Home is where the heart is for this Tottenham ace midfielder

Gareth Bale has scored nine Premier League goals since his return to the club, all of which have come at the friendly confines of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

It’s both an incredible and concerning stat depending on which side of the fence you sit. Let’s focus on the lush green, pristine and expansive side of the fence, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It’s hard to pinpoint, particularly with the absence of supporters, exactly why Bale is so much more prolific at home.

Prior to yesterday’s home match against Wolves, Bale scored eight goals in his last five home Premier League matches. It’s a staggering return that, if Bale was able to sustain for any length of time, would propel the Welshman into the Golden Boot conversation.

He definitely scores in bunches, a statement reinforced by Bale’s three multi-goal games — against Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Burnley — in the last two and a half months. Bale, prior to bagging a brace against Burnley on Feb. 28, only scored one home goal in the previous six months. Though a lack of fitness, rash of injuries and but a miserly dash of playing time can be attributed to his early season barren patch.

One has to grasp at straws to identify the reasons for Bale’s far superior home form. Maybe it’s the pitch itself and its immaculate composition. The expansive, perfectly designed theatre is a dream to play on, conducive to prodigious displays from talented individuals familiar with its makeup. His elevated offensive output also mirrors Tottenham’s superior home form.

Or maybe it’s down to a meticulously planned and consistent pre-match routine. It’s always easier to prepare for matches at home, helped on by a higher probability of a good night’s sleep. Maybe it’s purely the feeling Bale gets when he takes to the north London pitch.

Whatever the reasons, you can only assume Bale will be even more prolific in front of 60,000 raucous home supporters. I’m currently crossing my fingers hoping we get to see if that is indeed the case.

Now Bale is tasked with finding a way to score more goals away from home. Maybe the floodgates will open once he finds that elusive first away goal since his return to the top flight.

He has scored four away goals this season — two in the Europa League, one in the FA Cup, one in the Carabao Cup — so it’s not like he’s incapable of scoring on his travels. With that in mind, it should only be a matter of time before he breaks his away duck in the Premier League.

And it’s not farfetched to think that a man prone to scoring in bunches will do exactly that once the first crosses the line in enemy territory.