Who has scored the most Premier League goals in a debut season?

They used to say ‘records are made to broken’, but these days it’s more along the lines of ‘records are made for Erling Haaland to break and keep forever’. Or at least that’s what it’s felt like during the opening months of the 2022/23 Premier League season.

The former Borussia Dortmund striker has made a monstrous start to life at Manchester City and seems destined to smash all records set by legendary goalscorers since the league’s inception in 1992.

Here’s who Haaland is fighting already to become the most prolific striker in their debut Premier League season.

The record for most Premier League goals scored in a debut season is currently held by former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips.

He struck 30 times in 36 league games during the 1999/00 season, leading Sunderland to a remarkable seventh-placed finish and also earning the European Golden Shoe award. That award has been picked up by some of the game’s greatest ever players, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Robert Lewandowski.

Phillips had never previously played in the top flight but 23 goals in 26 games the season prior helped Sunderland achieve promotion as First Division champions.

The Premier League recognises Phillips as the record holder, though Andy Cole scored 34 goals during his first season in the top flight. This feat, however, occurred in the 1993/94 campaign when teams played 42 matches instead of 38.

Mohamed Salah also breezed past 30 goals in his debut season with Liverpool, but he had previously played for Chelsea.

Will Erling Haaland break the record?

With 14 goals in his first eight Premier League games, Haaland has a huge chance to add this record to his ever-growing list of accolades. With a right of 1.75 goals a game, the Norwegian would overtake Phillips’ long-standing record well before the season ends.

Having broken the back of this goal chase inside the opening months of the season, Haaland only needs 17 goals from a possible 30 games to claim the record.

Which players can Erling Haaland overtake?

Legendary Premier League goalscorers are now nervously looking over their shoulders, afraid that their achievements could become a mere footnote compared to Haaland’s collection of records and statistics.