After scoring a record-equalling five goals in the UEFA Champions League, many pundits and players alike have tipped Manchester City forward Erling Haaland to be the first player in Premier League history to score six goals in a single game.
The Norwegian striker has already netted four EPL hat-tricks this season, seemingly set to break every record possible in the top English division.
While the Premier League has seen some of the deadliest strikers in history join the best league in the world, the record of six goals in one game has still not been achieved.
But what is the record for most goals in a single game? And which players have achieved such a status?
Has a Player Ever Scored a Double Hat-Trick in the Premier League?
No player has ever scored six goals in a single Premier League game with the current record being five goals in one match.
Sergio Aguero came close to scoring a double hat-trick in 2015 when Manchester City demolished Newcastle United 6-1. During a scrappy attempt to defend their 1-0 lead, Newcastle gave the ball straight to Aguero’s feet just a few yards off their goalline – the magpies were able to get enough bodies in front of the goal to eventually clear the danger and deny Aguero what would’ve been a sixth goal in that fixture.
Most Goals Scored in a Premier League Game by a Single Player
At the time of writing this, the Premier League record for most goals scored by a single player in a game is shared between Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, Jermain Defoe, Dimitar Berbatov, and Sergio Aguero – all five strikers have scored five goals in a single Premier League match.
| Player | Match | Date | Goals Scored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Cole | Manchester United 9-0 Ipswich Town | March 1995 | 5 |
| Alan Shearer | Newcastle 8-0 Sheffield Wednesday | September 1999 | 5 |
| Jermain Defoe | Tottenham 9-1 Wigan | November 2009 | 5 |
| Dimitar Berbatov | Manchester United 7-1 Blackburn | November 2010 | 5 |
| Sergio Aguero | Manchester City 6-1 Newcastle | October 2015 | 5 |
Players That Scored 5 Goals in a Match
Andy Cole (Manchester United 9-0 Ipswich Town, March 1995)
The first striker to achieve this feat in the Premier League is Manchester United forward Andy Cole who made history by netting five goals past a helpless Ipswich Town in 1995.
Cole scored twice in the first half, rolling the ball past goalkeeper Craig Forrest in the 19th minute and then scoring a rebounded effort in the 37th.
A second-half hat-trick followed from cole with one of his goals originally being called an own goal from Frank Yallop. But after watching the replay footage, the commentary team was able to see that it was Cole’s touch that put the ball past the goalkeeper.
Alan Shearer (Newcastle United 8-0 Sheffield Wednesday, September 1999)
As the Premier League’s current all-time top goal scorer, it is easy to see how Alan Shearer made it onto this list of deadly finishers.
The former Newcastle hitman managed to score five goals against Sheffield Wednesday as Newcastle battered them 8-0 in 1999.
The Geordie legend netted a hat-trick in the first 12 minutes of the game, already matching his own record for most goals in an EPL match.
A fourth goal in the 81st minute and a successful penalty in the 84th minute made it five goals for Shearer, leveling himself with the record set by Andy Cole in 1995.
Considering that Newcastle had lost six of their previous seven fixtures, this 8-0 victory was a significant turning point in their season.
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur 9-1 Wigan Athletic, November 2009)
English striker Jermain Defoe is the first forward on this list to net five goals in one half as Tottenham defeated Wigan 9-1 in a historic Premier League thumping.
A hat-trick of goals in the 51st, 54th, and 58th minute made it 4-0 for Spurs before goals in the 69th and 87th minute capped off one of the best individual performances in Premier League history.
When Wigan went into administration in 2020, Defoe donated £5,000 to the club because of the five goals he scored against them in a single half of football.
Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United 7-1 Blackburn Rovers, November 2010)
As one of the most technically talented forwards in the league in 2010, Dimitar Berbatov’s five goals against Blackburn Rovers helped make him a favourite amongst Manchester United supporters.
United gave Blackburn a 7-1 thumping in 2010, with Berbatov netting in the second minute of the game. The Bulgarian found the net once again in the 27th minute before scoring a second-half hat-trick to become the fourth player in history to score five goals in a single Premier League game.
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City 6-1 Newcastle United, October 2015)
Known as one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history, Sergio Aguero became the most recent player on this list when he thrashed Newcastle United with five goals in a single fixture.
The Argentinian almost made it six goals when his close-range effort was smothered by several defenders to clear the danger in a desperate attempt.
Manchester City would go on to win 6-1 against the Magpies in 2015 with Kevin De Bruyne also finding the net in the 53rd minute.
Aguero found the net in the 42nd minute before scoring four goals in the second half to finish Newcastle off.
