Kaoru Mitoma is now one goal away from holding the record for most Premier League goals scored in a single season by a Japanese player.
The winger is now level with Leicester City’s Shinji Okazaki (2017/18 season) and Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawa (2012/13 season) on six goals after he scored our third in Saturday’s 4-0 win over West Ham.
Kaoru reckons he can break the record if he maintains his place in the starting XI, with 15 games still to play in this Premier League season.
“I know about the record. I would just like to go as far as I can, but it will not be that easy. The team played well [against West Ham] and that gave me a chance to score.
“I will play for the team first and then will try to get goals myself. Only by getting a good result in every match I can continue to play as a starter.
“If I play the game from the start I can control the things, like playing wide, taking a certain position or taking on the opponent but it can change depending on who we play against.
“It’s easier if I play from the start but there are also things that I can do from the bench. I think it’s my strength that I can play in both those roles.”
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The 25-year-old was pleased to make it two wins in a week after beating Stoke City in the Emirates FA Cup last Tuesday.
“We have confidence going into every match, but it’s true that we couldn’t get a good result in the last couple of [Premier League] matches.
“We thought we must get a good one against West Ham because they were in a lower position in the table. I think we were able to show good qualities even without the head coach [who was serving a one-match ban] watching from the bench. The important thing is continuing to show our qualities.”