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The Premier League has been home to some of football’s most iconic goals, such as Wayne Rooney’s bicycle kick against Manchester City or Dennis Bergkamp’s glorious skill against Newcastle.
But who have scored the quickest goals in the competition since it came into being back in 1992?
Here’s Football FanCast’s look at the 10 fastest goals in Premier League history…
10
James Beattie – Chelsea v Southampton: 13.52 seconds
The tenth-fastest goal in Premier League history was scored by Southampton legend James Beattie.
During his seven-year stint with the Saints, the striker made 232 appearances, scoring 76 goals.
But his most famous goal for Southampton almost certainly came against Chelsea during the 2004/05 campaign.
After moving the ball between the defence and midfield from kick-off, Chelsea winger Joe Cole attempted a pass to his centre-backs from just inside his own half.
However, the five-time England international was able to intercept Cole’s terribly misplaced effort.
Beattie allowed the ball to bounce past him 30 yards from goal, and on the volley, he spectacularly struck the ball into the top left-hand corner, leaving Blues goalkeeper Petr Cech no chance.
Unfortunately, he would later score an own goal as the hosts came from behind to win.
9
Kevin Nolan – Blackburn v Bolton: 13.48 seconds
Kevin Nolan enjoyed a stellar Premier League career, making 401 appearances, scoring 69 goals, for Bolton, Newcastle United and West Ham, where he is now David Moyes’ assistant manager.
But during just his third season in the top flight (out of an incredible 13), Nolan scored what is now the ninth-fastest goal in Premier League history.
After Bolton teammate Kevin Davies was somehow able to keep the ball in at the byline and put a ball into the box, an ever-present Nolan was able to rifle the ball into the roof of the net.
This early goal would prove pivotal as the Wanderers would go on to scrape a narrow 4-3 win.
8
Chris Sutton – Everton v Blackburn: 12.94 seconds
Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton were labelled ‘SAS’ during their 1994/95 title-winning season together at Blackburn.
Between them, they scored 49 times (with Sutton recording 15 of them), and they also linked up for 13 goals – a record that was held until 2020/21 when it was beaten by Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
Although, Sutton and Shearer still hold the record for goal combinations in a title-winning season.
One of the goals they combined for also broke the record for the fastest Premier League goal (until it was beaten by the next goal on this list).
After the ball was thumped long from kick-off, Sutton headed the ball on the edge of the box to the all-time Premier League top goalscorer, who then nodded it back to him, allowing the Norwich City academy graduate to touch the ball down and fire into the back of the net.
7
Dwight Yorke – Coventry v Aston Villa: 12.16 seconds
Only one season after Sutton broke the record, Aston Villa and Dwight Yorke broke it again by just 0.78 seconds.
Against Midlands rivals Coventry City, Villa midfielder Ian Taylor broke down the right-hand side and whipped a superb ball into the box which found the striker, whose header powered past goalkeeper John Filan, leaving him no chance.
After leaving the West Midlands club, where he won two League Cups, the Trinidad and Tobago striker went on to enjoy an even more successful spell at Manchester United, where he won a Champions League and three Premier League titles.
On top of this, he scored 123 times in 375 games across his sensational Premier League career.
6
Mark Viduka – Charlton v Leeds: 11.9 seconds
Mark Viduka was part of the famous Leeds side that made it all the way to the Champions League semi-finals and finished fourth in the league, however, less famously, the striker scored what is now the sixth-fastest goal in Premier League history.
Just like many of the goals on this list, the ball was played back to the defence, who subsequently thumped the ball long.
After the pass was headed down to the Australia international, Viduka found himself completely free in the box, allowing him to calmly finish into the bottom right-hand corner.
Although the centre-forward was a talisman for Leeds, scoring 71 times in 165 appearances, he was part of the equally famous side that was relegated from the Premier League in 2004.
5
Christian Eriksen – Tottenham v Man United: 10.54 seconds
In the summer of 2022, Christian Eriksen signed for Manchester United, but before giving the Red Devils fans something to cheer about, the midfielder was causing dismay within the United fanbase.
After Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen smashed the ball up the pitch, Harry Kane beat Phil Jones to a header on the edge of the box, which ended up at the feet of Son, who flicked the ball back into the path of the Denmark international, meaning Eriksen could comfortably slot home into the left-hand side netting.
To add insult to injury for Jones, he would later go on to score an own goal, handing Tottenham a 2-0 victory.
Since signing for the red side of Manchester, Eriksen has won the League Cup – his first trophy in England – while he has also provided 11 assists and scored three goals across 50 appearances.
4
Alan Shearer – Newcastle v Man City: 10.52 seconds
Unsurprisingly, Sutton’s Blackburn attacking partner Shearer has also made an appearance on the list.
After leaving Blackburn in 1996, the former England international spent 10 years playing for Newcastle.
One of the 206 goals Shearer scored for the Magpies came against Manchester City in 2003. Straight from kick-off, City passed the ball back to goalkeeper Carlo Nash, whose attempted clearance was quickly closed down by the on-rushing striker, leaving him with a completely open net to tap the ball into.
Shearer’s 260 Premier League goals mean he still holds the record for the most goals in the division, and after Kane’s move to Bayern Munich, it looks like his title may stand a little longer.
3
Ledley King – Bradford City v Tottenham: 9.82 seconds
Despite making 322 appearances for his only club Tottenham, Ledley King’s career was plagued by injuries.
This also meant that he played in matches without training throughout the week, to try to reduce the risk of injury.
These injuries finally took their toll, as King’s chronic knee problems led to his retirement in 2012 at 31 years old.
However, in 2000, King scored the first sub-10-second goal in the Premier League. After a poor clearance from the Bradford City defence, the ball fell to the England international 25 yards from goal, and his powerful, low-driven strike bounced past the static goalkeeper.
2
Philip Billing – Arsenal v Bournemouth: 9.11 seconds
At the end of the 2022/23 season, newly promoted Bournemouth were fighting for survival in the top division of English football, having spent most of the season in the bottom three.
In March, when the Cherries travelled to the Emirates Stadium, any kind of result would have been vital in their bid for survival.
However, at a stadium the south coast side have never even earned a draw at, they shocked the then-league leaders Arsenal inside 10 seconds.
Attacking quickly down the right-hand side, the ball into the box was missed in the box by Gunners defenders Gabriel and William Saliba, which left the ball to trickle through to midfielder Philip Billing, who was left open to tap into the net.
Unfortunately for Bournemouth, despite scoring a goal either half, their lead would be cancelled out by a late Arsenal comeback, which concluded with Reiss Nelson’s last-minute goal that put the north Londoners 3-2 up.
1
Shane Long – Watford v Southampton: 7.69 seconds
This list is bookended by two goals from Championship side Southampton, as in April 2019, Irish striker Shane Long broke the record.
Straight from kick-off, the ball was passed back to Watford defender Craig Cathcart, who attempted to clear the ball up the pitch.
However, Long had other ideas, as he pressed Cathcart immediately and blocked his attempted pass (a move typical of former Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s high-pressing system).
The interception played the striker perfectly through on goal and his accurate chip over veteran shot-stopper Ben Foster sealed a new league record.