The 2022/23 Premier League season is now a thing of the past. Some fans will be glad it’s over and they can enjoy a summer without stress – Everton supporters, we’re looking at you. Others will be facing next season in the Championship, whilst clubs – and their fans – such as Newcastle, Brighton and Man City will wish it was August tomorrow.
If you have even the slightest interest in football, it will probably have not escaped your notice that a certain blonde-Viking-giant has been scoring the odd goal here and there. Erling Haaland may have fallen a long way short of Dixie Dean’s 60 league goals in a season, but he did well and truly set a new mark in terms of the Premier League record. In this feature, we take a look at the top five players in terms of the most goals scored in a single Premier League campaign.
| Player | Goals | Team | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | 36 | Manchester City | 2022/23 |
| Andrew Cole | 34 | Newcastle United | 1993/94 |
| Alan Shearer | 34 | Blackburn Rovers | 1994/95 |
| Mohamed Salah | 32 | Liverpool | 2017/18 |
| Luis Suarez | 31 | Liverpool | 2013/14 |
1) Erling Haaland, 36 Goals, 2022/23
Born on the 21st July 2000 in Leeds and raised in the small Norwegian town of Bryne, Erling Haaland said from a young age that he aimed to be the best footballer in the world. He may have to battle with Kylian Mbappe for that accolade but when it comes to scoring goals, the Man City striker is unstoppable.
He registered 36 in 35 games, helping City to yet another Premier League title and, quite possibly, a treble (the two cup finals are yet to be played at the time of writing). No other player has ever scored more than 34 goals in a PL season. What’s more, as we shall see, the two players who managed that total played in far more matches than the Norwegian phenomenon.
Haaland smashed numerus records during his debut season in English football and the scary thing is that there is surely more to come. A lot more. He has it all: pace, power, dedication, movement, intelligence and, of course, brilliant finishing ability, plus that incredible knack of being in the right place at the right time.
He scored the majority of his goals with his left foot but is essentially two-footed and also got six with his right, as well as seven headers. Despite missing almost 30% more big chances than anyone else in the Premier League, his shooting accuracy is impressive, as is his conversion. The fact he hit the woodwork five times last term and missed almost 30 so-called big chances only hints at how many he might well score in the seasons to come.
His PL campaign got off to a real flyer when he bagged a brace in the first game of the season, away at West Ham. Despite City hammering Bournemouth 4-0 in the next game, he failed to net. Any fears that Haaland might struggle in the Premier League were then firmly put to bed, as he scored in eight of the next nine matches. Incredibly that included three hat-tricks and 15 goals in total.
From that point on, in terms of the Premier League scoring record, it really was just a question of Haaland staying fit. In the end he missed two league matches due to injury and was rested for their final game with the league wrapped up and two big cup finals ahead. Even so, 35 games was enough for him to make history and it is a record that would surely last for many years … if it wasn’t for a man called Erling Haaland. Roll on 2023/24!
2) Andy Cole, 34 Goals, 1993/94
Andy Cole held, or jointly held, the record for most goals in a PL campaign for almost 30 years until Haaland came and made a mockery of his efforts. The Norwegian may have only bagged two extra goals but he did so in a 38-game season, whilst Cole got his 34 goals when the top flight featured 22 teams and thus 42 games.
Whilst Haaland banged in 36 goals in 35 matches, Cole managed 34 in 40. Of course, that is still a hugely impressive feat and the former England striker was a superb poacher for the Magpies. Fast and deadly in front of goal, he would go on to form a brilliant partnership with Dwight Yorke at Man United. At the Red Devils his all-round game improved but he would never match this incredible tally again.
3) Alan Shearer, 34 Goals, 1994/95
We list Shearer third, behind Cole, because his 34 goals came from 42 games, giving him an inferior goals-to-games ratio of 0.81 versus the 0.85 of Cole. Shearer fired in another 31 goals in 1995/96, from just 35 games (0.89 per match), and his 25 from 31 the season after brought him a third consecutive Premier League Golden Boot.
Shearer is, of course, the competition’s all-time record goalscorer, having netted 260 goals in 441 appearances in the PL. Harry Kane, currently on 213 (from 320 games) may well overtake him but the Newcastle fan and former manager of the club will always remain a legend. At his peak he was truly one of the very best all-round centre forwards. His goalscoring record is even more impressive when you consider he suffered two very serious knee injuries that made him miss a total of 63 games, and a third that saw him sidelined for over seven weeks.
4) Mo Salah, 32 Goals, 2017/18
Until City prised Haaland away from Borussia Dortmund, Mo Salah held the record for the most goals in a 38-game PL campaign. He played for Liverpool 36 times that season, bagging four against Watford. His goals were largely in vain, however, as the Reds finished in fourth, a massive 25 points adrift of Man City.
Even so, it was a fantastic return from the Egyptian, who would go on to (jointly) claim the Golden Boot on a further two occasions. Salah was perhaps the best player in the world for a period and his pace, sorcery and surprising strength made him a nightmare to play against, especially with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino alongside him.
5) Luis Suarez, 31 Goals, 2013/14
Another Liverpool player completes our list of the top single-season goalscorers in Premier League history. In 2007/08 a certain Cristiano Ronaldo also netted 31 goals in a PL campaign but he took 34 games to do so, whereas everyone’s favourite hungry striker needed a game fewer, so gets the nod in our article.
Liverpool came so close to winning the league, in large part thanks to the magic and goals of Suarez. A controversial figure, his brilliance is undeniable, and, as the Anfield banners read, he could “nutmeg a mermaid”. Some may have revelled in his tears as the Reds threw away a 3-0 lead at Palace that effectively ended their title chances but … oh, actually, there is no but, it was great!