So far, the 34 seasons of the Premier League have produced well over 30,000 goals, and narrowing that down to the 10 greatest is a tall order by any measure. They come in all shapes and sizes: spellbinding solo runs, gravity-defying acrobatics, long-range thunderbolts, and so much more.

But it’s not just how a goal is scored that matters – context can be everything. Relegation-saving strikes and title-winning moments of high drama add extra weight, turning great goals into ones that live long in the memory. Whittling down the very best would take months of debate, so thankfully a study by OLBG has done the heavy lifting.

Using a mathematical model, the scoring system awarded points for technical brilliance (up to 35 per cent of the total score), difficulty (25 per cent), context (25 per cent), impact on the result (15 per cent), and the moment itself (five per cent). Each goal was given a maximum score of 1,000, with the results detailed below.

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10 Greatest Goals in Football History [Ranked]

Gareth Bale’s iconic bicycle kick in the 2018 Champions League final only ranks fourth among the greatest goals in football history.

10

Erik Lamela vs Arsenal, 2021

North London Derby Rabona

When asked what makes a goal truly amazing, supporters placed technique (38 per cent) firmly at the top of the list, according to The Sun. With that in mind, Erik Lamela’s gutsy decision to escape a congested box with a rabona flick that nestled into the bottom-right corner against Arsenal would rank highly in any fan-curated list of the greatest Premier League goals of all time. Watch the goal below:

Nutmegging a dumbfounded Thomas Partey on its way in, the strike later won Goal of the Month and the 2021 Puskas Award. Context, however, is king, and with Lamela sent off later in a match Tottenham went on to lose, the study stopped short of placing it any higher than 10th.

9

Robin van Persie vs Aston Villa, 2013

Volley during a first-half hat trick

Robin van Persie became the epitome of the Flying Dutchman during his time in England, and there was no shortage of examples of him manipulating the ball in mid-air to produce stunning, highlight-reel moments. According to the study, none were better than the volley he smashed into the back of the net at Villa Park, a strike that set him on his way to a first-half hat trick.

Van Persie and Wayne Rooney shared a near-telepathic understanding at Manchester United, and the latter’s simple decision to clip the ball over the defence was all it took for the Dutchman to do the rest. No touches were required – his volleyed finish was pure poetry, with technique second to none.

8

Alejandro Garnacho vs Everton, 2023

Bicycle kick at Goodison Park

He may not have enjoyed the same success at Old Trafford as the previous entry on this list, but Alejandro Garnacho’s bicycle kick against Everton in 2023 proved he had it in him to produce moments that would leave even his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, wide-eyed. It’s one of those strikes that gets better with every viewing – the kind that makes you fall in love with the game all over again.

Reminiscent of another goal ranked even higher, the 19-year-old rose above everyone to meet Diogo Dalot’s ambitious delivery, contorting his body to its absolute limit to produce a truly world-beating bicycle kick. From every angle, it leaves you wondering how he managed to rise so high, even if critics like to downplay it as the ball appears to come off his shin instead of his boot.

7

Emre Can vs Watford, 2017

Back-pedalling overhead kick

Emre Can was hardly a prolific goalscorer during his time at Anfield – scoring, on average, once every 12 matches – but his overhead kick in May 2017 was magnificent. This goal was pretty unique based on the fact that the German midfielder was actually expecting the ball to be ahead of him as he ran into the Watford penalty area when the ball was delivered to him.

As a result of the ball not quite completing its full flight path, he only had a split second to adjust his body to be in the right place, so he could meet the ball with a perfect bicycle kick that flew past Hornets’ goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. It would prove to be the only goal in a crucial win for Liverpool’s top-four aspirations.

6

Mo Salah vs Man City, 2021

Magical solo goal

Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, and Aymeric Laporte accused of being paid actors after being left in a blur by Mohamed Salah, as Liverpool’s Egyptian King danced his way into the box with stunning ease before tucking away one of the finest solo goals in football history in October 2021.

A usually well-drilled Manchester City defence was helpless against a player at the very peak of his powers, and there is little doubt it stands as the best goal of Salah’s time with the Reds – even among the 249 others he has scored. The finish alone, in off the post from a tight angle, was sheer brilliance, but it’s everything that came in the buildup that gets all the deserved revelry. Watch the goal below:

5

David Beckham vs Wimbledon, 1996

Halfway line goal

The ball hadn’t even crossed the halfway line when a 21-year-old David Beckham glanced up, spotted Wimbledon goalkeeper Neil Sullivan off his line, and floated an effort over him into the back of the net. “Golden Balls” could pass or shoot from anywhere on the pitch, such was the power and precision of his right wand.

Even to this day, that audacious strike remains one of the most famous and instantly recognisable goals ever scored. Eric Cantona was never a man of many words, but Beckham later revealed that even he came over to congratulate him in the dressing room – a moment that felt like the true birth of a player who would go on to see and win it all with the Red Devils.

4

Vincent Kompany vs Leicester City, 2019

A long-range rocket guides Man City to league title

“Where do you want your statue, Vincent Kompany?!” were the immortal words exclaimed by Gary Neville as the Manchester City captain powered a long-range shot into the top-right corner of Leicester City’s goal. So late in the contest, the centre-back took it upon himself to break the resistance of the Foxes, his last-gasp thunderbolt sending Pep Guardiola’s side top of the table heading into the final day of the season.

Had the effort ended up in Row Z, the reaction would have been very different. Instead, Kompany caught lightning in a bottle with a goal that rated 900/1000 on the scoring system, cementing his place as the club’s greatest-ever defender.

3

Thierry Henry vs Man United, 2000

Flick and volley

Thierry Henry is widely considered the greatest player in Premier League history today. Back in 2000, however, his reign as the league’s ultimate entertainer was still in its infancy – but even then, he knew exactly how good he was. Receiving the ball with his back to goal against title rivals Manchester United, the Frenchman flicked it up and unleashed a stunning volley on the turn, sending Highbury into dreamland.

Asked about the goal years later, he said: “My goal vs Man United. So many people ask ‘why did you do that?’ – cause I knew at Highbury I could do what the f*ck I wanted.” He struck the ball so sweetly that he must have known it would go on to score 905 points as soon as it left his foot.

2

Dennis Bergkamp vs Newcastle, 2002

Neat spin and finish

From one Gunner to another, the Arsenal sides of the early 2000s showcased football in its purest form, with Dennis Bergkamp, more than most, epitomising technical brilliance. That was on full display in March 2002, when he deftly flicked the ball around defender Nikos Dabizas, pirouetted past him, and showed the composure to finish the move against Newcastle.

Almost weekly, a new clip of the goal – often set to a different piano-based soundtrack – goes viral on social media (watch below). It’s so good that even non-football fans would likely take just as much from it as those completely infatuated with the game.

1

Wayne Rooney vs Man City, 2011

Gravity-defying overhead kick in Manchester derby

Wayne Rooney’s iconic bicycle kick against Manchester City in 2011 hit 970 on the scoring system, just 30 shy of perfection. With the ball whipped into the City box from a Nani cross, the Englishman adjusted brilliantly and fired home in the 77th minute to make it 2-1 to United and prove that the Cityzens were, at the time, still nothing more than United’s little brother.

It also won the official Premier League’s Best Goal of the first 20 seasons of the competition, and for good reason. Rooney was a man for the big occasion, and a player of his ilk is definitely missed in Ruben Amorim’s current squad. See the 10 best Premier League goals according to fans below: