REUTERS/Molly Darlington
It is well known which Premier League players have scored the most goals. Alan Shearer's record of 260 looks safe for a long time to come, now that second-highest goalscorer Harry Kane plies his trade outside of England.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney, Mohamed Salah, and Thierry Henry also feature high on that list, meaning their reputation as some of the greatest players in the competition's history looks set to remain untouchable for years to come.
But what about those players who not only score a lot, but also seem to do it when it matters most - the players whose goals so often prove to be the difference between one point and three? These are the men who step up when the chips are down and consistently deliver when their team needs them most.
30th-21st
Erling Haaland smiling
man utd marcus rashford
Steven Gerrard in action for Liverpool.
Marcus Rashford, Ian Wright, and Didier Drogba kickstart the list, with each striker on 33 match-winning goals. As for the latter, it may be something of a surprise that he doesn't feature higher, given that he's known as one of the greatest big-game players in football history.
Despite that reputation, Heung-Min Son ranks above the Chelsea man, with 35 of his 127 league goals for Tottenham going down as a match-winning moment. Ruud van Nistelrooy's ratio is even better, with just less than 38 per cent of his 95 Manchester United league goals winning them the game.
Elsewhere in this section, Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland is the highest current-serving player. He's only in his fourth Premier League season, but his remarkable goalscoring record has already landed him 25th on this list, as he's been crucial to two title-winning sides. He needs just one more to beat Liverpool trio Sadio Mane, Steven Gerrard, and Robbie Keane, as well as Paul Scholes.
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Players with most match-winning goals in PL history
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20th-11th
Cristiano Ronaldo
Michael Owen
Jermain Defoe - Tottenham Hotspur
In 20th, also with 37 goals, is 2001 Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen. Today's kids may know the former Liverpool mercenary as an outspoken pundit, but he remains among the most talented forwards in the English game's modern history. He only tasted two fewer Premier League winning moments than a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Also on Ronaldo's tally of 39 is Jamie Vardy and Raheem Sterling, whose lives have taken them in opposite directions since calling time on their Premier League careers. Robbie Fowler's path also looked a lot different after leaving the competition behind, as he's now one of Britain's richest sportsmen.
Greatest Strikers of all-time in football featuring Ronaldo, Pele and Thierry Henry
Greatest Strikers of all-time in football featuring Ronaldo, Pele and Thierry Henry
Closing out this section is Jermain Defoe and Robin van Persie, who retired on 41 and 42 match-winning goals respectively. The latter played for both Arsenal and Man United, being a huge goal threat for both, as he proved as talented and mercurial as anyone else during the Barclays golden era.
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Players with most match-winning goals in PL history
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10th-1st
Newcastle's Alan Shearer following his 1st minute goal vs Man City
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Thierry Henry celebrates his Golden Boot and POTY awards with Arsenal
With the incredible amount of goals that Alan Shearer scored throughout his career, it turns out a lot of them were also very crucial, despite only ever winning one Premier League title. He won 68 matches for Blackburn Rovers and his beloved Newcastle, but he isn't lonely at the top of the charts in the same way he is in the all-time goalscorers one.
That's because Wayne Rooney (66) is only narrowly behind him, while Frank Lampard and Harry Kane are level in third. In fifth, Thierry Henry - regarded the very best in Premier League history - won 59 games for Arsenal, while Mohamed Salah's goals amounted to 57 match-winning moments.
Sergio Aguero winning goal against QPR at the end of the 2011/12 season remains the most iconic of them all. But his tally of 48 ranks him seventh on this list, only within six goals more than Man United trio Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, and Ryan Giggs.
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Players with most match-winning goals in PL history
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (correct as of 04/10/2026)