Goals are undoubtedly the most important part of football. If you don’t score goals, you don’t win matches.
Goals 2025-26: Strikers with the clinical edge
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What is a Goal?
Opta’s definition of what is defined as a Goal is as follows:
“Attributing a Goal to the Goal scoring player, or in the case of an Own Goal, to the defending player.
“Given any contention around assigning a Goal to an appropriate player, Opta will apply their own rules, and when applicable will align decisions to the relevant official competition, governing body.”
What does a number of Goals tell us about a player?
First and foremost, it tells us that a player knows where the back of the net is.
They are clinical in front of goal, they are excellent at finishing, and they provide the final piece of the jigsaw to a team’s move that put them in the position to score.
The Premier League has been blessed with some prolific strikers over the years. From Alan Shearer, Ian Wright and Robbie Fowler in the earlier years, to the likes of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Thierry Henry during the 2000s.
Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez and Sergio Aguero were among the league’s finest exponents during the 2010s, while Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland are among the most potent marksmen of today.
Who are the best Goal scorers in Premier League history?
Although he only appeared in the first 14 seasons, Shearer remains the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer with 260 goals.
The former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United striker was also a three-time winner of the Golden Boot – awarded to the player who found the net the most times during a season.
Only two players have managed to better that tally, but who are they? Here is a full list of Golden Boot winners since the Premier League’s inauguration in 1992.
| Season | Player | Team(s) | No. of Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | Teddy Sheringham | Nottingham Forest/Tottenham | 22 |
| 1993-94 | Andy Cole | Newcastle United | 34 |
| 1994-95 | Alan Shearer | Blackburn Rovers | 34 |
| 1995-96 | Alan Shearer | Blackburn Rovers | 31 |
| 1996-97 | Alan Shearer | Newcastle United | 25 |
| 1997-98 | Chris Sutton Dion Dublin Michael Owen | Blackburn Rovers Coventry City Liverpool | 18 |
| 1998-99 | Michael Owen Dwight Yorke Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink | Liverpool Manchester United Leeds United | 18 |
| 1999-00 | Kevin Phillips | Sunderland | 30 |
| 2000-01 | Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink | Chelsea | 23 |
| 2001-02 | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 24 |
| 2002-03 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Manchester United | 25 |
| 2003-04 | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 30 |
| 2004-05 | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 25 |
| 2005-06 | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 27 |
| 2006-07 | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 20 |
| 2007-08 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United | 31 |
| 2008-09 | Nicolas Anelka | Chelsea | 19 |
| 2009-10 | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 29 |
| 2010-11 | Carlos Tevez Dimitar Berbatov | Manchester City Manchester United | 20 |
| 2011-12 | Robin van Persie | Arsenal | 30 |
| 2012-13 | Robin van Persie | Manchester United | 26 |
| 2013-14 | Luis Suarez | Liverpool | 31 |
| 2014-15 | Sergio Aguero | Manchester City | 26 |
| 2015-16 | Harry Kane | Tottenham | 25 |
| 2016-17 | Harry Kane | Tottenham | 29 |
| 2017-18 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 32 |
| 2018-19 | Sadio Mane Mohamed Salah Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Liverpool Liverpool Arsenal | 22 |
| 2019-20 | Jamie Vardy | Leicester City | 23 |
| 2020-21 | Harry Kane | Tottenham | 23 |
| 2021-22 | Mohamed Salah Son Heung-min | Liverpool Tottenham | 23 |
| 2022-23 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 36 |
| 2023-24 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 27 |
| 2024-25 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 29 |