LA Galaxy player has a better goal-scoring statistic than 10 MLS teams

In the 2023 MLS season, Dejan Joveljić, the Serbian forward for LA Galaxy, is proving to be a formidable force on the pitch.

With five games under his belt, Joveljić boasts an expected goals (xG) tally of 5.6. This statistic is particularly striking when compared to the xG of ten MLS teams after the same number of matches, namely Austin, Vancouver Whitecaps, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, New York City FC, Nashville, Atlanta United, Sporting KC, Toronto FC, and Portland Timbers.

Recently, Joveljić's impact has been undeniable, as he cemented his status as a key player for LA Galaxy. His decisive goal in the 75th minute against Sporting KC not only secured a crucial win but also etched his name into the annals of MLS history.

By finding the back of the net in each of the club's first five fixtures, Joveljić matched a longstanding league record previously set by Columbus' Brian McBride in 1998.

Joveljić's remarkable consistency is underscored by his impressive goal-scoring record, tallying a total of five goals in just five games. His ability to find scoring opportunities and capitalize on them has been instrumental in driving LA Galaxy's success this season.

LA Galaxy player has a better goal-scoring statistic than 10 MLS teams

With the departure of Javier "Chicharito" Hernández from LA Galaxy last season, that is, at the end of the 2023 season, what fans were expecting, or at least the majority, was a glow-up from Dejan Joveljić.

And they couldn't have been more correct when they hoped for that because the Serbian is meeting those expectations, and he is exceeding them.

With the signing of two new Designated Players following the departures of Hernández and Douglas Costa, it was expected that other areas of the field would be reinforced that were not precisely the central forward position, and that's exactly what happened. Joseph Paintsil arrived, who is a winger, and Gabriel Pec arrived, who is also a winger.

So, logically, the vacancy left by Javier Hernández was taken by Joveljić, and he took it, we can now confirm, with quite some authority.