The Beauty of Team Goals Featuring Every Player's Touch in the Premier League
Leeds' equaliser at Sunderland extended their unbeaten run to five games and was notable for involving all 11 players in blue shirts in the build-up. This marked the second time in the 2025 season that a Premier League goal featured every player on the scoring side, out of 503 league goals scored.
Earlier in the season, 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha made his Premier League debut for Newcastle and scored a late winner in August 2025. His goal came after a long buildup, with a dummy by Dominik Szoboszlai creating space for Ngumoha's shot past Nick Pope.
This style of team-based play has historic precedents. Sergio Agüero scored for Manchester City against Hull in April 2017 as part of a 20-touch move beginning from a throw-in. At the time, Pep Guardiola expressed his appreciation for involving everyone in the team during such plays.
Similarly, Bernardo Silva played a key role in the 2021 Manchester derby where a 25-pass sequence ended with a Cancelo cross for a goal. Guardiola remarked that the best way to silence the stadium was to maintain possession through collective effort.
Other memorable examples include Christian Eriksen's goal for Tottenham against Everton in January 2018 that arose from a sustained buildup involving Kane's hold-up play, Son, and Dele Alli before Eriksen finished. That game also saw Harry Kane become Tottenham's top Premier League scorer.
Mesut Özil's February 2020 goal for Arsenal against Newcastle was set up by a 32-pass move. Özil dribbled into space and was assisted by Lacazette and Pépé before scoring and celebrating with his arm raised.
These instances highlight the beauty of goals created through full-team involvement, exemplifying the collective nature of successful football at the highest level.
