Deadly goals have defined the opening six rounds of the Premier League, adding drama to the dying moments of matches.
From Federico Chiesa's decisive strike for Liverpool in the season opener against Bournemouth, to Gabriel Magalhaes's stoppage-time header for Arsenal against Newcastle in Week 6, 2025-26 is shaping up as a season of late finishes, notably more frequent than in previous campaigns.
Eddie Nketiah's stoppage-time goal for Crystal Palace ended Liverpool's perfect start this season, one of eight goals scored in the 90th minute or later on Saturday alone, the highest single-day tally in PL history according to the competition's official site.
And Sunday's drama continued as Arsenal struck twice late, one in stoppage time, to beat Newcastle United 2-1, reigniting the title race with the gap to the leaders cut to just two points.
21 Late Goals
This late drama isn't limited to Week 6; it's become a hallmark of the 60 matches played so far.
Twenty-one goals have been scored after the 90th minute this season, accounting for 13.5% of all goals, five percentage points higher than last season's 8.5% when 95 goals were scored in stoppage time.
Moreover, 18.6% of decisive goals this season have come in stoppage time (eight goals), more than double the previous high of 9.1% in 2023/24.
Apart from the Saint James' Park drama, and despite Brighton & Hove Albion's 3-1 win over Chelsea, with late strikes in added time helping seal the result, early indicators suggest this trend could persist.
Liverpool on Top of the List
The trend started from matchday one when Liverpool scored two late goals via Federico Chiesa (88') and Mohamed Salah (90+4) to win 4-2 at Bournemouth.
The champions have become specialists in late goals this season, with Salah's stoppage-time penalty in the 90+5 minute against Burnley making Liverpool the first club in PL history to secure four consecutive wins thanks to late strikes inside the final ten minutes or later.
Even though Liverpool lead the late-goal chart with six goals after the 80th minute, other teams like Arsenal (four), Sunderland, and Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion (three each) have also shown strong finishing power, while Brentford, Fulham, and Tottenham Hotspur have each struck twice.
Nearly a quarter of this season's goals (22.6%) have come after the 80th minute, up from 18% last season, while the previous high stood at 19.5% in 2009-2010.
On the other hand, teams without goals after the 80th minute yet include Aston Villa, Everton, Nottingham Forest, and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Round 7 Fixtures
With late drama the norm, Round 7 kicks off on Friday with Bournemouth hosting Fulham.
Saturday features a title showdown between Liverpool and Chelsea, with Arsenal hosting West Ham United, Manchester United facing Sunderland, and Leeds United taking on Tottenham Hotspur.
Sunday sees Manchester City visit Brentford, while Everton host Crystal Palace, Aston Villa welcome Burnley, Newcastle United face Nottingham Forest, and Wolverhampton Wanderers host Brighton.
The Premier League pauses after Round 7 for international fixtures in October, resuming on October 18.
Looking ahead, Liverpool still lead the table with 15 points from five wins, followed by Arsenal (13), Crystal Palace (12), and Tottenham (11). Sunderland and Bournemouth share fourth with 11, while Manchester City sit seventh with 10.
And for a little levity to close: in football, timing is everything—goalkeepers practice patience, but the ball practices precision. Punchline 1: If late goals were a VIP club, they’d be the ones always getting the last laugh and the first ticket to the afterparty. Punchline 2: The clock may be strict, but in this league it’s also a magician—now you see the goal, now you don’t, until it’s in the net again.
