Football is a team game, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a moment to recognise the individual brilliance that has graced the Premier League over the years.
While teamwork is undoubtedly important, games can be won and lost off the back of some incredible moments of brilliance, and those are definitely worth looking at.
The 7 best individual seasons in Premier League history, including Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry, have been ranked.
7. Alan Shearer 1994/95
Alan Shearer’s 1994-95 season with Blackburn Rovers remains one of the most impressive individual campaigns in Premier League history.
The England striker netted a whopping 34 goals in 42 games, helping the club to secure their first and only Premier League title.
Shearer’s combination of power, precision, and incredible aerial ability made him a constant threat, His lethal right foot meant he could score from anywhere, and his positional intelligence often put him in the perfect place to finish off any chance.
The Englishman’s performances this season went a long way towards him becoming the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer, and his 1994-95 season remains one of the best the Premier League has ever seen from an individual player.
6. Mohamed Salah 2017/18
The 2017-18 season marked Mohamed Salah’s arrival at Liverpool, and no one expected him to be as good as he was.
The Egyptian winger etched his name into the record books by scoring an astounding 32 goals in 36 appearances, the most in a 38-game Premier League season at the time.
Salah combined blistering pace with extraordinary close control and an incredible eye for goal, becoming a nightmare for defenders, many of whom simply didn’t know how to deal with him.
His ability to drift inside from the right flank and score with his left foot became a trademark move, and still has defenders confused, even six years later.
Salah’s record might have been broken this year, but his debut campaign for Liverpool was still incredible, and remains one of the best individual seasons we’ve ever seen from a player in the Premier League.
5. Luis Suarez 2013/14
From one Liverpool legend to another.
Luis Suarez’s exceptional 2013-14 season had Liverpool fans dreaming of a first Premier League title.
His impressive 31 goals and 12 assists in 33 games was a truly staggering G/A return, and it nearly clinched the title for the Reds.
The Uruguayan forward was utterly relentless, showing off his remarkable skill, agility, and clinical finishing in every game he played.
Suarez was an unpredictable opponent, weaving through defences with his quick footwork and outsmarting goalkeepers with his audacious shots, making him an incredible difficult player for managers to deal with.
While Liverpool didn’t end up winning the league, if they had done it’d have all been down to Luis Suarez, and his incredible performances during the 2013/14 season, his last before quitting Anfield for Barcelona.
4. Erling Haaland 2022/23
We noted previously that, during the 2017/18 season, Salah broke the record for the number of goals scored during a 38-game Premier League season with 32.
That record stood until this year, when in his debut season, Erling Haaland scored 36 goals in the Premier League, in just 35 games, helping Man City win the Premier League in the process.
Haaland was an utter freak in front of goal, and his goalscoring exploits in England thus far have been unlike anything the league has ever seen, particularly in recent memory.
The Norwegian might not be the prettiest player on the ball or the most technically gifted, but he’s able to put the ball in the back of the net better than anyone to ever play in the Premier League, making his 2022/23 season one of the greatest in PL history.
3. Yaya Toure 2013/14
While Luis Suarez’s season in 2013/14 might have been incredible, there’s another player during that same period that arguably performed better.
Arguably, no one has produced more magic from midfield and been more dominant in Premier League history than Yaya Toure was during the 2013/14 campaign, with City winning the league at its climax.
That season saw Toure redefine the role of a central midfielder in the Premier League, with the Ivorian powerhouse notched up an astounding 20 goals and nine assists.
Combining physical strength with technical elegance, Toure’s performances that season were truly extraordinary, and arguably haven’t been matched by a midfielder since.
To top it all off, Yaya scored some beautiful long range goals during that period too, with his record-breaking season, which encompassed his exceptional talent and versatility, being one of the best from an individual player in Premier League history.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo 2007/08
It’s hard to overlook a player who, in the 2007/08 season, won the Ballon d’Or…
Few players have had an impact on the Premier League like Cristiano Ronaldo, and in the 2007-08 season, the Portuguese forward became one of the best players in the world, if not the single best.
Ronaldo found the net 31 times in 34 appearances, carrying United to the Premier League title, the Champions League, and earning him his first Ballon d’Or in the process.
It was during this season that the world truly began to take notice of Ronaldo’s powerful runs, incredible skill, and lethal finishing.
His ability to single-handedly change the course of a game was on full display, and his blend of goals and relentless work ethic puts his 2007-08 season among the greatest individual performances in Premier League history.
1. Thierry Henry 2003/04
It shouldn’t be surprising that Thierry Henry, the best player the Premier League has ever seen, is also responsible for the best individual season in the division’s history.
Unparalleled in his ability to find the back of the net and create for others, Henry’s 2003-04 season was a masterclass in offensive football.
The Frenchman was the lynchpin of the ‘Invincibles’ squad, scoring 30 goals and providing nine assists over 37 appearances.
His lightning pace, beautiful control, and predatory instincts proved too much for defences, with Arsenal failing to lose a single game during the season, a feat that hasn’t been repeated in the Premier League.
Whether he was drifting out wide or surging through the middle, Henry always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, displaying an uncanny understanding of the game. His great remarkable season cemented his status as one of the greatest players in Premier League history.
