Al-Khaleej's first football team continued their impressive performances in the Saudi Professional League this season, securing a resounding 4-0 victory against Al-Akhdoud last Friday evening in the sixteenth round of the competition. This win was more than just three points; it confirmed the significant progress Al-Khaleej has made this season.
The unbeaten streak and the return of confidence
With their victory over Al-Akhdoud, Al-Khaleej avoided defeat for the fourth consecutive time, marking a strong and impressive comeback after a period of inconsistent results at the start of the season. The team secured their third consecutive win, preceded by a valuable draw, reflecting the technical and mental stability achieved by the players and coaching staff, and their ability to overcome setbacks and quickly return to winning ways.
The context of the competition and the development of the Saudi League
Al-Khaleej's victories take on added significance given the overall context of the current Saudi Professional League season, which is witnessing fierce competition and tremendous development with the presence of a host of world-class stars. The fact that a team outside the "big four" can impose its attacking style and achieve high scoring rates is a clear indicator of the development of Saudi football and the rising level of competition in the mid-table, adding more excitement to the league and making match results more difficult to predict.
The strongest attacking lines... the numbers speak for themselves
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Al-Khaleej this season is its unprecedented attacking prowess; the victory over Al-Akhdoud marks the sixth time this season that the team has managed to score four or more goals in a single match. This prolific scoring has placed the team as the third highest-scoring in the competition, surpassing clubs with much larger budgets, reflecting the significant tactical work being done in attack.
Professionals shine: Fortunes and Joshua King
It's impossible to discuss Al-Khaleej's resurgence without acknowledging the pivotal role of the two foreign professionals, Greek Kostas Fortounis and Norwegian Joshua King. This duo formed a formidable attacking force, directly contributing to both creating and scoring goals, and capitalizing on half-chances. This provided the team with individual and collective solutions that helped unlock opposing defenses, as seen in the thrilling draw against Al-Ittihad and the five other victories that witnessed goal-fests.
Gulf statistics under scrutiny
In terms of numbers, Al-Khaleej has played 15 league matches so far, achieving a remarkable balance in results:
- Number of matches: 15 matches.
- Victories: 7 victories.
- Draws: 3 draws.
- Defeats: 5 defeats.
- Goals scored: 36 goals (high scoring rate).
- Goals conceded: 23 goals.
With their eighth position, the people of Saihat aspire to capitalize on this high morale to advance further up the standings and challenge the leading teams, while focusing in the upcoming rounds on improving their defensive organization to ensure they maintain their offensive gains.
