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The beautiful game of football possesses a plethora of stunning moments, great players, trickery with the ball and robust yet crucial defending in itself. Over the decades, we, the fraternity, have been treated with world-class action from the very best in the business. One would wonder how a split-second of the entirety of 90 minutes can leave an impression of joy and contentment on a fan for a lifetime.
Well, it's not the dribbles or clearances that inject our souls with happiness as much as goals do. Debatable, yes. But on paper and ultimately, it's the side that scores more goals wins. Such is the power of goals and if a team has got a striker who nets 20-30 of them every season, you know he deserves a label of nothing less than that of a legend.
Here are five of those players who have outscored everyone else in the Premier League. Here are the top 5 goalscorers for a single club in the English top-flight.
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#5 Frank Lampard - Chelsea - 147 goals
As they call him, 'Super Frankie Lampard' is a special, special player to have influenced the game. He's the only midfielder to be on this star-studded list. In June 2001, Chelsea spent £11 million on this English midfielder from West Ham. Boy, he returned every penny of that investment and went on to become one of the club's best, if not the world's best.
Lampard played with a very simple game plan. Not only did he notch double figures for 10 seasons in a row at Chelsea, but also played as a playmaker with astute vision and creativity. The 40-year-old would play as box-to-box midfielder, rely on his movement in the box and his finishing prowess.
His long-range shooting and clinical nature in front of goal need no explanation. The former West Ham man also had the knack of rescuing points for the Blues and scoring in the most important moments. After 429 appearances, 147 goals and 102 assists (in the league), he left his club in 2014.
Lampard is Chelsea's top-scorer of all time and is fourth in the Premier League's all-time assists table. Out of the seven players who have scored more than 150 goals in the league, he is the only midfielder to achieve the feat.
#4 Alan Shearer - Newcastle United - 148 goals
This man needs no further introduction. A goals-to-game ratio of 0.667 portrays his hunger, intent and desire to score goals, goals and goals. There was nothing Alan Shearer could not do on the football pitch.
Often remarked and styled as a traditional centre-forward of England, Shearer owned fantastic shot-power, positional ability, movement off the ball and heading capability. All of these coupled with near-perfect balance and physicality made him one of the most feared strikers of the game.
He scored 260 Premier League goals, a record touched by no one else yet. Out of the 206 he netted for the Magpies, 148 were in the league. A loyal servant of the club he was indeed, as he carried the side to the top division and went on to score massive goals for them till they became a formidable opposition.
With one arm in the air pointing towards heaven, the 48-year-old's statue outside St. James' Park symbolizes his legendary status and eternal presence on the club and the game.
#3 Sergio Aguero - Manchester City - 148* goals
Ah, here you go. Above is the man who can upstage Alan Shearer's record of 260 goals in the Premier League. Sergio Aguero is currently 10th on the list, but has been scoring 20+ goals in the league for four consecutive seasons. This season too, he has started with five in seven outings.
All in all, he has a staggering 206 goals in 301 appearances for the club. He also owns the most important goal for City and arguably the best-ever moment of the Premier League - when an injury-time winner from the Argentine ensured the title for the Cityzens by goal difference.
Aguero is a class finisher. He is dynamic, strong, pacy and direct. His movement in the box is almost unplayable at times. He is also a capable assist-man, owing to his tactical intelligence and dribbling skill.
Still at 30 years of age, many fans, pundits, commentators and supporters alike have tipped him to break Shearer's undisputed record, including his own teammate Bernardo Silva.
#2 Thierry Henry - Arsenal - 175 goals
"Thierry Henry could take the ball in the middle of the park and score a goal that no one else in the world could score," said the great Arsene Wenger of his compatriot. Well, that's true as not many in the world possessed the finesse this man did.
Over the course of eight seasons and 253 league appearances, the Belgium assistant coach struck 175 goals. In total, he had 226 for the Gunners. Widely regarded as one of the sweetest timers of the football, Henry could find the back of the net with the right precision, power, placement and flare.
With fantastic technical ability, dribbling prowess and desire to become the best, Henry carried Arsenal to five trophies, including two league titles. Most definitely, it was him who brought an attacking edge to a rather defensive formation of 4-5-1 used by Arsene Wenger - such was his spark in front of goal.
He remains Arsenal's and France's most successful goalscorer.
#1 Wayne Rooney - Manchester United - 183 goals
At a tender age of 18, Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United and went oto become one of the greatest players in the club's rich history. The wonder kid remained a fan favourite for the rest of his career. Much like the others in this prestigious list, Rooney was a versatile football. He could play in various midfield roles, as a number 10 or as a front man.
In 13 seasons at Old Trafford, he amassed 183 league goals in 393 appearances. In all competitions, 253 in 559. Five league triumphs, four Community Shields, one Champions League, one Europa League, one FA Cup, a Club World Cup and three League Cups encapsulated his overloaded trophy cabinet.
Rooney was one of the stalwarts in the early 2000s, where Manchester United established sheer domination under Sir Alex Ferguson. Rooney's daunting presence in the box, ability to score remarkable goals, vision, innovation and technique set him apart from others in the business. It will take some stopping this record of 183 goals for a single club.
