Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer scored a dramatic injury time leveller against Manchester United but it’s not the latest goal of the season.
The Premier League returned from the international break with a day of great drama on Saturday, culminating in a sensational finale in the late fixture between Brentfor and Manchester United.
A sub-par United thought they had stolen a late winner when Mason Mount fired home his first goal for the club in the sixth minute of injury time. But Eric ten Hag’s side were denied the three points when Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer scored with 98:04 on the clock, snatching a point for his side.
But despite the that goal coming in the ninth minute of added time, it was some way away from being the latest in Premier League history. The latest goal came in January 2024, when Ollie McBurnie scored with 102:07 on the clock against West Ham United. That result gave Sheffield United a 2-2 draw and a crucial point in their battle against relegation.
Here’s the top ten of the latest Premier League goals…
As you’ll have noticed, a disproportionately high amount of the latest Premier League goals have come in the last few seasons. Only two of the ten latest goals in the 31-year history of the Premier League occurred before 2020. None of the latest strikes came before 2011.
That trend is a function of the increased amount of injury time seen in the modern game. Additional substitutions; greater care taken with head and serious injuries; and a recent crackdown on time-wasting have all contributed to this phenomenon. Games are often running into the 100th minute and that is giving more time for late drama to occur.
What is the latest winning goal in Premier League history?
The English top flight is loved around the world for its incredible drama and we have seen countless late winners in recent years. Earlier this season Liverpool reiterated their title credentials with a dramatic late winner from Darwin Núñez. The Reds were struggling to break down a resolute Nottingham Forest defence until the Uruguayan nodded home in the dying moments.
Núñez’s goal was officially timed at 98:38, placing it at the tenth-latest goal in Premier League history.
So, where does that goal stand in the ranks of the latest winners in Premier League history?
In September 2023 Dejan Kulusevski scored a decisive goal for Tottenham Hotspur against Sheffield United with 99 minutes and 53 seconds on the clock, 15 seconds later than Núñez’s winner against Forest. Kulusevski holds the record for the latest winner in Premier League history.
That 2-1 Tottenham victory was made particularly memorable by the fact that both of their goals came deep into injury time. Richarlison levelled the scores in the 98th minute, before Kulusevski grabbed the winner just seconds before the stop watch hit three figures. That late drama helped to bolster Spurs’ early-season momentum under new head coach Ange Postecoglou.
