It should be made clear at the outset that this isn’t a conventional Top Five Goals list. Choosing the best goals scored in a season can be a rather redundant exercise due to the existence of the possibility that a large majority of the goals could be from distance. While that by itself isn’t a terrible thing, there is a clear bias in our minds because of the excitement and thrill associated with a ball being thrashed home from all of 30 yards. So, to provide a more inclusive collection, the Top Five Goals of the season will be divided into five categories, with each category having a winner and a runner-up. So, without any further ado….
Category One: Best Long-range Goal – Matthew Lowton
Best to get this category out of the way. To hit the ball - without it bouncing after having chested it down – from more than 30 yards with two opponents rushing at you is incredible. And let us not forget that Lowton is a full-back. What a strike.
Commiserations to Gareth Bale for his fantastic arrowed goal against West Ham United.
Category Two: Best Free-kick – Leighton Baines
Baines has taken numerous free-kicks for Everton over the years, but none of them was hit as hard as he did against Newcastle. Leaving Tim Krul in its wake, the ball would have continued traveling and injured the spectators had it not been for the netting.
Second place goes to Luis Suarez for his curling, bending, Manchester City’s wall-Joe Hart evading effort.
Category Three: Best team Goal – Jose Enrique [ Liverpool versus Swansea]
Yes, Jose can score goals, and he scored one of quite breathtaking quality, albeit one with a rather awkward finish.
A worthy second place finish goes to Loic Remy for QPR, with the insane counter-attacking goal against Wigan Athletic while down to 10 men.
Category Four: Best Goal in terms of Solo Effort – Theo Walcott
There is nothing quite like a slippery player, running through challenges and making his opponents look ridiculous. Well, Theo Walcott did a very good job of making Newcastle look like school children with his goal from the left touchline. Even though he was fouled by a couple of thousand Geordies, and fell to the ground, Walcott promptly got up to calmly chip the ball over Krul and into the net. Cheeky finish, that.
QPR may have had a rubbish season, but Adel Taarabt’s finish off the outside of his right boot was a reminder of what could have been. His second goal against Fulham comes, well, second to Walcott.
Category Five: Best Goal in terms of Outstanding Individual Skill – Luis Suarez
Suarez, above everything else, is a scorer of great goals. And against Newcastle, he was at his best, displaying a level of ball control that few can match. Poetry in motion.
Robin van Persie comes second, with his first time volley against Aston Villa giving Suarez a run for his money.
