Top 3 PL goals of the decade including Son’s wonder strike vs Burnley

There is hardly anything in football that evokes more emotions among the fans than to see the ball rippling the back of the net. No wonder, the wise old men said that ‘goals win games’ and the cliche has proven to be a golden phrase in the footballing world to date.

Ever since its inception, the English top-tier, rebranded as the Premier League way back in 1992, has been home to some of football’s greatest talents and the fans have always been blessed to witness some top-quality stuff in front of their eyes over the years.

This past decade has had its fair share of goals to reminisce and look back upon, starting from long-range screamers, delightful free-kicks to sweetly-struck volleys and acrobatic finishes, while mesmerizing solo goals often hold a special place in our hearts.

As yet another decade draws to a close, let us turn back the pages to relive the top 3 goals in the Premier League from the past decade.

1. Heung-min Son (Tottenham vs Burnley, 7 December 2019)

The South Korean magician has given the fans on the white half of North London plenty to cheer about since joining Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, exactly midway through the decade. 

However, his incredible solo goal in the 5-0 rout of Burnley on Matchday 16 of the ongoing campaign was quite unbelievable even by his lofty standards. 

With Spurs already leading 2-0, Son picked up the ball deep inside his own penalty area in the 31st minute and showed a tremendous bit of pace and acceleration to drive 70 yards, almost the entire length of the pitch, taking as many as six defenders out before neatly placing the ball past an onrushing Nick Pope to make it 3-0 in favour of the hosts.

Tottenham eventually cruised to three points and the fans in attendance were probably lucky enough to witness the best goal scored in the entire decade. It’s difficult to single out the Korean’s goal as the best from a box of thousands scored over the decade but yes, it was that good!

2. Sofiane Boufal (Southampton vs West Brom, 21 October 2017)

A lot of Premier League fans would agree that Son’s goal against Burnley bears an uncanny resemblance to what Sofiane Boufal did against West Brom a couple of years back. 

The Moroccan has often been criticized by the fans for his inconsistency and showboating but his sensational solo run through the heart of West Brom’s defence is enough to remind us of the kind of ability that the attacker has in his locker.

That he doesn’t bring it out often enough is a completely different story but it’s certainly worth reliving that moment of sheer brilliance that left the fans at St. Mary’s dumbfounded. 

As a matter of fact, Boufal didn’t start that game and only entered the field of play as a late substitute before making an instant impact. The Moroccan showed some good control to keep the ball at his feet deep inside his own penalty area and he then took off like a helicopter.

The West Brom defenders backed away, probably thinking that Boufal would be looking for a pass but he did the unthinkable, skipping past several challenges and rippling the net with an inch-perfect finish at the 85th-minute mark to hand the Saints a 1-0 victory.

No wonder, Boufal’s strike was voted as the 2017-18 Goal of the Season in the Premier League.

3. Papiss Demba Cisse (Chelsea vs Newcastle 2 May, 2012)

Newcastle United haven’t really had a lot to cheer about in the 2010s decade, constantly fighting relegation in the Premier League and eventually succumbing to fate in 2016. 

However, they did make it through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League during the 2012-13 season following a fifth-place finish in the Premier League in the 2011-12 season. 

The Magpies were quite brilliant under the stewardship of Alan Pardew that term but it was Papiss Demba Cisse’s wonder goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge that stood out. 

Having already fired Newcastle into a 1-0 lead earlier in the game, the Senegalese international sealed three points in a prolonged stoppage-time period triggered by an injury to Cheick Tiote.

After a throw-in from the left was flicked on by Shola Ameobi, Cisse instinctively struck the ball from the edge of the box with the outside of his right boot and it simply took Petr Cech by surprise.

The ball looped and swirled in the air, starting at Cech’s right post and ending up at the top left corner, with Cisse’s wonder strike surely a contender for the Goal of the Season award.