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The Premier League has witnessed some exceptional forwards over the course of its illustrious history. We have seen them score audacious winners, inspire nail-biting comebacks, and produce eye-catching assists on cue.
Today’s list is not about honoring the leading scorers or assist-providers, it is about paying homage to the most consistent forwards in the league.
Now, without further ado, let us check out five players who have taken the least minutes to score or assist in England’s premier division.
Special note: Only players with over 2000-plus minutes have been included. The goal tallies do not include penalties.
Stats via: Opta Joe
#5 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United) - 109 minutes
In dire need of a lethal striker, Manchester United scoured the transfer market in the summer of 1996. Then-Blackburn Rovers striker Alan Shearer was their prime target, but they could not outbid Newcastle United, who snapped him up for £15million.
They then went to Norwegian club Molde in search of their star striker Ole Solskjaer. The Scandinavian outfit readily accepted United’s £1.5million bid for their star, allowing Solskjaer to move to Old Trafford.
Over the next decade, the Norwegian striker appeared in 235 Premier League games for the Red Devils. However, only 151 of those were starts. The super-sub came off the bench in the remaining games and made a decisive impact more often than not.
He played 13940 minutes of Premier League football, registering 91 goals and 37 assists. Averaging a goal or an assist every 109 minutes, Solskjaer won six league titles during his stay with United.
#4 Luis Suarez (Liverpool) – 104 minutes
Premier League giants Liverpool signed Luis Suarez from Ajax for €26.5million in the winter transfer window of the 2010-11 season. The striker made 14 appearances in his debut season, netting a total of four goals. The return was not extraordinary, but it was enough to hand the Uruguayan a starring role for the upcoming campaigns.
Over the next two Premier League seasons, Suarez scored 34 Premier League goals. In his final campaign, in 2013-14, he netted a whopping 31 goals in 33 appearances. For his exploits, he won the Premier League Golden Boot and was chosen as the Player of the Season.
During his three-and-a-half-season stay in the Premier League, the Atletico Madrid star featured in 110 games, clocking 9574 minutes. He netted 69 goals and 23 assists, averaging a goal contribution every 104 minutes.
#3 Mohamed Salah (Chelsea, Liverpool) – 104 minutes
Unlike the other Premier League greats on our list, Mohamed Salah does not play strictly down the middle. He tends to start on the right wing and cuts in when an opportunity presents itself. The Egypt international also has a commendable work rate and is never reluctant to track back when required.
Before emerging as one of the best players in the world in Liverpool’s colors, Salah had a brief spell for Chelsea. Upon failing to establish himself as a regular, he spent one season on loan at Roma before joining them permanently in 2016.
A year later, Liverpool brought him back to the Premier League, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Between the two clubs, Salah has enjoyed 14944 minutes of Premier League football across 185 matches. He has scored 100 non-penalty goals (17 penalties) and provided 44 assists in the English top-flight, scoring or assisting a goal every 103.77 minutes.
This season alone, the 2019-20 Premier League winner has netted 20 goals and provided 10 assists, emerging as the front-runner for the prestigious Golden Boot.
#2 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) – 97 minutes
Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero ruled the Premier League with an iron fist for a good decade. Signed from Atletico Madrid in 2011, Aguero helped the Citizens become a formidable force in the Premier League.
In his debut season itself, the Argentine scored the winner against Queen's Park Rangers in the dying embers of matchday 38. His strike ensured a 3-2 win for City, allowing them to clinch the league title for the first time since the 1967-68 season.
During his decade-long career at City, Aguero won five English top-flight titles and won the Golden Boot once (2014-15 with 26 goals). He played a total of 19860 minutes across 275 games.
The 33-year-old scored 157 non-penalty goals (27 penalties) and bagged 47 assists, averaging a goal contribution every 97 minutes.
#1 Thierry Henry (Arsenal) – 94 minutes
Sitting pretty at the top of the pile is the great Thierry Henry. Arguably the most skilled forward the English top-flight has ever seen, Henry was the true definition of poise, precision, and panache.
The former Arsenal star could dribble like there’s no tomorrow, score from all angles, and had the vision to find his teammates when needed.
Henry joined Arsenal ahead of the 2000-01 season. Arsene Wenger gave him a more advanced role than he was used to at Monaco or Juventus. The Frenchman embraced the opportunity with open arms and emerged as one of the most formidable goalscorers of the era.
Between 2000 and 2007, Henry won two Premier League titles, one of which came without Arsenal losing even a single match (2003-04). His exploits in front of goal helped him to four Golden Boot honors. He was also chosen as the Player of the Season twice in 2004 and 2006, respectively.
He left Arsenal in 2007 but returned for a brief loan spell in 2012. He famously scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 win over Sunderland that season.
Henry played 21308 minutes of English top-flight football across 258 games, registering 151 non-penalty goals (24 penalties) and 74 assists.
Averaging a goal or an assist every 94 minutes, he is the most efficient goal-contributor in the history of the league.
Also Read: 5 active footballers who have scored the most hat-tricks in top-five European leagues
