The 10 goals which had the longest passing moves in Premier League history, ft Foden & Ozil
CALLUM ALTIMAS
PUBLISHED 27 MINUTES AGO
These 10 goals took a whole lot of teamwork
Arsenal’s Gervinho scored a goal with 33 passes, showcasing the team’s fluid passing style and intricate movement under Arsene Wenger.
Liverpool’s Luis Diaz scored a fantastic team goal with 34 passes, highlighting the Reds’ ability to create intricate and close-range passing sequences.
Man City’s Phil Foden finished off a team move against Nottingham Forest which consisted of 46 passes, the second most in Premier League history
Is there anything more satisfying to watch than a beautiful sequence of passes that ultimately lead to a goal? Sure, a thunderous strike from 30 yards out can be exhilarating to watch, but there’s nothing quite like a team goal that is built up through a high number of passes first as a team breaks down their opponent’s defence with intricate movement.
To celebrate Phil Foden’s goal against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, which featured the second most passes leading to a goal in Premier League history, we’re looking back at the top 10 and we’ve got some beauties.
10
Gervinho vs. Wigan – 33 passes
Under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal became known for their intricate, fluid passing and their possession-based style of play in the late 2000s/early 2010s, so it’s no surprise to see the Gunners appear on this list. With some excellent work, play began with a free-kick inside the club’s own half and was spread across almost the entire pitch in short passes before they worked it into the Wigan Athletic area.
There, Robin van Persie played the ball to Gervinho with the final of 33 passes, before the former Ivory Coast international slotted it home, bringing an end to a delightful team effort and giving the Gunners a 3-0 lead over the Latics.
9
Luis Diaz vs. Norwich – 34 passes
Liverpool have always enjoyed plenty of success against Norwich City. Going back to Luis Suarez’s time terrorising the Canaries in the Premier League, they’ve had some wonderful goals against the club. Luis Diaz’s was no different as the winger scored a fantastic team goal for the Reds.
Consisting of 34 passes in the build-up, the majority of the move was made up of short, close-range passes that even saw the ball go back to Allison in the Liverpool goal at one point. The final pass, though, was a defence-splitting one, played through the heart of the Norwich backline as Diaz ran through and slotted it home. They saved the very best pass for last, but there’s no denying the entire sequence was just fantastic teamwork.
8
Mesut Ozil vs. Newcastle – 35 passes
Known for his immense playmaking ability, you’d expect Mesut Ozil to be the man providing the glorious passes in a goal like this, but he was actually the man who scored for Arsenal as they put together a sequence of 35 passes before finding the back of the net against Newcastle United in February 2020.
The goal came in the 90th minute and was the Gunners’ third as they ran riot against the Magpies. They eventually scored a fourth minutes later, but none of their other goals were quite as impressive and as intricate as Ozil’s.
7
Ashley Young vs. Blackburn Rovers – 37 passes
Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United were a well-oiled machine, and it was their work as a team that ensured so much success over the years, not the ability of the individuals in the team and there was no finer example of this than Ashley Young’s goal against Blackburn Rovers in 2012.
In an end-to-end game, the Red Devils beat the Lancashire side with two incredible goals. The first a rocket from Antonio Valencia, was bettered by the incredible teamwork put together by the side as they played 37 passes in the buildup to Young’s strike. It was a superb goal during Ferguson’s final years that demonstrated he still had his team working wonderfully together, even after all those years.
6
Morgan Schneiderlin vs. Newcastle – 40 passes
For a while, Southampton were one of the most promising teams in the Premier League. With the likes of Victor Wanyama, James Ward-Prowse, Toby Alderweireld and Morgan Schneiderlin in the team, they were a real problem, and they thrashed Newcastle United 4-0 in 2014, with the best goal of the bunch being saved until the very last minute.
After a brace from Graziano Pelle and a Jack Cork effort, the Saints were winning comfortably, but they capped things off superbly with an exceptional team goal in the closing moments. After stringing together 40 passes, they played the ball to Schneiderlin who slotted it home and it was the perfect way to end what was a scintillating performance from the south coast side.
5
Sergio Aguero vs. Everton – 42 passes
Entering the top five, we have Sergio Aguero’s effort against Everton. The Argentine striker scored some truly memorable goals during his time at Manchester City, but he rarely scored one that demonstrated the club’s incredible team cohesion to the degree that his strike against the Toffees did in 2021.
