The Premier League has seen some of the greatest strikers of all time ply their trade, from Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer to more modern greats like Wayne Rooney and Sergio Agüero. All four can be considered some of the best goalscorers English football has ever seen, but perhaps none even come close to matching what Erling Haaland has produced for Manchester City.
The Norwegian international has taken to the top flight like a fish in water, and even a goalless game is effectively a mini-drought by his standards. But after netting his 100th Premier League goal against Fulham, the towering centre-forward stands alone as the fastest player to reach a century of goals in the top flight.
READ: This is not something “King of Anfield” Salah will accept in the long run
So, following Haaland’s powerful record-breaking performance, here’s a list of the fastest players in Premier League history to score 100 goals in the top flight, and it’s fair to say that City’s talisman has beaten some illustrious names to the top spot.
- Andy Cole and Michael Owen
Matches played for 100 Premier League goals: 185
- Les Ferdinand
Matches played for 100 Premier League goals: 178
- Robbie Fowler
Matches played for 100 Premier League goals: 175
- Ian Wright
Matches played for 100 Premier League goals: 173
- Mohamed Salah
Matches played for 100 Premier League goals: 162
- Thierry Henry
Matches played for 100 Premier League goals: 160
One of the greatest strikers of all time, Thierry Henry didn’t exactly have the most promising start when he joined Arsenal from Juventus, and endured a relatively barren spell as he found his way around English football – in fact, he didn’t register a single goal or assist in his first seven Premier League games. But once he had settled into life at Highbury, there was no stopping him.
Henry broke the 50-goal mark in just 83 games, and then reached the coveted 100th goal in 160 top-flight appearances. His landmark goal came in the first of two he scored against Southampton in February 2004, which was also, of course, the season in which the Gunners went ‘undefeated’ through the league.
- Sergio Agüero
Matches played for 100 Premier League goals: 147
Having already established himself as one of European football’s finest scorers at Atlético Madrid, Sergio Agüero showed the world exactly why he was considered a great striker when he joined Manchester City to play in the Premier League. The Argentine took to English football like a fish to water, scoring a remarkable eight goals in just five top-flight games, while reaching the 100-goal mark in the Premier League after just 147 appearances.
Agüero’s 100th goal came in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle in April 2016, as Manuel Pellegrini’s side finished fourth in the Premier League that season. Still, Agüero had made history and established himself as one of the Premier League’s all-time greats.
- Harry Kane
Matches played for 100 Premier League goals: 141
Now at Bayern Munich, Harry Kane was widely expected to stay in the Premier League to chase Alan Shearer’s all-time record of 260 goals in the English top flight. Although he decided to make the move to the Bundesliga, Kane had already made a huge impact in England during his time at Tottenham.
The England captain’s remarkable rise from relative obscurity to one of the world’s best strikers today is a testament to his hard work and dedication, especially when you consider that he only scored three times in his first 19 Premier League games. However, Kane has progressed at lightning speed, reaching the 100-goal mark in just 141 games – in fact, in going from 50 to 100, Kane scored a whopping six hat-tricks in that period.
- Alan Shearer
Matches played for 100 Premier League goals: 124
The man who topped this list for a very long time until a certain Erling Haaland came along, Alan Shearer amassed his 100 Premier League goals in just 124 games. The Newcastle legend actually began his Premier League goalscoring career while at Blackburn Rovers, when he scored on the opening day of the rebranded top division back in the 1992/93 season, netting twice in a 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace.
Shearer reached the 50-goal mark in 66 games, before scoring his next 50 in just 58 appearances – his 100th Premier League goal came in a 2-1 win over Tottenham back in December 1995. Now that record is gone, Shearer will be nervously looking over his shoulder at Haaland who could now break his total Premier League goals record of 260.
- Erling Haaland
Matches played for 100 Premier League goals: 111
And then there’s the man who takes his place as the fastest player ever to score 100 Premier League goals, Erling Haaland. The Norwegian’s performances since joining Manchester City have been nothing short of remarkable, breaking records all over the place. A striker who scores week in, week out with very little chance of going into a goal drought, Haaland has undoubtedly established himself as the best striker the Premier League has seen in recent seasons.
READ: Barcelona director: It was Manchester United who blundered with Marcus Rashford
Haaland already holds the record for the fewest games needed to reach 50 Premier League goals, and when you think about the future, it’s hard to imagine anyone surpassing Haaland on this list. His place at the top seems very secure.
