MIssing goals from midfield analysis
Adjusted to classify James and Lingard as forwards, not midfielders.
After game #22 last season, the premier league top scorers were Forwards: Lukaku 8, Martial 8, Rashford 7, Lingard 7 and Alexis 1 - total 31. Midfielders : Pogba 7, Mata 2, Ander 2, Matic 1. (Pogba went on to be top scorer, IIRC, though he was penalty taker). Total goals scored = 45
So the front line contributed 31 = 69% and midfield 12 = 27% (only 2 goals game from defenders, one each to Smalling and Shaw = 4%).
This year, the numbers are Rashford 13 (main penalty taker), Martial 8, Greenwood 4 and James 3, totalling 28. M/f , McTominay 3 and Pereira 1 = 4. The defence has contributed 2 again, Williams and Lindelof.
Total goals scored = 34.
So the forwards have scored 82%, the midfield 12% and the defence 6%
Not only are we missing goals from M/F, in 2017-18, the defence contributed 10 all season (albeit we had former wingers at fullback, who were high quality finishers relative to AWB and Shaw), but that has dropped off a cliff.
We have scored 11 goals less than at the same point last year, with the deficit coming from the forwards (-3) and the midfield (-8, Pogba was the pen taker, but I haven't recorded how many pens he scored).
Adding in the missing goals would probably put us in the top 4.