Which Footballers Have Scored Most Of Their Career Goals In A Single Match? | The Knowledge

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“Last month, Jeremy Ngakia scored doubly for Watford against Oxford to return his profession goals full to 3 from 116 elder nine appearances. Excluding players who scored only once, has anybody pinch 100+ appearances managed a higher percent of their profession goals successful a azygous match?” wonders Peter Skilton.

Denis Boone writes successful pinch nan communicative of Matthieu Chalmé. “French right-back Chalmé played 362 master matches during his career, mostly for Lille and Bordeaux,” Denis writes. “He scored 4 profession goals, pinch 3 of them coming successful a azygous game. Chalmé netted each 3 goals successful Lille’s 3-0 triumph astatine Ajaccio successful March 2004, signaling nan astir improbable of hat-tricks.”

Those three well-taken goals successful Corsica were nan only ones Chalmé managed successful 179 Lille appearances, while successful 167 for Bordeaux, he scored once. Well, doubly if you count his ain extremity successful nan 2010 Coupe de la Ligue last against Marseille. Scoring 75% of his profession goals successful 1 crippled takes Chalmé past Ngakia’s people (66.7%), but location is simply a alert successful nan ointment.

Chalmé hung up his boots astatine Bordeaux successful July 2014 aft a indebtedness spell astatine Ajaccio, who presumably recalled his little purple spot a decade earlier. He did return to shot pinch fifth-tier broadside Lège Cap-Ferret, playing 7 games successful six months – and scoring 1 goal. That would driblet Chalmé’s percent of goals scored successful a azygous crippled down to 60%, but it feels harsh to penalise him for a post-retirement jaunt astatine semi-professional level.

A speedy mention, too, for different French full-back: Lilian Thuram. While nan original mobility relates to nine careers, plentifulness of you emailed successful to constituent retired that Thuram made 142 France appearances and scored 2 goals successful nan aforesaid lucifer – nan World Cup semi-final against Croatia successful 1998. Look, erstwhile you’re hot, you’re hot.

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The Insubordination Files: Part II

In past week’s Knowledge we looked astatine players who defied their managers’ instructions. There are immoderate much awesome examples, truthful let’s reopen nan Insubordination Files for a 2nd look.

Tottenham v Manchester City, FA Cup semi-final, 1955-56
“The Spurs captain, Danny Blanchflower, made changes to nan squad during nan FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City while they were losing 1-0, moving Maurice Norman from centre-half to up front,” writes John Tumbridge. “Spurs still mislaid and nan manager, Jimmy Anderson [not that one], dropped Blanchflower for nan adjacent lucifer and stripped him of nan captaincy. Within a twelvemonth Anderson was retired of nan job, Bill Nicholson took over, Blanchflower was reinstated and nan remainder is history.”

Spurs fable Danny Blanchflower sounds a newspaper.

England v Albania, World Cup 1990 qualifier, April 1989
Adam Clark points out: “Paul Gascoigne scored his first England extremity successful this 5-0 triumph astatine Wembley aft playing ‘all complete nan pitch, isolated from nan position I told him to play in’, according to head Bobby Robson. The post-match question and reply is marvellous – a awesome substance of frustration, sarcasm and paternal pride.”

Everton v Tottenham, FA Cup semi-final, 1994-95
“Everton’s past awesome trophy was nan 1995 FA Cup, and it wouldn’t person been imaginable without 1 man,” originates Jim Hearson. “Manager Joe Royle? Nah. Goalscorer successful nan final, Paul Rideout? Close, but no. Goalkeeping colossus, Neville Southall? Nope. That man was mercurial striker Daniel Amokachi, who substituted himself connected during nan semi-final against Spurs, scoring doubly to gain nan Toffees a spot successful nan Wembley showpiece against Manchester United.”

Daniel Amokachi (front) celebrates Everton’s FA Cup triumph successful 1995

Recounting nan communicative to nan BBC, Amokachi, said: “Rideout sewage a sound and went down ... I conscionable went to Willie [Donachie, Everton’s adjunct manager] and told him ‘The gaffer says you request maine on’.” Royle was understandably furious astatine nan time, but much forgiving astatine nan last whistle: “He came into nan locker room and hugged me, gave maine his manus and said: ‘Well done, son, but ne'er effort that again.’”

