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The Premier League is arguably the most tactically sound footballing league on the planet. Filled with top-drawer coaches, the league hardly offers players any breathing room inside the penalty area, which makes scoring an exceptionally difficult task. Testing keepers from range is an option, of course, but that trait is exceptionally difficult to master.
Today, we will take a look at some individuals who have become masters of the craft and have scored an audacious number of long-rangers.
Here are five players with the most outside-the-box goals since the 2015-16 Premier League season:
#5 Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa) - 14 goals
England, Spain, Germany and back in England again, Philippe Coutinho has enjoyed quite a ride over the last four years. The Brazilian attacking midfielder first came into the spotlight during the 2012-13 Premier League season at Liverpool. He quickly became a fan favorite at Anfield and featured regularly for the Reds until January 2018.
Barcelona lapped him up as Neymar’s replacement for £105 million plus add-ons, but Coutinho never managed to justify the hype at the Camp Nou. He then spent a season on loan at Bayern Munich, where he delivered his best performance in a 8-2 drubbing of Barcelona in a Champions League semi-final contest.
The Blaugrana have tried to offload him a few times now, but have had to settle for a loan transfer to Aston Villa for now. He netted on his Villa debut against Manchester United and is set to make a big splash in his favorite league.
Throughout his Liverpool career, Coutinho was known for his free-kicks and pile drivers from distance. For the Reds, Coutinho netted 41 goals in six seasons, 28 of which came since the 2015-16 season.
Out of his 28 goals for the Reds, 14 were from outside the penalty area.
#4 Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) - 14 goals
Three-time Premier League winner Riyad Mahrez is the only winger on our list today. The Algerian international is quick with the ball at his feet, possesses impressive vision and, most importantly, packs a punch with a killer left foot. There’s hardly anyone better than Mahrez in his position in the Premier League, and Pep Guardiola knows just how to make the most of him.
Mahrez first broke onto the scene with Leicester City in the 2015-16 season. The winger scored 17 times and provided 10 assists in the Premier League as the Foxes bagged their maiden title win. Manchester City acquired his services ahead of the 2018-19 season and he has since been everpresent in Guardiola’s team.
The 30-year-old has a penchant for testing keepers with long rangers, which adds a unique dimension to his attacking play. Over 213 Premier League games since 2015-16, Mahrez has scored 68 times and provided 52 assists.
14 of his 68 goals have come from outside the opposition penalty box.
#3 Christian Eriksen (Without a club) - 15 goals
The Premier League has witnessed many exceptional midfielders since the 2015-16 season. But very few have managed to capture the essence of the game as well as former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen did.
Eriksen served Spurs diligently between 2013 and 2020. He was not one of the quickest in the Premier League, but he knew just how to get around defenders and go for the spectacular.
The Danish international played 163 league games for Tottenham since 2015-16, scoring 34 goals and providing 57 assists.
15 of his 34 goals came from outside the penalty box, showcasing his knack for testing keepers from range.
Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest in 2021, is currently without a club. However, the midfielder has been declared fit to play again and could reportedly return to the English top-division this season itself.
#2 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) - 19 goals
Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is one of the most lethal goalscorers in the Premier League and deservedly so. The England skipper is the perfect definition of a no.9 and is capable of scoring from anywhere on the pitch.
The Tottenham academy graduate has taken part in 259 Premier League games for the Lilywhites so far, scoring 170 goals. He has scored 146 times since 2015-16, out of which 19 have come from outside the box, serving as a testament to his long-range prowess.
Kane has endured an uncharacteristically slow start to the Premier League this season, netting only four times thus far.
However, given his recent performances, we are confident of seeing him produce a much better showing in the second half of the 2021-22 campaign.
#1 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 21 goals
Manchester City’s creator-in-chief Kevin De Bruyne is arguably the most technically gifted player in the Premier League. The Belgian international is a magician with the ball at his feet and has a knack for shooting from range at every chance he gets. The versatile midfielder uses his pace to get away from challenges and generally prefers to drill the ball home with power.
Since joining Manchester City from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2015, the Belgian maestro has scored 48 goals for the league title holders. Surprisingly, 21 of his 48 goals have come from outside the box, which is nothing short of astonishing.
Kevin De Bruyne has netted six goals this season alone alongside providing an assist in 16 Premier League appearances.
His most recent outside-the-box effort came in Manchester City's last outing against Chelsea. De Bruyne's 70th-minute long-ranger sealed all three points for the defending Premier League champions.
