Reaching 30 goals in a Premier League season is a rare feat. So rare, in fact, that only 12 players have ever reached that milestone in Premier League history (i.e. since 1992).
Of course, football wasn’t invented in 1992, and you should check out this article for the most league goals in a season of all-time – including the player who netted 60 times in a single campaign.
But since Erling Haaland started scoring for Manchester City at the start of the 2022/23 season, it quickly became clear that records were about to tumble.
Here we’ll look at the players who scored the most goals in a Premier League season, including the 12 players who managed to scored 30 or more times.
Has Anyone Scored 40 Premier League Goals in a Season?
No player has yet to score 40 Premier League goals in a season.
Which Player Has Scored the Most Goals in a Premier League Season?
Erling Haaland holds the record for the most Premier League goals scored in a season with 36 goals from 35 appearances.
Andy Cole and Alan Shearer previously shared the record with 34 goals in a campaign, although it’s worth noting that this was when the Premier League had a longer 42-game season (rather than 38, which was introduced in 1995/96 season.
You can see all 12 players to have scored 30 or more goals in a single Premier League season below.
Premier League Top Scorers All-Time in One Season
| # | Player | Season | Goals | Apps | Goals Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erling Haaland* | 2023/23 | 36 | 35 | 1.03 |
| 2 | Andy Cole | 1993/94 | 34 | 40 | 0.85 |
| 3 | Alan Shearer | 1994/95 | 34 | 42 | 0.81 |
| 4 | Mo Salah | 2017/18 | 32 | 36 | 0.88 |
| 5 | Luis Suarez | 2013/14 | 31 | 33 | 0.94 |
| 6 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 2007/08 | 31 | 34 | 0.91 |
| 7 | Alan Shearer | 1995/96 | 31 | 35 | 0.89 |
| 8 | Alan Shearer | 1993/94 | 31 | 40 | 0.78 |
| 9 | Kevin Phillips | 1999/00 | 30 | 36 | 0.83 |
| =10 | Harry Kane | 2017/18 | 30 | 37 | 0.81 |
| =10 | Thierry Henry | 2003/04 | 30 | 37 | 0.81 |
| 12 | Robin van Persie | 2011/12 | 30 | 38 | 0.79 |
1. Erling Haaland – 36 Goals in 35 Appearances (2022/23)
Erling Haaland opted to join Manchester City in the summer of 2022/23, after the Citizens activated his €60 million release clause in his Borussia Dortmund contract. Haaland had previosuly scored 62 league goals in 67 appearances during his two-and-a-half season spell at Dortmund.
Haaland quickly founded his shooting boots for City, scoring a brace against West Ham on his Premier League debut. He could only register an assist in his second game, but followed that up by scoring 13 goals (including three hat-tricks) in his next seven league appearances.
Haaland reached 10 Premier League goals in his sixth appearance. 20 Premier League goals in his 18th appearance and 30 goals in his 27th appearance.
He scored his 35th goal of the season – thus breaking the Premier League goals record – in a 3-0 over West Ham on 3rd May 2023.
2. Andy Cole – 34 Goals in 40 Appearances (1993/94)
Andy Cole’s 34-goal haul in the 1993/94 Premier League season was nothing short of extraordinary. He joined Newcastle United in February 1993 for a then club-record fee of £1.75 million from Bristol City. Cole had a difficult start at Newcastle, failing to score in his first few appearances for the club. However, he quickly found his feet and started scoring goals with incredible frequency.
He formed a deadly partnership with Peter Beardsley and helped Newcastle United finish third in the league, their highest position in nearly 70 years. Cole’s goal-scoring exploits that season earned him the Premier League Golden Boot award and firmly established him as one of the deadliest strikers in English football.
3. Alan Shearer – 34 Goals in 42 Appearances (1994/95)
The season after Andy Cole’s exploits, Alan Shearer quickly followed in his wake.
Shearer, who had joined Blackburn Rovers for a then world-record transfer fee of £3.6 million from Southampton, was in sensational form throughout the campaign. He scored 34 goals in 42 appearances, including five hat-tricks, to help Blackburn Rovers win their first-ever Premier League title.
Shearer’s goalscoring exploits earned him the Premier League Golden Boot award, and he was also named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year. Shearer’s performances that season cemented his reputation as one of the greatest strikers in English football history.
Fastest to 30 Premier League Goals in a Season
Erling Haaland holds the record for the fastest player to score 30 Premier League goals, reaching this landmark in just his 27th Premier League appearance. The record previously belonged to Mo Salah, who reached 30 goals after 31 appearances for Liverpool in 2017/18.
| # | Player | Appearances to Reach 30 Goals | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erling Haaland | 27 | 2022/23 |
| 2 | Mo Salah | 31 | 2017/18 |
| =3 | Alan Shearer | 32 | 1995/96 |
| =3 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 32 | 2007/08 |
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