5 Premier League players with most goals scored against their former clubs

Former Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka was a constant thorn in Arsenal's side.
Former Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka was a constant thorn in Arsenal's side.

#3 Andrew Cole - 12 goals

Andy Cole (left) was a huge force to reckoned with during his days in the English top flight
Andy Cole (left) was a huge force to reckoned with during his days in the English top flight

Andrew Cole played in England throughout his football career, starting from the youth level to the professional level. The Englishman had the privilege of representing several Premier League clubs during his playing days. Some of them include Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Blackburn and Newcastle.

Andrew Cole occupies a respectable spot among players who have scored the most goals against clubs they formerly represented in the English top flight. He has a record of 12 goals to his name against his former sides, the same as ex-Manchester United forward Louis Saha.

Cole is highly regarded as one of the most prolific goalscorers in the history of the Premier League, with a record of 187 goals and 53 assists to his name in 415 games.


#2 Peter Crouch - 12

England striker Peter Crouch in action for Stoke City.
England striker Peter Crouch in action for Stoke City.

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch also ranks among the players with the highest number of goals scored against the former clubs in the Premier League. The 41-year-old had the same number of efforts as Andrew Cole and Louis Saha - 12.

Although Peter Crouch was mostly recognized for his time with Liverpool and Stoke City, the Englishman also represented numerous clubs in the division. Some of them include Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Burnley, Southampton and Aston Villa.


#1 Nicolas Anelka - 18

No one has scored more goals against his former club in the Premier League than Nicolas Anelka
No one has scored more goals against his former club in the Premier League than Nicolas Anelka

Nicolas Anelka started his Premier League career in 1997 when he joined Arsenal from Paris Saint-Germain. He spent approximately two-and-a-half years with the Gunners before leaving for Real Madrid in July 1999.

The Frenchman later returned to England to represent the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Bolton. As it stands, Anelka is the player who has scored the highest number of goals against the clubs he had initially played for in the Premier League. His record stands at a staggering 18 goals, six more than his closest rivals.

The striker bid farewell to English football in the summer of 2014 when parted ways with his last English club, West Brom. Anelka bagged 126 goals and 55 assists in 364 appearances during his time in the Premier League. He also won the EPL title twice, first with Arsenal in 1998 and then Chelsea in 2010.

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