The Premier League has seen some of the greatest strikers of all time whistle their trade, from Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer to more modern greats such as 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 at Manchester City.
The Norwegian international has settled for the top division like a fish in water, and even a game without a goal is in practice a mini-drought by his standards. But after netting his 100. Premier League goals in the game against Fulham, the tall centre-back stands alone as the fastest player to a century of goals in the top flight.
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So, after Haaland’s heavy record break, here is a list of the fastest players in Premier League history to score 100 goals in the top division, and it’s fair to say that City’s talisman has beaten some illustrious names to the top spot.
10. Andy Cole and Michael Owen
Games played for 100 Premier League goals: 185
After both took 185 games to score their 100 Premier League goals, Andy Cole and Michael Owen take joint place on this list of the fastest players to score a century of goals. The former was a brilliant finisher and the ultimate goal thief, and had incredibly fruitful spells at Newcastle, Manchester United and later Blackburn Rovers.
Owen, on the other hand, was one of the greatest teenage players of all time, breaking through at Liverpool and even winning the Ballon d’Or – he remains the last Englishman to lift the biggest individual accolade. It was at Liverpool that he scored the majority of his goals in the top flight, although he added a few more at United and Stoke City.
9. Les Ferdinand
Games played for 100 Premier League goals: 178
After a period of great success at QPR, Les Ferdinand really showed that he could play at the highest level when he moved to a Newcastle United side that was fighting for Premier League titles. His best season in the English top division came in his debut season at St James’ Park, when he scored 25 goals in just 37 Premier League appearances, before adding 16 more the following year. While his goalscoring slowed down somewhat after that – he never broke double-digit league goals at Tottenham – he played exceptionally well at Leicester, scoring 12 times in 29 Premier League appearances.
8. Robbie Fowler
Games played for 100 Premier League goals: 175
A superb finisher who only seemed to be a naturally gifted goalscorer, Robbie Fowler may have grown up as an Everton supporter, but he made himself a hero at Liverpool after coming up through the club’s youth department. Despite only 26 caps for England – Fowler was incredibly unlucky to play at a time when the national team had an abundance of options at the top – the striker proved why he was one of the best in the business at Anfield.
In two consecutive seasons from 1994 to 1996, he scored over 25 goals in the Premier League alone, and he reached double-digit league goals as well while playing for clubs such as Leeds United and Manchester City.
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7. Ian Wright
Games played for 100 Premier League goals: 173
One of the most popular personalities in football today, not many people can say they envy Ian Wright. The former England international’s easy-going nature means that, despite playing for clubs such as Arsenal, Crystal Palace and West Ham during his career, he appears to be universally loved. A stunning attacker in his own right, the Gunners legend thrived on running behind the defence before showcasing his innovative finishing through chip shots and intricate tricks. The majority of his Premier League goals came during his spell at Highbury, where he established himself as one of the league’s best, including becoming Arsenal’s all-time top scorer before the emergence of a certain Thierry Henry.
6. Mohamed Salah
Games played for 100 Premier League goals: 162
Given his incredible success at Liverpool, it’s easy to forget that Mohamed Salah actually scored his first Premier League goals while at Chelsea, where he recorded two goals in 13 appearances for the Blues. But of course, it was only after his move to Anfield in the summer of 2018 from Italian club AS Roma that Salah really exploded in English football.
The Egyptian started with a bang at Liverpool, scoring his 100th goal of the season. Premier League goal in a 3-0 win over Leeds United in September 2021. Salah has since scored many more goals, and it is a testament to his enduring greatness that one would not even rule out reaching 200 Premier League goals before the end of the season.
5. Thierry Henry
Games played for 100 Premier League goals: 160
One of the greatest attackers of all time, Thierry Henry didn’t exactly have the most promising start when he joined Arsenal from Juventus, and went through a relatively barren period while figuring out English football – in fact, he didn’t register a single goal or assist in his first seven Premier League games. But once he had adjusted to life at Highbury, there was no stopping him.
Henry broke the 50-goal mark in just 83 games, then reached the sought-after 100-goal mark in 160 appearances in the top division. His milestone goal came in the first of two goals he scored against Southampton in February 2004, which was also, of course, the season in which the Gunners went “unbeaten” through the league.
4. Sergio Agüero
Games played for 100 Premier League goals: 147
Having already established himself as one of European football’s finest goalscorers at Atlético Madrid, Sergio Agüero showed the world exactly why he was considered a great attacker when he joined Manchester City to play in the Premier League. The Argentine settled for English football like a fish in water, scoring a remarkable eight goals in just five top division appearances, while reaching the 100-goal mark in the Premier League after just 147 appearances.
Agüero’s 100th goal came in a 1–1 draw against Newcastle in April 2016, when Manuel Pellegrini’s side finished fourth in the Premier League that season. Still, Agüero had made history and proven himself as one of the Premier League’s all-time greats.
3. Harry Kane
Games played for 100 Premier League goals: 141
Now at Bayern Munich, many expected Harry Kane 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 big mark in England while at Tottenham.
The England captain’s remarkable path from relative obscurity to being one of the world’s best attackers today is a testament to his hard work and devotion, especially when you consider that he only scored three times in his first 19 Premier League games. However, Kane stepped up at lightning speed, reaching the 100-goal mark in a total of just 141 games – in fact, in the course of going from 50 to 100, Kane scored a whopping six hat-tricks in that period.
2. Alan Shearer
Games played for 100 Premier League goals: 124
The man who was at the top of this list for a very long time until a certain Erling Haaland arrived, Alan Shearer amassed his collection of 100 Premier League goals in just 124 games. The Newcastle legend actually started his Premier League goalscoring while at Blackburn Rovers, scoring on the opening day of the renamed top division season back in the 1992/1993 season, scoring twice in a 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace.
Shearer reached the 50-goal mark in 66 appearances, 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 this record is gone, Shearer will probably look nervously over Haaland’s shoulder, who could now break his Premier League all-time goal record of 260.
1. Erling Haaland
Games played for 100 Premier League goals: 111
And then 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 absolutely remarkable, and he has broken records across the board. An attacker who only scores week after week with very little chance of going into a goal drought, Haaland has undoubtedly established himself as the best attacker the Premier League has seen in recent seasons.
Haaland already holds the record for the fewest games needed to reach 50 Premier League goals, and when thinking about the future, it’s hard to imagine anyone surpassing Haaland on this list. His place at the top seems very secured.
