The English Premier League is home to some of the best teams and players, making it arguably the most competitive soccer league on the planet. Almost every top player worth their salt dreams of making it big in the most televised league in the world, knowing it is the quickest way to earn worldwide fame. However, leaving a mark in England is easier said than done, with only a chosen few managing to do so over the years.
Below, we will take a look at a group of gifted goalscorers who have made it to the Premier League history books, courtesy of their explosive start in England. Here are the 10 players who have taken the least number of games to score 50 Premier League goals.
#10 Kevin Phillips (Sunderland) – 83 Games
Former England international Kevin Phillips scored 50 Premier League goals in only 83 matches for Sunderland, with 30 of those strikes coming in his debut season (1999-2000). Phillips won his only Golden Boot and Player Of The Season awards at the end of the campaign.
Phillips also played for Southampton, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, and Crystal Place in the first division of English soccer. Overall, he scored 92 times and claimed 24 assists in 263 EPL matches.
#9 Thierry Henry (Arsenal) – 83 Games
One of the finest forwards in the game’s history, Thierry Henry reached the 50-goal milestone in the English top flight in just 83 matches. The former Arsenal attacker won a record four Golden Boots (2001-02, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06), two Player Of The Season awards (2003-04, 2005-06), and two Premier League titles (2001-02, 2003-04) over nine and a half seasons (2011-12 on loan) in north London.
Under the legendary Arsene Wenger, Henry played 258 Premier League games, scoring 175 times and claiming 74 assists.
#8 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) – 81 Games
Manchester City icon Sergio Aguero has captured the eighth position on the list, having netted 50 goals in his first 81 Premier League matches.
Aguero spent 10 trophy-laden years at Manchester City, famously scoring the title-winning goal against Queens Park Rangers in the 2011-12 season. In total, he reached the summit of English soccer five times, also winning it in 2013-14, 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2020-21. City’s all-time leading scorer (260 goals in 390 games) scored 184 goals and provided 47 assists in 275 Premier League matches at City. The Argentine’s best-ever Premier League season on an individual level came in 2014-15. He scored 26 goals in 33 games to fire the Cityzens to the championship.
#7 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) – 79 Games
In seventh place, we have former Arsenal and Chelsea center-forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon international, who currently plays for Ligue 1 club Marseille, reached the 50-goal milestone in an impressive 79 games during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
Before falling out with Mikel Arteta and leaving in January 2022, Aubameyang played 128 Premier League games for the Gunners, scoring 68 times. In the 2018-19 season, the 34-year-old enjoyed his best-ever Premier League campaign, winning the Golden Boot after scoring 22 times in 36 games.
He returned to the English top flight with Chelsea in September 2022 but failed to cement his position in the team. He left permanently for France after scoring just once in 15 games.
#6 Fernando Torres (Liverpool) – 72 Games
Fernando Torres was brutally criticized for his lackluster spell at Chelsea. However, before his ill-fated stint at Stamford Bridge, the former Spain international was considered one of the most formidable strikers in England. Torres, who played his best game between 2007 and 2011 at Liverpool, enjoyed a blistering start at Anfield, scoring 50 goals in only 72 games. Premier League named him the Player Of The Month in February 2008 and September 2009.
Between Liverpool and Chelsea (2011-2016), Torres played 212 league games, scoring 85 times and providing 29 assists.
#5 Mohamed Salah* (Chelsea/Liverpool) – 72 Games
Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah struggled to get on the teamsheet during his brief spell at Chelsea, scoring just twice in 13 league appearances in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. He spent the next couple of seasons at Roma, honing his craft and earning a transfer to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. The Egyptian King hit the ground running at Anfield, scoring 48 league goals in his first 59 games, taking his Premier League tally to 50 in 72 matches.
Over the last seven seasons, Salah has won the Golden Boot thrice (2017-18, 2018-19, 2021-22), won the Player Of The Season once in 2017-18, and the Premier League title in 2019-20. The 31-year-old has scored 149 goals and provided 64 assists in 244 matches so far.
#4 Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Manchester United) – 68 Games
One of the most stylish forwards the game has ever seen, Ruud van Nistelrooy enjoyed a remarkable five-season spell at Manchester United between 2001 and 2006. Nistelrooy enjoyed an explosive start to life at Old Trafford, scoring 50 Premier League goals in only 68 matches.
The Dutchman played his best soccer in the 2002-03 campaign, he scored 25 goals in 34 league games, helping the Mancunians to the Premier League title. Not only did he win the Golden Boot that season but was also chosen as the Premier League Player Of The Season. Before leaving for Real Madrid in 2006, Nistelrooy scored 95 goals and provided 14 assists in 150 EPL games.
#3 Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers) – 66 Games
One of the finest English forwards in history, Alan Shearer scored 50 Premier League goals in only 66 games, with all of his strikes coming as a Blackburn Rovers player.
Shearer spent four seasons with the Rovers, winning the Golden Boot in 1994-95 and 1995-96 and the league title in the 1994-95 season. He scored an astonishing 34 goals for the club in their title-winning 1994-95 season.
Shearer joined Newcastle United ahead of the 1996-97 campaign and spent the next nine years of his career there, creating an ever-lasting legacy at the club.
Overall, Shearer scored 260 Premier League goals in 441 games and is the division’s all-time leading scorer.
#2 Andrew Cole (Newcastle United/Manchester United) – 65 Games
Premier League legend Andrew Cole was arguably the best in his position during his time in England. Between Newcastle United and Manchester United, Cole reached the 50-goal landmark in only 65 games — a record which stood strong for almost 30 years.
Newcastle and Man Unite aside, Cole represented Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, and Sunderland in the English top flight. Overall, he played 414 games, scoring 187 times and claiming 73 assists. A five-time Premier League winner with the Red Devils, Cole won the Golden Boot after scoring 34 goals in 40 games for the Magpies in the 1993-94 season.
#1 Erling Haaland* (Manchester City) – 48 Games
Manchester City goalmachine Erling Haaland sits at the summit, having scored 50 Premier League goals in only 48 games since moving to the Etihad Stadium last summer. The Norwegian sharpshooter also has an impressive 11 assists to his name.
Haaland, 23, scored 36 goals in 35 games in his debut Premier League season. No player in history has scored more in a single EPL campaign. This season, he has scored 14 times in only 13 games, and it would not be surprising if he ends up surpassing his tally from last season.
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