{
  "id": 1461274,
  "title": "Joao Pedro leads EPL pre-season goal chart, Tzolis tops asssists",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/joao-pedro-leads-epl-pre-season-goal-chart-tzolis-tops-asssists-1461274",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-17T10:12:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/joao-pedro-leads-epl-pre-season-goal-chart-tzolis-tops-asssists/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Aston Villa teenager Brian Madjo tops the list of EPL pre-season goal scorers with five goals, including a match against Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. Following close behind are Nottingham Forest's Igor Jesus and Crystal Palace midfielder Matheus Franca, each with four goals. With the Premier League season commencing on Friday, August 21, the pre-season scoring charts provide an early indication of the players arriving in top form. Notably, Christos Tzolis of Arsenal leads the pre-season assists chart with six assists, having scored two in Arsenal's Community Shield victory over Manchester City and earning a \"Fantasy assist\" after winning a penalty against Borussia Dortmund. Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo and Aston Villa's Emiliano Buendia follow with five and four assists respectively.",
  "summary": "Joao Pedro leads EPL pre-season goals with 7, while Christos Tzolis tops assists with 6. Discover the top performers ahead of the new Premier League season Read More: https://punchng.com/joao-pedro-leads-epl-pre-season-goal-chart-tzolis-tops-asssists/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Joao Pedro leads EPL pre-season goal chart, Tzolis tops asssists",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/joao-pedro-leads-epl-pre-season-goal-chart-tzolis-tops-asssists",
        "published": "2026-08-17T09:41:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}