Premier League
David Beckham Documentary: Longer Shots Flood Premier League After Netflix Success Story
There seems to be a longer shot in the Premier League as a result of David Beckham’s Netflix success, and especially the one that features his famous long-range goal. Following the release of the documentary, the proportion of pictures taken from farther away increased by two or even four times. In recent encounters, though, this tendency has somewhat diminished. The percentage of shots from more than 20 yards is still increasing despite the decrease. It’s interesting to note that the season had a record number of goals scored outside the box, which hasn’t happened previously 2017.
This increase in long shots contrasts with an overall downward trend in long-distance tries throughout the years, mostly because long-distance shots have a lower scoring chance than inside-the-box shots. Instead of taking long-range shots, teams now place more emphasis for controlling the ball and developing clear goal-scoring chances.
There have been noteworthy lengthy shots recorded in other leagues, suggesting that the influence of Beckham’s documentary goes throughout the English Premier League. But historically, players like Wayne Rooney, Xabi Alonso, and Charlie Adam have been among the few who have been successful in making such bold tries.
Despite the iconic nature of Beckham’s goal against Wimbledon, coaches tend to avoid long shots because of their lower success rate in contemporary football. Although Beckham’s amazing goal served as inspiration, it is unclear if teams are going to keep to follow in his footsteps or perhaps their popularity will eventually wane.
