Which players have scored the most goals on the opening weekend of Premier League seasons? We look at the data behind the stars who like to start as they mean to go on.
Mohamed Salah is the most prolific goalscorer on the opening matchday of Premier League seasons. The Liverpool forward comes into 2025-26 with nine goals in eight opening-day games across his Premier League career.
The Egyptian star has played on Matchday 1 in eight separate Premier League seasons, and he has only failed to score in one of those – Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea on 13 August 2023 – and even then he still assisted his team’s only goal that day.
Salah’s hat-trick on the opening weekend of the 2020-21 season for Liverpool against Leeds United makes him one of only 10 players to score a MD 1 hat-trick in Premier League history.
Mohamed Salah on the Opening Matchday of a Premier League Season
2017-18: 1 goal vs Watford
2018-19: 1 goal vs West Ham United
2019-20: 1 goal vs Norwich City
2020-21: 3 goals vs Leeds United
2021-22: 1 goal vs Norwich City
2022-23: 1 goal vs Fulham
2023-24: 0 goals vs Chelsea
2024-25: 1 goals vs Ipswich Town
All matches were for Liverpool.
Salah’s nine opening-matchday goals in Premier League history are one more than Jamie Vardy, who has managed eight across nine matches on MD 1 in the competition, as well as all-time leading Premier League goalscorer Alan Shearer and fellow English legends Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard (all 8).
Of other players currently playing in the Premier League, only Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (5), Callum Wilson (5) and Raheem Sterling (5) have scored at least five goals on the opening matchday of Premier League seasons.
Top Goalscorers on MD 1 of Premier League Seasons
9 Goals: Mohamed Salah
8 Goals: Jamie Vardy, Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard
7 goals: Sergio Agüero, Teddy Sheringham
6 goals: Didier Drogba, Louis Saha
Furthermore, Salah tops the Premier League rankings for the most goal involvements on MD 1 of seasons. He’s assisted five goals for teammates on top the nine he’s scored himself, meaning he has 14 goal involvements in eight opening-day appearances in the competition.
The only other players to have reached double-figures for goal involvements across the opening matchday of Premier League seasons are Rooney (13), Sheringham (10) and Lampard (10).
Most Goal Involvements on MD 1 of Premier League Seasons
Mohamed Salah: 14 (9 goals, 5 assists)
Wayne Rooney: 13 (8 goals, 5 assists)
Teddy Sheringham: 10 (7 goals, 3 assists)
Frank Lampard: 10 (8 goals, 2 assists)
Jamie Vardy: 9 (8 goals, 1 assist)
Alan Shearer: 9 (8 goals, 1 assist)
Paul Pogba: 8 (2 goals, 6 assists)
Didier Drogba: 8 (6 goals, 2 assists)
Louis Saha: 8 (6 goals, 2 assists)
Sergio Agüero: 8 (7 goals, 1 assist)
Premier League Stats Opta
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