The most goals ever scored by a player in a single Premier League season

Erling Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm since his move to Manchester City this summer.

The Norwegian powerhouse already has a terrifying return for a player still nowhere near his peak years.

At 22, there is likely a lot more to come from Haaland, but he might have his sights set on some top-flight records already.

As he continues to score at a relentless rate, we’ve taken a look at the Premier League’s most prolific ever players.

Andy Cole (1993-94) - 34 goals

No one has yet beaten Andy Cole’s record of 34 goals, set in only the second Premier League season.

The lethal finisher went on to make his name for Manchester United, but it was at Newcastle that he enjoyed his most prolific campaign. 

Cole did, however, benefit from a greater number of games, playing 40 times in the Premier League that season as 22 teams competed in the top flight.

Alan Shearer (1994-95) - 34 goals

Having scored 31 goals the previous season and only missed out on the Golden Boot because of Cole’s brilliance, Shearer was clearly determined to go one better.

The then Blackburn Rovers striker matched Cole’s record - though he played more games (42) - as his side won an unlikely Premier League title.

Mo Salah (2017-18) - 32 goals

Salah was at the peak of his powers in the 2017-18 season, scoring the most goals of any player in a 38-game Premier League campaign.

Despite his remarkable numbers, Liverpool only managed to finish fourth. But Salah continued to find the back of the net in following seasons as Jurgen Klopp’s side began to challenge for trophies.

Luis Suarez (2013-14) - 31 goals

Missing the first few games of the 2013-14 season, having been banned for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic the previous campaign, clearly didn’t faze Suarez too much.

The Uruguayan made amends by scoring almost a goal a game - 31 in 33 matches - as Liverpool came agonisingly close to a long-awaited maiden Premier League title.

Throwing away a three-goal lead at Crystal Palace in the penultimate game of the season meant Suarez’s time at the club ended in tears and heartbreak, though he earned himself a move to Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo (2007-08) - 31 goals

Ronaldo’s most productive season for Manchester United was a real sign of things to come.

At just 23, he finished the 2007-08 Premier League season with 31 goals from 34 matches as United beat Chelsea to the title.

A couple of years later, Ronaldo made a world-record switch to Real Madrid, where his goal-scoring exploits would somehow hit another level!

Alan Shearer (1993-94) - 31 goals

As mentioned, Shearer’s second-best tally would have been more than enough to win the Golden Boot in a typical season, but Cole denied the Blackburn striker.

But Shearer’s 65 goals across two Premier League campaigns helped him on his way to becoming the division’s all-time top scorer.

Kevin Phillips (1999-00) - 30 goals

Phillips was perhaps the most surprising player to hit the 30-goal mark in a Premier League season, but the England international’s early-career numbers were hugely impressive.

His ability to be in the right place at the right time helped Sunderland to a seventh-place finish in 1999-00, but Phillips never really hit the same heights again.

Thierry Henry (2003-04) - 30 goals

The talismanic figure for the Invincibles, Henry’s goals fired Arsene Wenger’s unbeatable Arsenal team to the title.

Drifting in from the left and benefitting from the exceptional quality of the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires, Henry tormented Premier League defenders throughout the season.

Harry Kane (2017-18) - 30 goals

Like Shearer two decades previously, Kane had a right to feel aggrieved after hitting 30 goals but still not coming away with the Golden Boot.

But the brilliance of Salah in 2017-18 meant the Tottenham striker had to settle for second best.

Robin van Persie (2011-12) - 30 goals

Van Persie’s final season at Arsenal proved to be his best. The Dutchman’s majestic left foot sent the ball flashing past goalkeeper after goalkeeper as the Gunners secured a third-place finish in the Premier League.

Soon after, though, Van Persie made a somewhat ignominious exit, joining Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United and losing the admiration of the Arsenal faithful.