match

What would the Premier League table look like if the first goal scored in the 2012-13 season matches settled the outcome of the games?

Thanks to Opta, they’ve created the alternative league table below, which reveals some interesting observations:

Chelsea would be top of the table if the first goal in their matches settled the score. That points at Chelsea’s defensive lapses and inability to hold on to a lead as a reason why they’re not in first place in the current table. Southampton are in fifth place in the league table pictured above, which is pretty incredible considering they were relegation candidates just a few weeks ago.

At the opposite end of the table, the bottom three remain the same as the current league table, which points to the fact that all three teams need to do a much better job at scoring the first goal. Plus, it shows — perhaps — that their heads go down after they let the first goal go in, showing a lack of confidence and self-belief.

What are some of the interesting observations that you see in the above league table?