Who’s scored the most goals in a Premier League season? Discover every player to have scored 30 or more goals in one season, plus a summary of their campaign.
One of the most exciting parts of a Premier League season is following the division’s top-scoring players and watching the race for the Golden Boot unfold. Some of the most clinical players from around the world feature in the Premier League, meaning it’s almost always competitive and often becomes one of the most interesting talking points.
The question is, though: who has scored the most goals in a Premier League season?
Since the league was rebranded in 1992, some incredible tallies have been reached by certain players, putting them all among the Premier League betting favourites to score the most goals in their respective seasons. This blog will run through all players who have scored more than 30 goals in a Premier League season, giving a summary of their impressive campaigns.
Premier League players with more than 30 goals in a season
To give you an idea of the most prolific players over the course of a season, here’s a table to summarise the league’s most dangerous finishers in one campaign:
Rank | Player | Goals scored | Games played | Season |
1 | Erling Haaland | 36 | 35 | 2022/23 |
2 | Andy Cole | 34 | 40 | 1993/94 |
2 | Alan Shearer | 34 | 42 | 1994/95 |
4 | Mo Salah | 32 | 36 | 2017/18 |
5 | Luis Suarez | 31 | 33 | 2013/14 |
5 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 31 | 34 | 2007/08 |
5 | Alan Shearer | 31 | 35 | 1995/96 |
5 | Alan Shearer | 31 | 40 | 1993/94 |
9 | Kevin Phillips | 30 | 36 | 1999/00 |
9 | Thierry Henry | 30 | 37 | 2003/04 |
9 | Harry Kane | 30 | 37 | 2017/18 |
9 | Harry Kane | 30 | 38 | 2022/23 |
9 | Robin van Persie | 30 | 38 | 2011/12 |
Now you’re aware of the numbers, let’s look at each of the seasons in which these totals were achieved:
Robin van Persie – 30 goals (2011/12)
After just becoming club captain following Cesc Fabregas’ move to Barcelona, Robin van Persie had more than just his goals to remember this season.
Opening his account for the campaign against Bolton Wanderers with a brace was the perfect way to kickstart his prolific season in the Premier League. It wasn’t long before he also scored the fastest goal of the season, netting inside 28 seconds against Sunderland.
He continued his imperious form throughout the campaign, notably grabbing a hat-trick in a 5-3 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and scoring a world-class volley against Everton in December.
Van Persie was able to conclude his time with the Gunners in style ahead of his move to Manchester United in the summer, helping Arsenal to a third-place finish. The Dutch striker finished the season by adding his name to the list of players with 30 goals in a Premier League season after 38 appearances.
Harry Kane – 30 goals (2022/23)
In a season in which Harry Kane became Tottenham’s all-time top goalscorer, he also became one of the top scoring players in a single Premier League season.
After his first goal of the season came in injury time to earn a point against Chelsea in a 2-2 draw, Kane was unstoppable. Along the way, he broke Sergio Aguero’s record for the most Premier League goals scored for a single club after netting against Wolves – taking his Tottenham Premier League total to 185 goals.
After his goal against Man City in a 1-0 home win, he then overtook Jimmy Greaves as the club’s all-time top scorer, upping his overall tally for Tottenham to 267 and Premier League total to 200.
Despite adding his name to the club of Premier League players with 30 goals in a season, he was still beaten to the Golden Boot – we’ll talk more about his robotic rival later!
Harry Kane – 30 goals (2017/18)
Before Kane’s impressive 2022/23 goal haul, the Englishman already reached 30 goals in a Premier League season during his 2017/18 campaign.
The striker may have failed to score in the first three games, but this was far from a sign of things to come. He grabbed a brace in three of his next four matches in all competitions and won the Premier League Player of the Month award in September – talk about bouncing back into form!
In December, he surpassed Shearer’s record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year, netting 39 after scoring a hat-trick in a 5-2 thrashing of Southampton. In January he scored twice against Everton to become Tottenham’s record goalscorer in the Premier League era – breaking Teddy Sheringham’s record of 97.
Kane reached his 100th Premier League goal in a 2-2 draw against Liverpool in February, going on to end the season in the PFA Team of the Year for the fourth consecutive season.
Thierry Henry – 30 goals (2003/04)
One of the best Premier League players of all time, Thierry Henry had an incredible goalscoring season, helping the Gunners to win the league title and become known as ‘the Invincibles’.
The Frenchman had many memorable performances throughout the season, grabbing a hat-trick against Liverpool, four goals against Leeds, and many braces across different matches. Combining both quality and quantity, Henry didn’t just get the numbers as his goals were also a pleasure to watch. Considering he scored on both the first and last days of the campaign too, he started and ended the season in a fitting manner for the world-class levels he demonstrated throughout.
Unsurprisingly, he went on to be named as the PFA Player of the Year after scoring 30 goals in a Premier League season, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most complete strikers in the game.
Kevin Phillips – 30 goals (1999/00)
After only costing a total of £325,000 from Watford, the transfer of Kevin Phillips can be considered nothing short of a bargain. With Phillips only just helping Sunderland to promotion to the Premier League the season prior, nobody could have predicted how many goals he would go on to score.
He may not have found the net on the opening day, but his first home game against former club Watford saw him grab a brace, kickstarting his season. The 5’7” striker then went on to net many impressive goals, with a stunning overhead kick earning a draw against Coventry and a hat-trick against Derby contributing towards a 5-0 win in September.
Forming a lethal partnership with fellow striker Niall Quinn across the campaign, Phillips managed to reach more than 20 goals by January! By the final day, he joined Alan Shearer and Andy Cole as Premier League players with 30 goals in a season, becoming only the third player to do so.
