HISTORY REWRITTEN: Haaland Smashes Shearer's Record With 100th PL Goal In Just 111 Games

Erling Haaland rewrote Premier League history at Craven Cottage on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, becoming the fastest player ever to score 100 top-flight goals. The Norwegian striker reached his century in just 111 appearances—smashing Alan Shearer’s 29-year-old record of 124 games—with his 17th-minute strike against Fulham that gave Manchester City a 1-0 lead in driving London rain.

The 25-year-old’s historic goal came from a trademark finish, meeting Jeremy Doku’s low cross from the left with a fizzing left-footed shot that gave Bernd Leno no chance. Haaland becomes only the 35th player to reach 100 Premier League goals, but he’s done it in a timeframe that makes a mockery of every striker who came before him.

Haaland 100 PL Goals: Becomes Fastest Ever to Century vs Fulham

The Record That Seemed Untouchable

Alan Shearer held the record for fastest to 100 Premier League goals since November 1995, when he reached the milestone in his 124th appearance for Blackburn Rovers. For nearly three decades, that mark stood as one of football’s most impressive feats—until Haaland arrived in English football and proceeded to demolish every goalscoring record in sight.

Haaland’s 111-game journey to 100 goals represents a 13-game improvement over Shearer’s previous mark. To put that in perspective, Haaland could have gone scoreless for an entire season and still beaten the record. His goal-per-game ratio of 0.90 is simply absurd.

Shearer himself predicted Haaland would break his record, telling The Sun in October: “Yes I believe Haaland will break my record. He’s the perfect striker, his record’s unbelievable, his hunger to score is relentless. He’s quick, strong, agile and reacts faster than most players inside the 6-yard box.”

How the Historic Goal Unfolded

Haaland should have reached his milestone earlier in the match. Just six minutes in, he was played through on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat but smashed his shot against the inside of the post. The miss looked like it might haunt him on his big night.

But this is Erling Haaland—a striker who doesn’t stay quiet for long. In the 17th minute, Jeremy Doku received the ball wide on the left and delivered a cut-back into the penalty area. Haaland, positioned perfectly as always, met the cross with his favored left foot and lashed a powerful shot past Leno.

The goal came in vintage Haaland fashion—right place, right time, clinical finish. It was his seventh goal in seven games against Fulham, extending his remarkable record against the Cottagers. More importantly, it was his 15th Premier League goal of the season, maintaining his position as the division’s leading scorer.

The Numbers Behind the Legend

Haaland’s century includes some staggering statistics that illustrate his dominance:

111 games to reach 100 goals—fastest ever
88 goals in his first 100 Premier League appearances—most ever
15 goals this season—Premier League leading scorer
100 goals in 111 games = 0.90 goals per game ratio
35th player to reach 100 Premier League goals
13 games faster than Alan Shearer’s previous record

The Norwegian also became the fastest player to 100 Premier League goal involvements, achieving that milestone in just 94 games. His combination of goals and assists makes him not just the most prolific scorer but also one of the most complete attacking players in the league’s history.

What’s Next: Chasing Shearer’s All-Time Record

Haaland now sits level with Matt Le Tissier on exactly 100 Premier League goals. His next target? Cristiano Ronaldo’s 103 goals, which he’ll likely surpass within the next two matches based on current form.

Beyond that lie much bigger milestones:

25th all-time: Dion Dublin and Sadio Mané (111 goals)
20th all-time: Dwight Yorke and Raheem Sterling (123 goals)

The ultimate prize remains Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League record of 260 goals. At his current scoring rate of 0.90 goals per game, Haaland would need approximately 178 more appearances to break that record—roughly 4.5 more seasons at his current pace.

Given that Haaland is only 25 years old and shows no signs of slowing down, Shearer’s seemingly untouchable record now looks vulnerable for the first time in two decades.

Context: Ending a Mini-Drought

The goal against Fulham ended Haaland’s first mini-drought of the season. He had failed to score in successive matches for the first time this campaign, blanking against Newcastle and Leeds in recent Premier League fixtures. He also didn’t find the net when used as a substitute in Manchester City’s Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen.

For most strikers, going two games without scoring would barely register as noteworthy. For Haaland, whose relentless scoring has become as predictable as sunrise, it constituted a genuine drought worth mentioning.

His 100th goal proved he’s back to his devastating best, ready to terrorize Premier League defenses for years to come.

Historical Context: The Premier League Century Club

Only 35 players have reached 100 Premier League goals since the competition’s inception in 1992. The exclusive club includes:

260 goals: Alan Shearer
208 goals: Harry Kane
175 goals: Wayne Rooney
162 goals: Andrew Cole, Sergio Aguero
150 goals: Frank Lampard

Haaland has reached this milestone faster than every single one of them. His 111-game journey demolishes not just Shearer’s record but also destroys the marks set by Thierry Henry (160 games), Harry Kane (141 games), and Wayne Rooney (206 games).

What Makes Haaland So Special?

Several factors combine to make Haaland the most prolific goalscorer in Premier League history:

Positioning: His movement in the penalty area is supernatural, always finding space where none exists.

Finishing: Ice-cold composure with both feet and his head makes him virtually impossible to stop once in scoring positions.

Physicality: At 6’4″ and 88kg, he bullies defenders while possessing Olympic-level sprinting speed.

Hunger: An insatiable desire to score that borders on obsession—he celebrates tap-ins with the same intensity as worldies.

Perfect System: Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City creates countless chances that perfectly suit Haaland’s predatory instincts.

Takeaway: Erling Haaland’s 100th Premier League goal against Fulham rewrote history books, breaking Alan Shearer’s 29-year-old record by reaching the milestone in just 111 games—13 fewer than the legendary striker. The Norwegian’s 17th-minute strike from Jeremy Doku’s assist maintained his position as the league’s top scorer with 15 goals this season. At just 25 years old and scoring at a 0.90 goals-per-game rate, Haaland now has Shearer’s all-time record of 260 goals firmly in his sights. His combination of positioning, finishing, physicality, and insatiable hunger makes him the most devastating striker in Premier League history. The century milestone represents just another chapter in what promises to be a goalscoring legacy that could dominate English football for the next decade.

Also: https://x.com/brfootball/status/1995943187903557930?s=20