The Pros of Re-Signing Gareth Bale as Tottenham Fanbase Split on Move
By Gary Pearson
3. Bale Showed He Can Still Contribute at an Efficient Rate
But he certainly showed his quality when he returned to match fitness, even if that was as seldom as it was fleeting.
He scored 11 top flight goals, 10 in the last three months.
Bale finished as the team’s third top goalscorer, an impressive feat considering he made just 20 appearances. He scored more than a goal every two matches, better than everyone but Harry Kane.
He was, according to his expected goals analysis, expected to score 5.80 goals during his loan stint. He almost doubled that statistical insight.
Tottenham also benefitted when Bale scored, enjoying a 100 percent winning record when the Welshman bagged at least one goal.
Nine of his 11 goals were scored at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a total you’d expect he’d surpass with 60,000 vociferous supporters wholeheartedly behind him.
Oh, and his final two goals against Leicester secured Tottenham’s place in the UEFA Europa Conference League, which turned out to be a farce. But we didn’t know that back then.
Sure, nobody at Tottenham, especially now that they’re in the Champions League, cares about a place in the Europa Conference League anymore. In truth, only a select few did even then.