The Premier League's fast starters - Sheff Utd & Luton make history
Elijah Adebayo marked his Premier League debut by scoring three goals in quick succession, starting just 18 seconds into Luton's victory over Brighton.
If you enjoy having a drink before a football match or chatting with others on the concourse, Tuesday's game was a nightmare. This is because, for the first time ever, two teams scored within the first 20 seconds of a Premier League game simultaneously.
Amazingly, Luton managed to secure a two-goal lead against the Seagulls in just three minutes of gameplay. Chiedozie Ogbene wasted no time and quickly scored, with the ball hitting the net in just 137 seconds.
It wasn't the swiftest 2-0 advantage ever seen in the Premier League, but it did come in at number two on the list. Let's delve into the tale surrounding the Premier League's speedy starters.
In April 1998, Leicester City had an outstanding beginning in the Premier League at their almost-neighbors, Derby County, situated along the M1. The team, under the guidance of Martin O'Neill, saw Emile Heskey and Muzzy Izzet scoring two goals in just two minutes of the game, which ultimately put Leicester City ahead by 2-0 against Derby County.
Amazingly, the Foxes managed to score four goals in just fifteen minutes. Heskey contributed a second goal to their lead, followed by another by Ian Marshall to make it a total of four.
The scoring ended there as Derby, who was surprised, eventually stopped the opponent from scoring. Later, County finished the season one spot higher than Leicester, with both teams narrowly missing out on the chance to compete in Europe, landing in ninth and tenth places respectively.
What happened during Luton's game on Tuesday night is not uncommon in football. Many teams have managed to take a two-goal lead as early as the third minute of play. However, Luton's achievement is notable because it is the second quickest two-goal lead ever recorded in the Premier League.
In 2011, Arsenal took just under three minutes to score two goals against Newcastle. However, the game will always be remembered for Newcastle's comeback from being down 4-0 to eventually draw the game 4-4.
The game saw Theo Walcott and Johan Djourou scoring goals in the beginning stages. However, the Magpies made a comeback with two penalties by Joey Barton and a great shot by Cheik Tiote. It's unfortunate that Tiote passed away at the young age of 30. The overall result was an impressive tie.
In December of 2008, Bolton took a little extra time to score two goals against Portsmouth. The first goal was made by Matthew Taylor, who flipped the ball up and volleyed it into the net. The second was a fantastic volley by Ricardo Gardner. Portsmouth's Peter Crouch managed to score one goal in response, but it wasn't enough to secure a win. Bolton held on and emerged victorious. Currently, both teams are ranked in the top two in League One.
Just recently in 2020, Manchester United dominated Leeds in a game where Scott McTominay made history by being the first player to score twice in the first three minutes of a Premier League match.
Long Awaits End Soon
Although Adebayo and Brereton Diaz were speedy, they did not manage to score the fastest goal in Premier League history. Surprisingly, they did not even score the fastest goal this season. This accolade belongs to Jay Rodriguez, the Burnley forward, who managed to score a goal in just 15 seconds against Sheffield United last month.
Adebayo holds the 19th spot while Brereton Diaz trails behind at the 24th position on the list.