Sporting v Barcelona, Champions League group stage, 2008-09
“While playing for Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona against Sporting Lisbon, Thierry Henry took it upon himself to move wings. He quickly scored to guarantee Barça went successful 1-0 up astatine half-time. Guardiola’s reaction? He hooked Henry for ignoring his instructions.” You tin watch Titi recount nan communicative from 5:15 successful this video.

Free-kick flurries

“As a West Ham instrumentality I’m progressively having to look astatine past seasons for immoderate enjoyment,” weeps Liam Corbett. “While precocious doing so, I noticed that Dimitri Payet scored six free kicks successful nan 18 cherished months that we had him. Just wondering if location is simply a much prolific free-kick taker successful a akin clip period?”

One comes to mind: David Beckham scored 27 free-kicks successful his clip astatine Manchester United, including 8 successful arsenic galore months betwixt March and November 2000. His astir prolific 18-month spell astatine Old Trafford includes nan aforesaid period: from May 1999 to November 2000, Beckham scored 10 direct-free-kicks – including 2 raspers against nan Hammers. Sorry, Liam.

David Beckham, doing his dead-ball point successful nan Champions League.

If it helps, there’s a subordinate presently connected West Ham’s books who tin amended Payet’s statistics: James Ward-Prowse. The set-piece maestro enjoyed 2 purple patches pinch Southampton, scoring 7 free kicks betwixt November 2019 and February 2021 crossed 2 Covid-affected seasons. Ward-Prowse past deed different six dead-ball beauties successful a 10-month spell betwixt April 2022 and February 2023.

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“A Southend-supporting friend claims nan squad erstwhile played a convention crippled astatine Wembley? Is he having maine on?” asked Stuart Jacks successful April 2012.

Ludicrously, he wasn’t. Southend were 1 of 2 teams – Brentford being nan different – to play against Clapton Orient successful Division Three (South) astatine Wembley backmost successful 1930, owing to crushed betterment activity astatine Orient’s Lea Bridge Stadium. Their charismatic website takes up nan story:

Following a convention lucifer against Torquay (which nan O’s won), officials from nan Devon nine complained astir nan perimeter obstruction being excessively adjacent to nan pitch. The Football League was duly asked to inspect nan crushed and agreed that alterations had to beryllium made earlier immoderate much games could return place; abruptly nan Orient recovered themselves without a stadium to play in. Incredible arsenic it seems, Wembley was suggested and nan O’s really played 2 convention games successful 1930 against Brentford and Southend United, winning 3-0 and 3-1 respectively. To this time nan Orient is nan only Football League broadside to person played location games astatine Wembley Stadium!

Since past of course, Tottenham joined Orient successful becoming residents astatine Wembley, albeit successful nan Premier League. In caller weeks, talk of Arsenal upgrading nan Emirates – and relocating to nan nationalist stadium while nan activity is carried retired – has emerged.

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Can you help?

“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored 4 goals and was sent disconnected successful Gabon’s 4-3 triumph complete Gambia past week,” writes Seb successful Berlin. “Which different players person seen reddish aft scoring astatine slightest 3 goals?”

“In Austria’s 10-0 demolition of San Marino, each outfield subordinate who started sewage a goal, an assistance aliases both. Has immoderate different squad managed this?” asks Paul Savage.

The scoreboard showing Austria's 1-0 triumph complete San Marino

“Of each of nan players who person a statue extracurricular nan crushed of their erstwhile club, who made nan slightest magnitude of appearances for that team?” wonders Masai Graham.

“Remarkably, Jon Dahl Tomasson is nan first head to beryllium sacked by Sweden,” writes Gregg Bakowski. “Have immoderate different nations – aliases clubs – ne'er sacked a manager?”

“I publication that, erstwhile nan Netherlands conceded 2 goals to Lithuania recently, they were nan lowest Fifa-ranked state to people against them (143rd). The Netherlands are presently classed seventh which intends a quality of 136 places betwixt nan 2 countries. I person 2 questions upon proceeding this – which is nan lowest-ranked squad to people against England (since rankings began successful 1992) and what is nan biggest quality betwixt teams wherever nan little classed squad has scored? I was reasoning of nan respective rankings astatine nan clip nan matches took spot alternatively than existent rankings” – Pete Tomlin.

“Como and Milan’s stadiums are conscionable 28 miles apart, but if their Serie A lucifer goes up successful Perth, Australia successful February, some teams will recreation 8,480 miles arsenic nan crow flies,” notes Paul Vickers. “Are location immoderate different examples of matches being played a agelong measurement from either team’s location crushed – including internationals but not awesome finals held successful 1 nation?”