Wayne Rooney’s acrobatic bicycle kick against rivals Manchester City is the best ever Premier League goal - according to the maths.
Boffins reached the verdict after putting 35 of the league’s most iconic strikes through a bespoke formula to see which came out on top.
The scoring system awarded points for technical brilliance (up to 35 per cent of the total score), difficulty (25 per cent), context (25 per cent), impact on result (15 per cent) and moment (five per cent).
Using this formula - Goal Score = (35 x T) + (25 x D) + (20 x C) + (15 x I) + (5 x M) gave a maximum of 1,000 points, with Rooney’s finish hitting 970, just 30 shy of perfection.
With the ball whipped into the City box from a Nani cross, Rooney adjusted brilliantly and fired home in the 77th minute to make it 2-1 to United.
The study was commissioned by OLBG, which teamed up with maths whizz Bobby Seagull, and even marked the occasion with a special animation [https://www.olbg.com/blogs/premier-leagues-greatest-goal].
Bobby Seagull said: “The maths confirms what our hearts already knew.
“When you combine outrageous technique, high stakes and perfect execution, you get goals that transcend sport and become art.
“Rooney's goal is the perfect storm in my formula.
“A technically challenging overhead kick with a relatively late winning goal in a title race.
“It's not just the best Premier League goal, it's a mathematical masterpiece.”
Second on the list was Dennis Bergkamp’s stunning pirouette against Newcastle in March 2002, scoring 925 points.
While third place went to his fellow Gunner, Thierry Henry, for his flick-and-volley against Manchester United, rated at 905.
Completing the top five were Vincent Kompany’s long-range rocket against Leicester (900) and Sir David Beckham’s halfway-line stunner against Wimbledon (895).
It comes after research of 2,000 footie fans revealed their top Premier League goals - with Rooney’s bicycle kick coming second.
Top of the fans’ list was Beckham’s audacious strike against Wimbledon, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s free kick against Portsmouth in 2008 rounded out their top three.
When asked what makes a goal truly amazing, supporters put technique (38 per cent), technical ability (35 per cent) and ball control (28 per cent) at the top.
With precision (27 per cent), distance (26 per cent) and unexpected creativity (24 per cent) following closely behind.
As 79 per cent think amazing goals help cement the Premier League’s reputation as one of the best in the world according to the OnePoll.com data.
And two thirds admitted they are likely to search for a clip of an amazing strike to re-watch afterwards.
Jake Ashton, for OLBG, said: “Fans have had their say on the subject before, which was why we wanted to call in the experts to run the numbers on some of these amazing moments.
“The fact there are a few differences between the maths and supporters’ shows that these moments are subjective and also can carry some emotional weight.
“One thing that’s clear from both sets of research, is the league has produced some amazing goals over the years and long may that continue.”
Top 10 Premier League Goals According to the Expert
1. Wayne Rooney - Bicycle Kick vs Man City (2011)
2. Dennis Bergkamp - Spin & Finish vs Newcastle (2002)
3. Thierry Henry - Flick & Volley vs Man United (2000)
4. Vincent Kompany - Long-Range Strike vs Leicester (2019)
5. David Beckham - Halfway Line vs Wimbledon (1996)
6. Mohamed Salah - Solo Goal vs Man City (2021)
7. Emre Can - Bicycle Kick vs Watford (2017)
8. Alejandro Garnacho - Bicycle Kick vs Everton (2023)
9. Robin van Persie - Volley vs Villa (2013)
10. Erik Lamela - Rabona vs Arsenal (2021)
Top 10 Premier League Goals According to Football Fans
1. David Beckham – Halfway Line vs Wimbledon (1996) 20%
2. Wayne Rooney – Bicycle Kick vs Man City (2011) 17%
3. Cristiano Ronaldo – Free Kick vs Portsmouth (2008) 14%
4. Dennis Bergkamp – Spin & Finish vs Newcastle (2002) 12%
5. Thierry Henry – Flick & Volley vs Man United (2000) 11%
6. Mohamed Salah – Solo Goal vs Man City (2021) 11%
7. Wayne Rooney – Volley vs Newcastle (2005) 9%
8. Mohamed Salah – Solo Goal vs Everton (2017) 9%
9. Eric Cantona – Chip vs Sunderland (1996) 9%
10. Alan Shearer – Power strike vs Everton (2002) 8%
Expert weightings making up the formula
Technical Brilliance (35 per cent): The primary factor that makes fans rewatch goals repeatedly. The art of football - bicycle kicks, volleys, chips and solo runs that seem to defy physics and require years of practice.
Difficulty (25 per cent): The "how did they do that?" factor. Goals from 40 yards or very tight angles are rarer and more spectacular than a tap-in from the six-yard box.
Context (20 per cent): Title races and derbies elevate excellent goals to legendary status.
Impact (15 per cent): Goals that matter create lasting memories. Did it win the game or just the final goal to make it 5-0?
Moment (5 per cent): Late winners get a small boost, but an incredible goal in the 4th minute is still incredible.
