Erling Haaland has broken another goalscoring record. With his opener against Fulham, he became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals, comfortably smashing the record that has stood for two decades.
The Norwegian has joined an elite club of goalscorers – here are the current top ten fastest players to reach a century of Prem goals.
10) Michael Owen – 185 games
The Kylian Mbappé of the 90s; the teenage Michael Owen was a sensation.
He was absolutely rapid and lethal in front of goal, rightfully winning the Ballon d’Or in 2001. Injuries robbed Owen of a long career at the top, but in his prime he was without doubt among the elite. His 100th Premier League goal came in 2003, against West Brom.
9) Les Ferdinand – 178 games
Ferdinand played for QPR during the inaugural Premier League season of 1992/93, scoring 20, second only to Teddy Sheringham. Two more goal-laden seasons with QPR followed, before a big money move to Newcastle, where the goals kept coming. It was after his move to Tottenham that he bagged his 100th goal. At the time, Ferdinand was the second quickest player to reach this milestone.
8) Robbie Fowler – 175 games
Still affectionately known as God to the red half of Merseyside, and for good reason. Throughout the 90s, Fowler was undoubtedly the most natural finisher in the league, scoring goals from seemingly impossible angles. Fowler’s 100th goal came against Southampton in 1999.
7) Ian Wright – 173 games
Up there with Jamie Vardy as the Premier League’s ultimate feel-good rags to riches story, Ian Wright went from the amateur Sunday league to a Premier League Champion in a little over a decade. His breakthrough came with Crystal Palace, but it was at Arsenal that he truly established himself as a world-class finisher. It was in 1997 whilst playing under Arsene Wenger that Wright scored his 100th goal.
6) Mohamed Salah – 162 games
Salah’s debut Liverpool season was iconic – scoring 32 in 36 games – but his first Premier League goals came in a Chelsea shirt during his short and ill-fated stint at Stamford Bridge. Since returning to the Premier League, Salah has established himself as the finest goal-scoring winger the league has ever seen. The Egyptian’s quietest season in front of goal for Liverpool still returned 18 goals. It was against Leeds in 2021 that Salah scored his 100th Premier League goal.
5) Thierry Henry – 160 games
The greatest Premier League player of all time? Many would say so. Thierry Henry revolutionised English football as part of Wenger’s iconic early Arsenal team. Few players before or since have managed to combine his effortless elegance and composure with such deadly efficiency in front of goal. He bagged his century of Premier League goals against Southampton in 2004.
4) Sergio Agüero – 147 games
Guardiola famously said “we can not replace him” after Agüero departed. Haaland might have replaced the Argentine’s goal returns, but no one plays quite like Agüero. He was forced into an early retirement having been diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia, but his prime will never be forgotten. It was against Newcastle in 2016 where Agüero notched his 100th.
3) Harry Kane – 141 games
Perhaps Erling Haaland’s only rival on the world stage in terms of pure lethal goalscoring ability. Kane rocketed to 100 Premier League goals in just 141 games, made all the more impressive by Kane not really getting going until his third league season. Having made his debut in the tailend of the 2012/13 season, it wasn’t until 14/15 that he started chalking up the goalscoring numbers we’ve come to expect from England’s talisman. Liverpool were the victims of Kane’s century of league goals back in 2018.
2) Alan Shearer – 124 games
A record that has stood for nearly two decades, Alan Shearer scored his 100th goal back in December 1995 against Spurs. It looked like an untouchable record, giving the list of iconic strikers who took longer to reach the milestone. Shearer was a classic number nine; powerful, ruthless, strong and dangerous with both feet and his head. One league title was the only trophy he ever won, but he more than made up for it with individual accolades – he is still the undisputed Premier League top scorer of all time.
1) Erling Haaland – 111 games
It was always going to take a special sort of player to match, let alone beat Alan Shearer’s record. Haaland scored a brace on his Premier League debut against West Ham, and hasn’t stopped scoring since. 100 goals, 20 assists and two Premier League titles, it has certainly been a successful time for Haaland in a City shirt.
Having become the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals, will Haaland be eyeing up Shearer’s other goalscoring milestone? He’s now only 160 goals behind…
