Statistics

Davies equals record in fast and furious start

10 Apr 2017
Everton v Leicester City

Everton star matches season's fastest strike as Leicester match has most goals in opening 10 minutes in six years

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It was a frantic start to Sunday's match between Everton and Leicester City at Goodison Park, with the speed of the opening three goals unmatched in the Premier League for up to six years.

Tom Davies equalled the fastest goal in the Premier League this season when he struck after just 30 seconds.

This matched the times taken by Pedro, for Chelsea at home to Manchester United in October, and Davies’s team-mate, Romelu Lukaku, against AFC Bournemouth in February.

In total, five goals have been scored in the opening minutes of matches in the Premier League season.

The record of eight in a season, set in 1996/97, 1999/00, 2003/04, 2013/14 and 2014/15, does not appear in danger, yet.

Top five fastest goals in 2016/17 
Date Player Match Time
23-Oct Pedro CHE 4-0 MUN 30sec
04-Feb Lukaku EVE 6-3 BOU 30sec
09-Apr Davies EVE 4-2 LEI 30sec
19-Nov Capoue WAT 2-1 LEI 32sec
27-Nov Austin SOU 1-0 EVE 41sec

Leicester soon recovered with Islam Slimani pulling them level three minutes later, making it the first match in which both teams had scored inside the opening four minutes since Sunderland 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur in September 2014.

By the 10th minute Leicester led through Marc Albrighton’s free-kick.

It was the first time a Premier League fixture had three goals by the 10th minute since Arsenal went into a 3-0 lead at St James’ Park, before Newcastle United came back from 4-0 down at half-time to draw 4-4 in February 2011.

Newcastle United v Arsenal, February 2011
The previous time a match had produced three goals inside the opening 10 minutes was when Arsenal went 3-0 up at Newcastle United in February 2011

By half-time on Sunday Everton led again, thanks to goals from Lukaku and Phil Jagielka, making it the third match this season in which five first-half goals had been scored, after Hull City 4-2 Middlesbrough, on 5 April, and Crystal Palace 2-4 Liverpool, on 29 October.

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