One of the eternal debates in football has revolved around the fact whether an astonishing performance from a single-player is worth more than solid team performance, as people tend to remember individual brilliance more than a game won by shrewd tactics.
Naturally, when it comes to solo performances, the forwards hog all the limelight by scoring a volley of goals and sometimes more than that. In this article, we look at five players in Premier League history who have scored a glut and hold the record for most goals in a single Premier League game.
5. Andrew Cole – 5 (Manchester United v Ipswich Town; 4 March 1995)
This match is memorable for Manchester United’s 9-0 victory and Andrew Cole’s thumping five-star performance. Keane opened the scoring for the home side with a belter from outside the box and what followed was absolute carnage. The second goal was a classic counter-attack as Giggs’ low cross was converted duly by Andrew Cole.
Cole registered his second soon as Mark Hughes’ brilliant bicycle kick hit the bar and the ball fell kindly to Cole who tapped in with ease. He completed his hat-trick with a header at the near post and added two more goals to his tally to become the first player to score five goals in a Premier League game.
4. Alan Shearer – 5 (Newcastle United v Sheffield; 19 September 1999)
Shearer is still remembered as the most prolific centre forward to play in the Premier League and this was one of the best performances of his career. The first goal was a signature Shearer goal as he ran away from his marker to put his foot on a dipping cross. The next two goals were penalties, both put away in an identical fashion.
A costly tumble by the Sheffield goalkeeper resulted in Shearer’s fourth goal and the last one was a tap-in from a few yards out. His goals that day were nothing special, but he was instrumental in starting attacks and ending them in a clinical fashion.
3. Jermain Defoe – 5 (Tottenham Hotspur v Wigan Athletic; 22 November 2009)
Defoe was on fire at the beginning of the 2009/10 season and he had scored seven goals before this game. Defoe doubled Spurs’ lead after volleying a cross from the flank. For his second goal, he embarked on a solo run and finished magnificently with a shot across the goal.
He completed a six-minute hat-trick with another simple tap-in from set-piece. His next two goals were very similar to the first, as he received a through-ball, ran into the box and finished clinically.
2. Dimitar Berbatov – 5 (Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers; 27 November 2010)
Berbatov broke his goalless run in the early phase of the 2010/11 season in style with a five-goal haul against Blackburn Rovers. His first goal was a bullish header from close range and he latched on to a poor back pass from Chimbonda to score his second goal.
Berbatov registered his third by finishing neatly after some superb work by Nani down the right-wing. Berbatov scored his fourth from a close range and soon registered a record fifth with a superb finish from a tight angle.
1. Sergio Aguero – 5 (Manchester City v Newcastle United; 3 October 2015)
It is remarkable to score five goals in a single game but doing so in the space of twenty minutes is an insane record. Aguero did exactly that in this game against Newcastle and could have easily scored a double hat-trick if he had not been substituted with thirty minutes left to play. His first goal was a diving header and the second goal was a left-footed shot that took a deflection before ending up in the back of the net.
He completed a perfect hat-trick with a beautiful lob over the goalkeeper. His fourth goal was a well-placed low shot into the bottom right corner and the fifth was a tap-in after a wonderful pass from Kevin de Bruyne.
