Last summer, Chelsea signed Cole Palmer from Premier League rivals Manchester City for a mere €47 million ($49.6 million) fee. Many questioned the signing at first, as the Blues already had a crowded attack. However, then-manager Mauricio Pochettino had complete faith in Palmer; he believed that the 22-year-old was a necessary addition.
Fast forward one-and-a-half years and Palmer has emerged as one of the best players in the Premier League. His goals and assists proved invaluable as Chelsea finished sixth last season and secured a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League. The England international has maintained his explosive run of form under Enzo Maresca, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists in 15 games to help Chelsea climb to second place in the English top-flight rankings.
By scoring an excellent brace in Chelsea’s 4-3 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (December 8), Palmer took his Premier League goal involvements to 50 for the West Londoners. He is one of the five quickest players in history to reach the milestone for a single club. Continue reading to explore where the 22-year-old ranks.
#5 Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers): 54 Games
Premier League icon Alan Shearer has clinched the fifth spot, having taken just 54 games to contribute to (scored and assisted) 50 league goals for Blackburn Rovers. Shearer was at Blackburn for four years between 1992 and 1996. He played 138 games for the club, scoring 112 goals and providing 28 assists. Shearer won the Premier League title and the Player of the Season award in 1994-95. He also snagged two Golden Boots during his time with the Rovers.
Shearer spent the following decade of his career at Newcastle United, never winning another title but emerging as the division’s all-time top scorer. Shearer played 441 Premier League games between Blackburn and Newcastle, scoring 260 times and providing 64 assists.
#4 Cole Palmer (Chelsea): 48 Games
The wizard of Chelsea, Cole Palmer, has contributed to 50 Premier League goals in just 48 matches. He has scored 33 times and provided 17 assists in the English top flight since joining from Manchester City last summer. Palmer scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 33 Premier League games last season, winning the Young Player of the Season award. Considering the form he is in this season — 11 goals and six assists in 15 games — he is surely a contender for the Player of the Season accolade.
Palmer has played 62 games for the club in all competitions so far. He has scored 36 times and claimed 21 assists.
#3 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): 46 Games
One of the finest non-English players to play in the Premier League, Mohamed Salah needed just 46 games to be directly involved in 50 league goals for Liverpool. The Egypt international, who joined the club from AS Roma in the summer of 2017, had an explosive debut season in the English top flight. He scored a personal-best 32 goals and provided 10 assists in 36 outings, winning the Golden Boot and the Player of the Season award.
Salah, who is in the final few months of his contract with Liverpool, has appeared in 264 Premier League games for the club. He has scored a whopping 168 goals and provided 76 assists in the competition for the Reds. Salah has won one Premier League title and three Golden Boots.
#2 Andrew Cole (Newcastle United): 43 Games
Andrew Cole may be better known for his blistering spell with Manchester United, but his explosive start to life in the Premier League came at Newcastle United. Until recently, Cole was the quickest to reach 50 goal involvements in the Premier League, attaining the feat in only 43 games. The former center-forward spent just two seasons at Newcastle, scoring 55 goals and providing 18 assists in 76 appearances. He won the Golden Boot with the Magpies in 1993-94.
Cole joined Manchester United ahead of the 1994-95 season and spent eight trophy-laden years at Old Trafford, winning five Premier League titles. The next eight years of his life saw him represent Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, and Sunderland. Before hanging up his boots, Cole played 414 Premier League games, scoring 187 times and bagging 73 assists.
#1 Erling Haaland (Manchester City): 39 Games
The breaker of record, Erling Haaland, joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022. Many expected him to struggle to adjust to the pace of the Premier League, but the Norwegian refused to follow the script, reaching 50 goal involvements in just 39 Premier League matches. In fact, in his debut season, Haaland shattered the Premier League record for goals in a single season, scoring 36 goals in just 35 games and comfortably winning the Golden Boot. He scored 52 goals in 53 games that season, helping Man City become only the second English team — behind Manchester United in 1998-99 — to win the Treble.
Haaland, who also won the Golden Boot last season by scoring 27 goals in 31 games, has so far played 81 times in the Premier League. He has found the back of the net 76 times and claimed 14 assists.
