Luis Suarez, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alan Shearer and most recently, Erling Holland. These are some of the players who etched their names in Premier League history by scoring the first goal of the new season.
Who will join this exclusive list next?
Last season, Holland scored first in Manchester City’s 3-0 win at Burnley.
Another Manchester side could be involved in the opening goal this season, with Manchester United kicking off the new campaign at Old Trafford on Friday against Fulham.
Fulham are yet to score their first goal of the Premier League campaign, although they have conceded twice, most recently against Arsenal in 2020/21.
On the other hand, Man Utd have scored first in a season on three occasions, although one of those was courtesy of a Kyle Walker own goal.
However, they have conceded the first goal three times and if they do so again on Friday, they will go four points clear of Leicester City, one shy of Tottenham Hotspur’s fifth.
Make sure to tune in early
For fans, it is important not to miss a single moment of the action. In each of the last 16 seasons, the opening goal has come in the first half of the Premier League’s opening game.
Notably, the first goal has been scored in the eighth minute in five of the last seven campaigns.
The average time to the first goal of the season is less than 19 minutes. When Man Utd and Fulham kick off at Old Trafford, make sure you watch from the start.
Will Fulham join the party?
Fulham have scored the opening goal of a Premier League campaign for the first time.
The Cottagers are looking to win back-to-back away league trips to Man Utd for the first time. They have twice faced United in their opening Premier League game at Old Trafford, losing both (3-2 in 2001/02 and 5-1 in 2006/07).
But if the defense is good at Old Trafford, having secured just the second goalless draw in the opening game of a season (the other time being Tottenham Hotspur and Man City in 2010/11), the focus will shift to Portman Road on Saturday.
Ipswich Town host the Liverpool team who have scored more opening goals of a season than any other team in Premier League history, doing so five times.
They last won the title in 2019/20 against another promotion opponent, Norwich City.
See: Top scorers of all Premier League seasons
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