Statistics

Salah beats Fowler's left-foot record

24 Feb 2018

Liverpool forward hits 20th goal with left foot to break 1994/95 mark set by Robbie Fowler

With his goal against West Ham United on Saturday Mohamed Salah not only joined Harry Kane at the top of the Premier League scorers' charts but broke a 23-year-old competition record.

His 51st-minute goal at Anfield was the 20th the Liverpool forward has scored with his left foot in the Premier League this season.

This surpasses the 19 scored by Robbie Fowler with his left foot for the Reds in 1994/95. And Salah still has 10 matches of the season to play.

Of the three of Salah’s 23 goals not scored via his left foot, one was a header at Leicester City in September, and two came from his right boot, against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

Fowler’s 19 goals with his left foot were from a total of 25. The next-best totals were scored by Robin van Persie.

Most goals with left foot in a season

Player	Season	Total goals	Left-footed goals
Salah	2017/18	23	20
Fowler	1994/95	25	19
Van Persie	2012/13	26	18
Van Persie	2011/12	30	17
Fowler	1995/96	28	16
Bale	2012/13	21	16

By contrast, on six occasions have more than 20 goals been scored with the right foot, led by Alan Shearer’s 29, also in 1994/95.

Most goals with right foot in a season

Player	Season	Total goals	Right-footed goals
Shearer	1994/95	34	29
Cole	1993/94	34	26
Shearer	1995/96	31	24
Henry	2005/06	27	24
Henry	2003/04	30	22
Shearer	1993/94	31	22

There is also still time for Salah to beat the record for the most goals scored in a season with the head, though it is fair to say that this is extremely unlikely.

The leading mark is set by the towering Duncan Ferguson, who headed in nine goals for Everton in 1997/98.