DEFENDER Stephen Welsh scored Celtic’s first goal of the season with his close-range header in the opening-day Premier League encounter against Aberdeen at Parkhead on Flag Day on July 31.
Portuguese flyer Filipe Jota, celebrating his four-year permanent contract at the Hoops, rifled in the second to ensure a winning start to the 2022/23 crusade.
Including the double over the Dons, the champions have claimed TWENTY-FIVE league goals from seven games.
There have been contributions from all over the park although, rather puzzingly, just one from midfield – David Turnbull’s opportunistic effort in the 4-0 triumph over Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox visitors on September 3.
Even Welsh’s fellow back-four operators Moritz Jenz and Carl Starfelt have collected two apiece while Josip Juranovic joined in the goal parade as the Hoops went on a 9-0 romp against Dundee United at Tannadice on August 28.
It was a different story just two months into 2022 when Reo Hatate (3), Tom Rogic (2) and Matt O’Riley had all chipped in from the middle of the park with Premiership counters.
But, two months into the new campaign, the goals – apart from Turnbull’s effort – have dried up from that crucial area.
Skipper Callum McGregor, in fact, has scored with his strike coming in the 4-1 Premier Sports League Cup win over Ross County on August 31.
Of course, no-one is unduly bothered who scores the Celtic goals, but it is obviously advantageous to the team when the frontmen are being blocked – as happened in the 2-0 loss to St Mirren in Paisley last time around – that threats can come from other angles.
Possibly the month of October could see the midfielders start to hit the mark on a regular basis.
A start against Motherwell at Parkhead when the Premiership resumes on Saturday would be welcome.
Over three competitions – championship, League Cup and Champions League – the Hoops have claimed 30 goals.
Here is the list of marksmen:
SIX: Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada
FOUR: Filipe Jota
THREE: Giorgos Giakoumakis
TWO: Moritz Jenz, Carl Starfelt
ONE: Stephen Welsh, Callum McGregor, Josip Juranovic, David Turnbull, Daizen Maeda, James Forrest, Artem Bondarenko (og).
