Sometimes, it happens that only one of the teams scores all the goals. Let's take a look at the most crushing victories in Premier League history. One of the record-breaking matches took place almost exactly 30 years ago today...
Goals spice up football
The Premier League era began in 1992 - the 2024/25 season is the 33rd year of the English top-flight competition under this branding. So far (as of the last match played), 34,109 goals have been scored in 12,667 Premier League matches. Thus, the long-term average of goals scored in a Premier League match is 2.69 goals per game.
In the 2024/25 season, this number is currently higher than three (although only slightly - 3.02). Of course, in some matches, many more goals are scored. These outlier games increase the overall average.
What if there are three times as many goals as normal in one match, and what if they only hit one net? Well, these account for the most significant victories (or, from the opposite perspective, defeats) in the history of the Premier League.
Nine-goal wins in the Premier League
1995: Manchester United 9-0 Ipswich Town
9-0 is the record win in Premier League history. This score was achieved for the first time on March 4th, 1995, when Manchester United demolished Ipswich Town.
At half-time the score was 'only' 3-0, but in the second half the number of goals tripled to a final score of 9-0. Striker Andy Cole scored five goals and he became the first player to score five goals in a Premier League match.
Despite this huge win, Manchester United did not win the title in 1995. The Premier League winners were Blackburn Rovers, and the competition's top scorer was Alan Shearer, who scored 34 goals for Blackburn. (Andy Cole scored 21 league goals that season.)
This iconic Red Devils' win at Old Trafford over Ipswich Town is now 30 years old, and remains the biggest in the Premier League era. However, this record result has been later equaled three times.
Goals (Man United): Roy Keane 15', Andy Cole 19', 37', 53', 65', 87', Mark Hughes 55', 59', Paul Ince 72'
2019: Southampton 0-9 Leicester City
It took 24 long years to equal the record. Another match that ended with a score of 9-0 took place in the 2019/20 Premier League, when Southampton played against Leicester City at St Mary's Stadium in October 2019.
Visiting Leicester City were the winning team. The result also set a new record for the biggest away win in the history of English top-flight football (not only in the Premier League era).
Two players shone in the match with hat-tricks. One of them was Foxes legend Jamie Vardy. The other was Spaniard Ayoze Perez, who otherwise scored 12 goals in 80 league games during four years at Leicester City - thus, a quarter of his goals came during this single match.
Goals (Leicester City): Ben Chilwell 10', Youri Tielemans 17', Ayoze Perez 19', 39', 57', Jamie Vardy 45', 58', 90+4' (pen.), James Maddison 85'
2021: Manchester United 9-0 Southampton
Fifteen months later, in February 2021, Southampton were beaten 9-0 again, this time to Manchester United. The 2021 loss to Red Devils made Southampton the first team to lose as such twice, let alone in consecutive seasons. In contrast, Manchester United were responsible for two of the three record-breaking wins at this point in time.
Goals (Man United): Aaron Wan-Bissaka 18', Marcus Rashford 25', Jan Bednarek 34' (own goal), Edinson Cavani 39', Anthony Martial 69', 90', Scott McTominay 71', Bruno Fernandes 88' (pen.), Daniel James 90+3'
2022: Liverpool 9-0 Bournemouth
In August 2022, the fourth match, which is the joint-largest win/loss in the history of the Premier League, took place. Liverpool beat Bournemouth 9-0 on that occasion.
The big win was set up by the Reds' great start to the match. Liverpool raced into a 2–0 lead within the first six minutes through a Luis Diaz header and long-range effort from Harvey Elliott (with his first Premier League goal).
Goals (Liverpool): Luis Diaz 3', 85', Harvey Elliott 6', Trent Alexander-Arnold 28', Roberto Firmino 31', 62', Virgil Van Dijk 45', Chris Mepham 46' (own goal), Fabio Carvalho 80'