Alan Shearer – 31 goals (1993/94)
After suffering from an injury sustained during the previous season, many were unsure of how Alan Shearer would return following his absence between January and May. Come the start of the 1993/94 campaign, however, he was fit and firing, scoring 31 goals in 40 games – even helping Blackburn to a surprise second-place finish in the Premier League.
The conclusion of the campaign saw Shearer be named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, crowning a special season by the Englishman and recognising him as the league’s most lethal marksman. Despite all this, though, he was still beaten to the Golden Boot by Newcastle’s Andy Cole – someone who he would go on to replace only a few years later.
Alan Shearer – 31 goals (1995/96)
This campaign saw Shearer prove that you can still reach astronomical goal tallies with fewer games to play, scoring the most Premier League goals in a season containing 38 games. Following on from Blackburn’s title win in 1994/95, Shearer was in good form heading into the campaign, making it unsurprising that he hit the ground running.
Despite having the added complication of Champions League football, the legendary English striker ended the season as the league’s top goalscorer after netting 31 goals in 35 games. Along the way, he reached impressive milestones in his Blackburn career, with his hat-trick against Coventry in September taking him past the 100-goal mark for the club in all competitions. In December, he was then able to become the first Premier League player to net 100 goals in a 2-1 win over Tottenham.
It may have been his final season with the club before his move to Newcastle, but what a season it was.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 31 goals (2007/08)
After having a season worthy of the Ballon d’Or, it’s no surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo has made it onto this list. Helping Manchester United to win a second consecutive league title, the Portuguese attacker matched the record for the most goals scored in a Premier League season after netting on 31 occasions like Shearer did in 1995/96.
Across the season, he more than made his mark, with moments such as his hat-trick against Newcastle in January 2008, helping the Red Devils to a 6-0 win. Whether it was curled efforts from distance, close-range headers, or composed finishes from the penalty spot, Ronaldo was a danger from almost anywhere on the pitch.
Luis Suarez – 31 goals (2013/14)
Despite missing the first five league games of the season due to a suspension being carried over from the previous season, Luis Suarez still achieved one of the best goalscoring campaigns ever recorded – matching Ronaldo’s 2007/08 and Shearer’s 1995/96 record for the most goals scored in a Premier League season with 38 games.
His final goal tally saw him become one of the players with the most goal contributions in a Premier League season, with his 12 assists taking him to 43 G/A in total.
He notably terrorised Norwich’s defence at Anfield, netting four goals in a 5-1 win – including arguably the best hat-trick the league has ever seen. The Uruguayan striker almost single-handedly took the Reds to their first Premier League title, but instead they fell just short at the end of the season, losing out to Man City.
He may have fallen short of winning the league, but this goes down as one of the Premier League’s best individual seasons ever.
Mo Salah – 32 goals (2017/18)
After an underwhelming stint at Chelsea a few years prior, not many could have predicted the numbers that Mo Salah would put up during his debut season at Anfield. Scoring in his first game for the club against Watford was a sign of great things to come for the Egyptian, being the first of his 32 strikes.
One of the key pieces of the puzzle in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool rebuild, it was evident that Salah was a crucial part of the team from the beginning. He continued his form across the season, shooting to the top of the goalscoring charts by November after a substitute appearance against Stoke saw him net two goals in a 3-0 win.
After breaking many records and having stunning performances such as his four goals against Watford in a 5-0 win at Anfield, Salah was awarded the Golden Boot, setting a new record for the most goals in a Premier League season with 38 games. Following the season’s conclusion, Salah was also awarded the FIFA Puskas award for his curled strike against Everton in the Merseyside Derby.
Alan Shearer – 34 goals (1994/95)
After a second-place finish behind Alex Ferguson’s Man United and scoring 31 goals the season before, Shearer was ready to go again. In the final 42-game season of the Premier League, Shearer spearheaded Blackburn’s charge to the title, establishing a dangerous partnership with Chris Sutton and finishing one point clear of the Red Devils.
He finished the season with 47 G/A, recording 34 goals and 13 assists – matching the tally Andy Cole reached the season before. This season was the peak of his career at Blackburn, with his goal tally alone accounting for more than 40% of Blackburn’s 80 league goals!
Andy Cole – 34 goals (1993/94)
Over the 40 appearances he made in the Premier League this season, Andy Cole was able to set a new goalscoring record in England’s top flight after netting 34 times. Not only did his tally win the Golden Boot ahead of Alan Shearer’s 31 goals, but it took Newcastle to third place, earning the Magpies a UEFA Cup place.
Winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award was unsurprising after his 34 goals and 13 assists set a record for the most goal contributions in a Premier League season. Considering that this was also Newcastle’s first season back in the Premier League after promotion from the old First Division, Kevin Keegan’s side were very much a surprise addition to the top end of the table.
Erling Haaland – 36 goals (2022/23)
By far the most impressive display of goalscoring that the Premier League has ever seen came in Erling Haaland’s debut 2022/23 season. Not only did he net 36 times, but he achieved this tally in a 38-game campaign where he only featured 35 times, making it all the more impressive.
Harry Kane may have got 30 goals in the same year, but the Norwegian goalscoring machine still managed six more strikes. With his eight assists, he also levelled Thierry Henry’s record for the most goal contributions in a 38-game Premier League season with 44.
More records were also toppled during the campaign, with Haaland managing to become the fastest player in Premier League history to reach three hat-tricks, needing only eight games to do so!
Throughout the season, Haaland helped Man City to win the Treble, claiming the Premier League title, FA Cup, and Champions League – making history for the Sky Blues.
Without a doubt, Erling Haaland’s 2022/23 season deserves to go down in history after scoring the most goals ever in a Premier League season, beating tallies from both 42-game and 38-game seasons. And although we can’t be certain, it’s very difficult to see the record being broken any time soon!
