The English Premier League is one of the most popular football competitions in the world and it has been a home to some of the best strikers since its inception. Whenever a Premier League season begins, these elite attackers set their sights on scoring tons of goals. As a result, the English top flight has witnessed goal fests during the match weeks.
Players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and Dennis Bergkamp were the high-scoring individuals who graced the Premier League with their skills and consistency. Nowadays, Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland have made it a habit to be on the top of the scoring charts every season.
Netting 20-25 goals in a calendar year is generally considered a successful year for a forward. But the likes of Haaland, Salah or Harry Kane have been delivering on almost every occasion and are desperate to be on the list of players with the most goals in a Premier League season. Having said that, let’s take a look at the top 10 Premier League players with the most goals in a season, who defied all defensive odds to run the scoresheet for their respective clubs every week.
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List of Players with the Most Goals in a Premier League Season
10. Kevin Phillips (30 goals, 1999-2000)
Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips lit up the 1999-2000 Premier League season with his remarkable striking power. He netted 30 goals in 36 games that calendar year. The interesting fact is that 16 of his goals came in away games. It is still the highest goal scored by a player away from home in a single Premier League season. The Englishman’s scoring prowess earned him the Golden Boot that season and a place in England’s 2000 Euro squad.
9. Thierry Henry (30 goals, 2003-04)
Thierry Henry is in the ninth position on the list of the most Premier League goals in a season. The Frenchman’s 30-goal tally became a tool to complete Arsenal’s invincible season. It was like a cherry on top year for Henry, who solidified his legendary status at the London club with his commendable haul. The most crucial part of that season was his hat-trick against Liverpool where his three goals lifted the Gunners from the jaws of defeat and handed them a 4-2 victory. Henry’s exquisite skills and elegant ball control were something to be savored forever.
8. Robin van Persie (30 goals, 2011-12)
There is a popular saying – “If the end is good, everything is good.” Robin van Persie entered the tally of the most goals scored in a Premier League season, thanks to his exploding last year as an Arsenal player. The flying Dutchman came back from injury and played like a beast in the 2011-12 Premier League season, and featured in all 38 games. His 30 goals played a big role in sustaining a good image of him in the hearts of the Gunners before joining Manchester United.
7. Harry Kane (30 goals, 2017-18)
Harry Kane is one of the greatest modern-day strikers in the world. Before signing for Bayern Munich in 2023, Kane spent 14 years as a Tottenham Hotspur player. He is one of the cleanest strikers of the ball and has always been a contender for the Golden Boot every season. In the 2017-18 season, Kane reached the magical 30-goal mark in 37 games. Later, he went on to win another Golden Boot in the 2018 World Cup held in Russia.
6. Cristiano Ronaldo (31 goals, 2007-08)
A few years back during a Champions League game, legendary commentator Peter Drury said:
He (Cristiano Ronaldo) is like an ATM machine of goals.
Ronaldo is the top goalscorer in the history of football, and it is no surprise to see his presence on the chart of the most goals in a Premier League season. The Portuguese international is one of the greatest players to have ever played in the English top flight. Cristiano propelled the high-flying Manchester United to another Premier League title and later edged past Chelsea in the Champions League final. It was Ronaldo’s second last season at Old Trafford and he scored 31 goals also managing 7 assists in 34 league games.
5. Luis Suárez (31 goals, 2013-14)
Luis Suárez in the 2013-14 season was something else. He played like a beast who could destroy any team’s defensive strategy in the blink of an eye. After serving a five-game ban in the opening session of the season for biting Branislav Ivanović, the Uruguayan enjoyed one of the best goal-scoring seasons in the history of the English top division. In just 33 appearances, he secured 31 goals and 17 assists.
4. Mohamed Salah (32 goals, 2017-18)
Mohamed Salah returned to the Premier League in the 2017-18 season from Serie A and made the lives of defenders miserable in his first season at Anfield. The Liverpool messiah scored against all the big boys of the Premier League – Manchester City, Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea, except Manchester United. The Egyptian finished the league campaign with 32 goals and 11 assists in 36 appearances. So far, he has made the most goal contributions in a Premier League season as a Red.
3. Andy Cole (34 goals, 1993-94)
When everyone started doubting the longevity of Newcastle United in the English top flight, it was Andy Cole who turned out to be a savior of the Premier League club. Cole is one of the most prolific strikers in English football history and his 34 goals in the 1993-94 season were a reply to the critics who doubted him. The Englishman finished the season with 34 strikes and 13 assists in 40 games. In his incredible career, Cole won five league titles.
2. Alan Shearer (34 goals, 1994-95)
Alan Shearer is the highest scorer in the history of the Premier League and obviously, he will be on the list of the players with the most goals in a Premier League season. Those who have watched Shearer play know that he only played for goals. The English professional scored more than 30 goals three times in the Premier League. In the 1994-95 season, he managed 34 goals and 13 assists in 40 games.
1. Erling Haaland (36 goals, 2022-23)
Erling Haaland could not have announced his arrival at the Premier League in a better way than this. In his debut season for Manchester City, Haaland clocked 36 goals and became the player with the most goals in a Premier League season. The Norwegian finished the season with an overall of 52 goals in all competitions and four league hat-tricks. Pep Guardiola’s side won the treble that season. The way Haaland is developing his attacking style, there is no doubt that he will break his own most Premier League goals scored in a season record very soon.
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