From the top-of-the-table battle between Manchester City and Liverpool, to the fastest goal in Premier League history, the 2018/19 Premier League season brought more drama and excitement than we have seen in a long time.
There is nothing better than seeing your team net an early goal especially if it's in less than 10 seconds, here are
the five fastest goals in Premier League history:
5. Mark Viduka – 11.90 seconds v Charlton 2000/01
Image source: theaustralian.com.au
He may have been a bullish and physical striker, but Mark Viduka had one of the most delicate touches of any striker in the Premier League.
In the match against Charlton Athletic, the Leeds striker was expertly put through by Alan Smith, who caught the defenders napping, after Ian Harte lumped the ball up-field from kick-off. Smith’s flick-on fell to the feet of the Australian who controlled the ball and then slipped it past Sasa Ilic and into the back of the net.
The goal took just under 12 seconds, stunning the home side, and it was a not-so-gentle reminder of Viduka’s deadly skills in front of goal.
4. Christian Eriksen – 10.54 seconds v Manchester United, 2018/19
image source: telegraph.co.uk
The 2018/19 Premier League season was one of the most exciting seasons of all time. Not only were we treated to a thrilling battle between City and Liverpool at the top of the table, but we also got to see Christian Eriksen stun Man United and their fans with a 10.54-second screamer.
With a Premier League record crowd of 81,978 still getting settled in their seats, Eriksen gave Tottenham the perfect start at Wembley. The ball was played long to 1.88m-tall Harry Kane who managed to get the better of Phil Jones.
Kane flicked the ball on to a waiting Dele Alli who duffed his shot, but managed to get it to ricochet into the path of a perfectly-placed Eriksen who used his left foot to curl the ball into the side of David de Gea’s net.
At that stage, it was the fastest Premier League goal of the season, and the third of all time, but the season that kept on giving had one more surprise in store…
3. Alan Shearer – 10.52 seconds v Man City, 2002/03
Image source: lazyfansports.com
Alan Shearer is the leading Premier League goal scorer for a reason, in his day, he was unstoppable in front of goal. You didn’t really want to be playing around your own box when he was breathing down your neck and in 2002/03, City found that out the hard way.
After playing the ball back to Carlo Nash from kick-off, the keeper took a heavy touch and, upon realising that a rampant Shearer was charging him down, attempted to clear the ball. Things went from bad to worse for Nash, whose back foot slipped before he smashed the ball straight into a leaping Shearer. The ball fell favourably for the striker who gathered and calmly slotted home.
2. Ledley King – 9.82 seconds v Bradford City, 2000/01
Image source: twitter.com
You don’t often hear about defenders getting on the score sheet, even more unheard of, is a defender having his name down as one of the fastest goal scorers in Premier League history.
In the 2000/01 season, Tottenham Hotspurs’ defender, Ledley King, managed to score an absolute screamer. After the ball was played long from kick-off, a misplaced header fell into King’s path. With a couple of deft touches, the defender put his boot through the ball and found the back of the net - less than 10 seconds after the whistle to start the match had been blown.
1. Shane Long – 7.69 seconds v Watford, 2018/19
Image source: telegraph.co.uk
Shane Long didn’t just beat Ledley King’s record, he completely shattered it - by more than two seconds. Less than eight seconds after Southampton’s match against Watford kicked off, Shane Long had put his name on the score sheet, and his side ahead.
After charging down Craig Cathcart’s clearance, Long quickly gathered up the loose ball and completely outran a shell-shocked Cathcart. One-on-one with the keeper, Long chipped the ball over Ben Foster and etched his name in the record books at the same time.
You might also like: Goals that Changed Football History
Unfortunately, Long’s strike wasn’t enough to get the win for the Saints, as Andre Gray would net an equaliser for Watford in the 90
th minute.
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