By Martin Graham
As fans left Old Trafford after the weekend, the frustration remained. Manchester United had made it out of both domestic knockout competitions at the first attempt, something that had not happened since the early 1980s. The needle was sharpened by the identity of the decisive figure.
Danny Welbeckonce developed in United’s academy, he struck the winner Brighton in a 2-1 success in the third round of the FA Cup. That finish represented his eighth senior goal in all competitions against the club where he started his career, equaling his best return against any opposition.
Former team-mate Phil Jones suggested the reaction among the home faithful was telling, claiming many would welcome Welbeck’s return instantly. His impact fits into a long-standing Premier League theme: players inflicting repeated damage on the teams they represented.
Familiar faces offering repeated punishments
To be featured here, footballers must have worn the colors of a club and then scored against that same team in league action since the competition’s launch in 1992-93.
Andy Cole tops the list when it comes to Newcastle United. Manchester United paid a record £7million to prize him away in January 1995, and he wasted no time in making an impression on his former employers. During spells with United, Blackburn and Manchester City, Cole scored 11 times in 18 league games against the Magpies, including four goals in a single game at Old Trafford during the 1999–00 season. His Premier League total is 187, which puts him fifth overall.
Chris Wood he was also a thorn in the side of a previous club. His spell at Leicester City was short and modest during the 2014-15 campaign, before rebuilding his career elsewhere. Since then, the New Zealand international has scored eight league goals against Leicester in 13 outings, representing Burnley, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
Alan Shearer, the division’s record goalscorer with 260 goals, won his only title at Blackburn Rovers before moving to Newcastle United in 1996. Against Blackburn, he registered seven strikes in 12 league appearances for his boyhood club. His most prolific return, however, came against Southampton, with 14 goals in 22 games, although all his Saints appearances came before the Premier League era.
Midfielders and mercurial talents with old scores to settle
Frank Lampard’s progression from promising youngster to elite goal-scoring midfielder began at West Ham United. A move to London in 2001 transformed his career, yielding 13 major honors with Chelsea. Against his former side, Lampard found the net seven times in 19 league games, including a memorable penalty that had to be taken twice in December 2009. With 177 Premier League goals, he remains the only midfielder in the top 10 goalscorers’ list.
Nicolas Anelka also found success after leaving Arsenal, where he had played a key role in a league and FA Cup double in 1997-98. After spells with Manchester City, Bolton and Chelsea, the French forward racked up seven league goals in 15 appearances against the Gunners, adding further trophies during his subsequent career.
Louis Saha appears twice in this category. Against Newcastle United, where he once spent a loan spell, he scored six goals in 13 games in spells with Fulham, Tottenham and Manchester United. He equaled that total against Fulham, the club he led to the second-tier title in 2000-01, with a goal shared between United and Everton.
Recent examples and prolific modern goalscorers
Welbeck’s six Premier League goals against Manchester United put him ahead of other former players who have troubled the club. Two came while representing Arsenal, with a further four for Brighton. That tally surpasses the performances of Wilfried Zaha, Mark Hughes, Fraizer Campbell, Keith Gillespie and Paul Ince, while Joshua King is just behind with five despite never making a league appearance for United.
Harry Kane’s The brief loan spell at Norwich City in 2012-13 was goalless, but subsequent meetings told a different story. Playing for Tottenham, he scored six goals in five league matches for the Canaries, including two separate braces. Kane’s Premier League tally is 213, second only to Shearer.
Jermain Defoe completes the list. After emerging under Harry Redknapp at West Ham, he moved to Tottenham in 2004 and then punished his former side with six league goals. All came during his two permanent spells in north London, where he lifted the League Cup in 2007-08. Defoe’s Premier League total of 162 places him 10th on the all-time goalscoring chart.
