These stats show Aleksandar Mitrovic can do it in the Premier League

Aleksandar Mitrovic wasted no time in getting off the mark in this Premier League season as he scored a brace against Liverpool.

As Fulham have continued to yo-yo between the Championship and Premier League, the debate surrounding whether Mitrovic is good enough for the top flight would often crop up.  

We’ve dug into his stats from his previous two Premier League campaigns as well as his terrific performance during the season opener against Liverpool. 

 

His record in the Championship 

After scoring 43 goals last season it’s fair to say that Mitrovic has cemented himself as the greatest Championship striker of the modern era. 

Despite only playing three and a half seasons in the Championship, he currently ranks 12th on the all-time top goalscorers list for the league with 85 goals in 125 appearances. 

In the Championship he averages a goal every 116 minutes, which puts him clear of the likes of Teemu Pukki, Dwight Gayle and Tammy Abraham.  

Considering the jump up in level, it would probably be unfair to assume Mitrovic could put up similar numbers in the Premier League, but to suggest he can’t deliver at a higher level simply isn’t true. 

 

His first Premier League season 

The Serbian’s first full Premier League season came with Fulham in 2018/19. 

Fulham’s season ultimately ended in relegation as they finished in 19th place with only 26 points. 

However, despite Fulham’s struggles throughout the season, Mitrovic still finished the season with 11 goals and three assists to his name. 

Overall, Mitrovic was involved in 41% of all the goals Fulham scored that season. 

In the 18/19 season he managed to outscore the likes of Marcus Rashford, Leroy Sane and Wilfred Zaha. 

Fulham’s main problems stemmed from their defensive issues as they conceded 81 goals throughout the season, more than any other Premier League side. 

 

His second Premier League season 

Mitrovic was probably most scrutinised for his role in Fulham’s relegation in 2020/21, although there were some mitigating factors this season.  

In a bid to make Fulham more defensively compact, Scott Parker altered his system throughout the year which ultimately led to Mitrovic playing less. 

In Fulham’s previous campaign Mitrovic started in 37/38 Premier League matches and this season he started just 13 Premier League matches. 

In total, he scored just three goals and registered three assists, but accounting for his lack of gametime this isn’t as bad as first thought. 

Scott Parker coached a more defensive system, which also had an influence on how many chances Mitrovic would receive each match. 

His averaged just 2.2 shots per game, a decrease of 1.3 since his last season in the Premier League. 

The Serbian striker finished the season with an xG underperformance of 3.5 goals, but it’s fair to say there were a few mitigating circumstances this season.  

 

Mitro vs Liverpool 

Mitrovic wasted no time in announcing himself to the Premier League this season with a brace against Liverpool on the season opener. 

The 27-year-old was a constant threat throughout the afternoon as Fulham collected a well-deserved point against Liverpool. 

His first goal was something we had come to expect in the Championship as he ghosted in at the back post with a towering header over Trent Alexander-Arnold. 

Perhaps the most impressive part of Mitrovic’s game though was his hold-up play and how he got Fulham further up the pitch. 

In total, he won 11 of his 14 aerial duels and won seven of his nine ground duels. 

Considering that he was matched up against Vergil van Dijk, these numbers are seriously impressive. 

He completed two successful dribbles and won the penalty which he went on to score. 

If this is a sign of what’s to come from Mitrovic this season, Premier League defenders will definitely have their hands full.