In the final game of the season, and with the Premier League trophy already secured, the Cityzens turned on the style as they battered Everton 5-0, and they were clearly having fun. Already 4-0 up, they were playing some proper liquid football and after putting together 42 passes, Aguero got on the end of it with a delightful header to cap off the game nicely and end his City career in impressive fashion. The effort ended up being the Argentine’s final striker for City and what better way to do it?
4
Ilkay Gundogan vs. Manchester United – 44 passes
From one incredibly worked City goal to another, Ilkay Gundogan’s strike in 2018 was made all the sweeter due to the circumstances of the match. After stringing together 44 passes, the midfielder got into the area and picked up the ball directly in front of goal, poking it past David de Gea to seal his side’s win.
With the Red Devils losing 2-1 at the time, City just made them look silly as they passed the ball around the pitch with ease and delicately crafted an exceptional bit of play before Gundogan gave them their third goal of the game.
3
Juan Mata vs. Southampton – 45 passes
From a goal against United to one conjured up by them, this Juan Mata goal was something special. In 2015, the Red Devils faced Southampton and put together a superb bit of play as they created their third goal of the match. With 45 passes, United covered almost the entire middle third of the pitch with their passes before finding Mata in the area.
The Spaniard had no trouble finishing the excellent sequence, and it was some of the best football that the club had played since Ferguson’s departure two years earlier. The goal was the side’s third as they beat the Saints 3-2 on the day, but there’s no doubt that it was also their best.
2
Phil Foden vs. Nottingham Forest – 46 passes
The most recent entry to this list, Phil Foden’s goal against Nottingham Forest was vintage City as Pep Guardiola’s side dominated the midlands club. After winning the ball back on the halfway line, the Cityzens played 46 passes before the Englishman got on the end of a Kyle Walker cutback to smash it ferociously into the back of the net.
It was an incredible effort, but it’s the type of play we’ve come to expect from City over the years. Guardiola has them playing some of the best football on the planet and with the talent they’ve currently got within the side, there are few teams in the world capable of standing toe-to-toe with them. Only one goal has included more passes in its buildup than Foden’s against Forest, and it was from almost a decade earlier.
1
Nacer Chadli vs. Queens Park Rangers – 48 passes
While Nacer Chadli’s spell at Tottenham Hotspur was ultimately a bit of a disappointment, there’s no taking away the fact his goal against Queens Park Rangers in 2014 featured more passes than any goal in Premier League history. The goal, the Belgian’s second of the game, featured 48 passes throughout the buildup, two more than Foden’s in second place.
Spurs ran riot on the day, beating QPR 4-0, and Chadli’s second goal was the pick of the bunch. He spent just three years at the club, before leaving for West Bromwich Albion in 2016 and while his time at the club is largely looked back on as a failure due to his unenviable task of replacing Gareth Bale, he still scored this pretty special goal and that’s something that no one can take away from him. Until someone breaks the record, of course.
Here’s a table of the 10 goals in the Premier League with the longest passing sequences:
Goals with the longest passing sequences in Premier League history
Team
Opposition
Number of pass
10. Gervinho (03/12/2011)
Arsenal
Wigan Athletic
33
9. Luis Diaz (19/02/2022)
Liverpool
Norwich City
34
8. Mesut Ozil (16/02/2020)
Arsenal
Newcastle United
35
7. Ashley Young (02/04/2012)
Manchester United
Blackburn Rovers
37
6. Morgan Schneiderlin (13/09/2014)
Southampton
Newcastle United
40
5. Sergio Aguero (23/05/2021)
Manchester City
Everton
42
4. Ilkay Gundogan (11/11/2018)
Manchester City
Manchester United
44
3. Juan Mata (20/09/2015)
Manchester United
Southampton
45
2. Phil Foden (23/09/2023)
Manchester City
Nottingham Forest
46
1. Nacer Chadli (24/08/2014)
Tottenham Hotspur
Queens Park Rangers
48
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FOOTBALL
PREMIER LEAGUE
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MESUT OZIL
LUIS DIAZ
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Callum Altimas
(192 Articles Published)
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