Experts picked the Premier League’s most iconic goals using a bespoke mathematical formula, with Wayne Rooney’s 2011 bicycle kick against Manchester City scoring top marks
Wayne Rooney’s acrobatic bicycle kick against rivals Manchester City is the best ever Premier League goal – according to mathematics. The strike, which happened in the 77th minute following a delivery from Nani, witnessed Rooney readjust in mid-air before unleashing a memorable overhead kick that secured Manchester United a 2-1 advantage over Manchester City.
A panel of specialists reached this conclusion after examining 35 of the league’s most legendary efforts using a specially crafted formula created to objectively assess each strike. The points system allocated marks for technical excellence (up to 35% of the overall score), complexity (25%), circumstances (20%), influence on the outcome (15%), and the occasion itself (5%).
The research was commissioned by OLBG, who collaborated with mathematics expert Bobby Seagull to create the formula.
Goal Score = (35 x T) + (25 x D) + (20 x C) + (15 x I) + (5 x M) gave a maximum of 1,000 points, with Rooney’s finish hitting 970, just 30 shy of perfection.
Bobby Seagull said: “The maths confirms what our hearts already knew. When you combine outrageous technique, high stakes and perfect execution, you get goals that transcend sport and become art. Rooney’s goal is the perfect storm in my formula.”
Runner-up on the list was Dennis Bergkamp’s magnificent spin against Newcastle in March 2002, which earned 925 points. The bronze medal position went to Thierry Henry for his flick-and-volley against Manchester United, scoring 905.
Rounding off the top five were Vincent Kompany’s distance thunderbolt against Leicester (900) and David Beckham’s legendary centre-circle effort against Wimbledon (895).
Remarkably, this mathematical assessment emerges soon after a poll of 2,000 football supporters disclosed their own favourite Premier League strikes. In the supporters’ survey, Rooney’s overhead kick finished as runner-up, whilst Beckham’s audacious effort against Wimbledon claimed the crown.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s free-kick against Portsmouth in 2008 completed the fans’ top three.
When quizzed on what elevates a goal to legendary status, supporters highlighted technique (38%), technical ability (35%), and ball control (28%) as the key elements, with precision (27%), distance (26%), and unexpected creativity (24%) following closely behind.
The OnePoll.com research revealed that 79% of respondents believe spectacular strikes help establish the Premier League’s standing as one of the globe’s finest competitions, whilst two-thirds confessed they’re prone to hunting down clips of brilliant goals for repeat viewing.
Jake Ashton, for OLBG, said: “Fans have had their say on the subject before, which was why we wanted to call in the experts to run the numbers on some of these amazing moments.
“The fact there are a few differences between the maths and supporters’ shows that these moments are subjective and also can carry some emotional weight.
“One thing that’s clear from both sets of research, is the league has produced some amazing goals over the years and long may that continue.”
TOP 10 PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS – ACCORDING TO EXPERT FORMULA:
- Wayne Rooney – Bicycle Kick vs Man City (2011)
- Dennis Bergkamp – Spin & Finish vs Newcastle (2002)
- Thierry Henry – Flick & Volley against Man United (2000)
- Vincent Kompany – Long-Range Strike against Leicester (2019)
- David Beckham – Halfway Line against Wimbledon (1996)
- Mohamed Salah – Solo Goal against Man City (2021)
- Emre Can – Bicycle Kick against Watford (2017)
- Alejandro Garnacho – Bicycle Kick against Everton (2023)
- Robin van Persie – Volley against Villa (2013)
- Erik Lamela – Rabona against Arsenal (2021)