2 weeks ago
21
Top 20 ranked
©TM/IMAGO
In the world of football, all that matters is winning. History is written by the victors and as such most fans of the sport often prioritise the teams and players that go on to win football matches when they think back to their most cherished moments of the past. To no great surprise, the Premier League exemplifies this more than most leagues, with teams, managers and players only as good as their last win or match-winning goal. So which stars of yesteryear bagged more than any other?
According to Transfermarkt information, the list of the top 20 forwards to score the most match-winning goals in Premier League history is one stacked with some of the biggest names in the history of the English top-flight. And, as we can see in the table below, the list is dominated by homegrown talent, with no less than 11 English players. But a number of foreign imports have also made a significant impression on the league, when it comes to scoring the all-important goals.
To no great surprise, Alan Shearer has scored more match-winning goals than any other player in Premier League history. The former Blackburn and Newcastle talisman scored a total of 260 goals in the English top-flight for both clubs and 68 of them directly led to his team winning games. Not only does that mean that Shearer bagged a match-winning goal every six or seven league games, but it also meant that a remarkable 26% of his goals in the Premier League directly won matches.
In second place is another true talisman for the ages in Wayne Rooney. Whether for Everton or Manchester United, the thunderous No.9 bagged 208 goals across 491 league games and of that tally no less than 66 were direct match-winning goals. That works out at a match-winning goal every 7.4 matches in the Premier League. Rounding up the top five are Frank Lampard and Harry Kane in third and fourth position with 61 match-winning goals each in their Premier League careers, with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry sitting fifth with 59 match-winning goals in 258 league games for the North London club.
Eagle-eyed football fans may have also noticed none other than Cristiano Ronaldo sneaking into the top 20, despite only playing 236 games in the Premier League. That happens to be the lowest number of games for any of the listed players and underlines Ronaldo’s incredible form at Old Trafford, where he bagged 39 match-winning goals for Sir Alex Ferguson’s club. Which worked out at a remarkable rate of a match-winning goal every six games. Not bad for a player that predominantly played on the wing.
Which current Premier League stars have the most match-winning goals?
Naturally, the top 20 list would be dominated by players that had already racked up hundreds of appearances in the Premier League. But that doesn’t mean we can’t narrow in on the players that are currently plying their trade in the English top-flight to note which top strikers are winning games at the highest rate. And, to no great surprise, there are a number of familiar faces.
While Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah may have had to settle for sixth place on the all-time leader board, he sits comfortably in first place among all current players with 56 match-winning goals in the Premier League. That puts him above Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling, who has bagged a very impressive 39 match-winning goals over the course of 396 games for no less than three clubs in the division. Nottingham Forest target man Chris Wood somewhat surprisingly steps into third place with 30 match-winning goals in 270 games for fourth English sides.
However, the player that is definitely worth keeping an eye on from this top 10 list is none other than Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. Despite only playing 104 games in the English top-flight, the Norwegian talisman already has 27 match-winning goals to his name, which works out at a remarkable rate of 0.26 match-winning goals per appearance, or a match-winning goal every 3.85 games. That rate is not only better than Salah’s (0.18) and Ronaldo’s (0.17) but is also better than Shearer’s (0.15). Which suggests that with enough time, Haaland should quickly rise up this list and could perhaps even top it before he draws a line under his career.
