The best attack in the UK?

There's a chill in the air with December approaching, but Gloucester City AFC - the top scorers across the top six divisions of English football - are on fire.

Although rocked by manager James Rowe leaving for Chesterfield on Tuesday, the unbeaten Tigers have scored 26 goals in nine games, one more than the next best: Portsmouth in League One and Cambridge United in League Two. 

City’s two primary forwards Awasi Asante and Matt McClure are the league’s two top scorers and have combined for 18 goals in 9 games, while fellow forward Bernard Mensah also has 3 goals this season, giving the frontline an insane 21 goals with less than a quarter of the season gone.

This makes a real change from last season where Gloucester were fighting for survival and only scored 39 goals across the entire season.

However, the Tigers' attacking prowess has been the catalyst for huge progress in 2020/21 and has made them one of the most feared sides in non-league football.

📈 Most league goals in 2020/21 (top 6 tiers):

26⚽: 💥GLOUCESTER CITY AFC💥
25⚽: Portsmouth, Cambridge
24⚽: Fleetwood
22⚽: Chelsea, Blackburn, Peterborough#GCAFC @GCAFCofficial pic.twitter.com/hRN77nhSsw

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) November 24, 2020

Gunning for promotion

This season the revamped Gloucester side have deployed a 3-4-3 system with the emphasis on getting the ball forward as quickly as possible. Gavin Gunning and Kevin Dawson are not central midfielders by trade but are nevertheless doing the dirty work in front of a youthful back three and simultaneously progressing the ball excellently upfield.

Perhaps the true hidden gems of the side, however, are the two wing-backs. George Carline and ex-Liverpool academy player Alex Whittle do an excellent job of helping out extensively at both ends of the pitch. Whittle himself has chipped in with a goal and two assists, while Carline is one of two players to have played every minute this season.

Another good win for the boys 🤩👏🏻 @GCAFCofficial https://t.co/jH6zPZbdw6

— Alex Whittle (@AliWhitts) November 21, 2020

AMM-unition

The supporting cast may be doing an admirable job, but it's the fearsome attacking trio of Matt McClure, Akwasi Asante and Bernard Mensah who have undoubtedly been the stars of the show.  

With Mensah typically dropping back into the number 10 role and turning provider, there's a lovely balance to the strike trio - Mensah's eye for the spectacular clearly in evidence when he scored an absolute peach from the edge of the box against AFC Telford.

Asante and McClure are the perfect 'little and large' combination. Asante himself was the third highest scoring player in the division last year for Chester, but has become accustomed to occupying defenders for McClure to find space and slot home. Current projections would see the pair combine for 84 goals in the division this year and, while that is largely unrealistic, it is a good indication of how prolific the pair have been

Attack first, defend second

The youthful back three of Liam Daly, Josh Thomas and Ben Morgan has enjoyed mixed success this season. The side have done well limiting the opposition to minimal clear chances, but at the same time have conceded 11 goals which ranks seventh worst in the division.

Ex-manager Rowe himself spoke of a trade-off, in terms of how his team was set up, stating that their expansive attacking brand of football would leave them exposed at times; to date at least, this deficiency hasn't come back to haunt them.

Promotion talk?

City’s explosive start to the season has seemingly put them in the race for promotion to the National League - heights the club hasn't reached since the 1940s. Games against fellow promotion candidates Fylde, Gateshead, Kidderminster and Southport near the top of the table will be the key indicators to just how far the Tigers can push this year.

All of the side’s achievements this year are even more impressive given their start to the season. An away trip down to Dorset in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup saw the side lose on penalties to Christchurch FC of the Wessex Premier League.

Gloucester's ability to bounce back from setbacks will be even more severely tested now that Rowe has left the club. However, their form suggests they are well placed for a serious crack at promotion - and with McClure and Asante firing in attack, Tigers fans look set for an interesting ride no matter what. 

UP NEXT | #GFC 🆚 #GCAFC

🗓 24/11/2020
🏆 National League North
🆚 @GatesheadFC
📍 Gateshead International Stadium
⌚️ 19:00 KO
📹 Live Stream details https://t.co/QUk5wklfAg pic.twitter.com/N8mIKUMHPk

— Gloucester City AFC (@GCAFCofficial) November 22, 2020