The 8 fastest counter-attacking goals of the Premier League season so far

“Speed ​​is always important,” Thierry Henry, one of the fastest players to ever grace the Premier League, once mused. “If you combine that with power, precision and technique it’s unstoppable.”

In an era where managers spend ever more time and energy preparing their teams to dismantle the opposition through complex passing schemes, a direct surge into the middle of a confused side offers a wonderfully refreshing alternative.

Pep Guardiola once hailed the Bundesliga as the home of the world’s most dangerous counter-attacking teams, but an excess of Premier League teams have produced concussion speed sequences so far this season.

Time: 16.13 seconds
On the contrary: Everton (August 17)

“Awful” was the word Sean Dyche chose to describe the dismantling his Everton side suffered on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

Brighton cruised to a 3-0 win at Goodison Park, powered to victory by Kaoru Mitoma’s opener. The Japan international finished off the move just 16 seconds after winning the ball inside his team’s penalty area.

Time: 13.84 seconds
On the contrary: West Ham (September 21)

The enthusiasm of West Ham’s recovery runs had begun to fade as early as the fourth minute of Chelsea’s trip to the London Stadium. Julen Lopetegui’s lowly hosts were already 2-0 down and mentally shattered when Nicolas Jackson began his rise up front at the start of the second half.

Unusually spurned by the chance to complete his hat-trick, Jackson slid the ball into Cole Palmer’s pass to put the final nail in West Ham’s coffin.

Time: 13.62 seconds
On the contrary: Crystal Palace (August 24)

A smooth finish to round off West HamThe 2-0 win over Crystal Palace was not the most admirable moment of Jarrod Bowen’s afternoon at Selhurst Park.

As the West Ham players celebrated Tomas Soucek’s first goal, a billboard was crumpled over a ball boy sitting on the side of the pitch. Bowen quickly pulled the boy out of harm’s way and gave him his game jersey at the end of the game.

Time: 12.94 seconds
On the contrary: Brighton (November 2)

Arne Slot’s record mandate at Liverpool it has been defined by a more controlled and composed style. The Reds have toned down the heavy metal of Jurgen Klopp’s iconic reign, but the old guard still know when to take a blistering solo.

Mohamed Salah fired Liverpool ahead against Brighton at the end of a 13-second burst, cutting in with his left foot and bending the ball into the top corner in a move Slot dubbed “Mo Salah special “. The Dutch coach rightly added: “It’s not the first or the last time he will score from this position.”

Time: 12.15 seconds
On the contrary: Newcastle (October 27)

Cole Palmer will not be credited with the assist on Nicolas Jackson’s opener against Newcastle Unitedbut he deserves almost all the credit for the big move up. Cutting between the away outfit in black and white stripes with a flick of his left boot, Palmer almost forced Pedro Neto into a square pass for Chelsea’s leading striker.

Palmer would go on to score the winning goal, but it was his outrageous pass that Enzo Maresca described as “the reason people pay” to go to Stamford Bridge. “They want to see that kind of player,” said the Chelsea manager.

Time: 11.11 seconds
On the contrary: West Ham (October 19)

Son Heung-min hurriedly scribbled the exclamation point to a 4-1 win, tapping home the third goal in an eight-minute flurry to sink a West Ham side all set to wilt.

Tottenham’s counter-attack to complete the second-half rout was watched by three West Ham substitutes who had also been waiting patiently on the touchline as Spurs made it 3-1 five minutes earlier.

Time: 10.6 seconds
On the contrary: Brentford (September 21)

Brentford have been the fastest starters in the division this season. In this Bryan Mbeumo’s first goal against Tottenham September shock it was the second of three consecutive Premier League games in which the Bees scored in the first minute.

However, Spurs bounced back to lead 2-1 at the break and sealed all three points with James Maddison’s swift counter-attack in the 85th minute.

Time: 7.75 seconds
On the contrary: Brentford (25 August)

Arne Slot’s first home match Liverpool The manager produced an impressive counter-attack that Jurgen Klopp would have been proud of.

Mohamed Salah was first on the second ball from a Brentford corner, forcing possession to Diogo Jota, who showed enough patience before putting Luis Diaz in the box. The Colombian striker was an early beneficiary of Slot’s detailed training and has praised the Dutch coach as “spectacular”. The same could be said of his goal.

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