William Osula’s goal against Manchester United thrust him into the Premier League’s top 10 fastest players – but two team-mates are quicker.
Osula was too fast for the Red Devils in March but Liverpool target Anthony Gordon was even more rapid at Manchester City in February.
Gordon’s fastest sprint of the season takes him to the top of this list of the Premier League’s fastest players, according to our friends at Gradient Sports.
To gauge the quickest player, Gradient records the average of each player’s top five observed maximum one-second speeds (km/h).
Here are the top 10 in the Premier League…
10) Benjamin Sesko (Manchester United) – 34.63
Sesko recorded his fastest speed (35.87km/h) of the season at Everton, presumably while leaving James Tarkowski for dead to get on the end of Bryan Mbeumo’s pass for United’s winner. His shooting grades, though, suggest he needs to slow down a bit when he’s not under pressure.
9) Alex Jimenez (Bournemouth) – 34.65km/h
Jimenez seems determined to be one of the next cabs to speed off the Bournemouth rank amid a mission to prove AC Milan wrong. And Max Allegri, who isn’t a ‘sh*tty coach’, after all. Jimenez needed all of his pace to get across and deny Arsenal a late leveller at the Emirates.
8) William Osula (Newcastle United) – 34.74
Osula clocked his fastest speed of the season (35.23km/h) while sprinting down the right to get himself into position to score one of the goals of the season against Manchester United. Tyrell Malacia is still chocking on the chalk off the touchline.
7) Kyle Walker (Burnley) – 34.76
Walker is slowing down, apparently, but he still touched 36.84km/h in Burnley’s home game against Crystal Palace in December. Not bad for a 35-year-old.
6) Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – 35.20km/h
Another reason why Erling Braut Haaland is a ridiculous footballer. But not the highest-graded centre-forward.
5) Anthony Elanga (Newcastle United) – 35.27km/h
Newcastle were buzzing at the prospect of Elanga’s lightning speed on the break when they spent a fortune to sign him from Forest, but perhaps they were too dazzled to notice that the 23-year-old struggles to know what to do when he gets there (quickly).
4) Kevin Schade (Brentford) – 35.37km/h
The Brentford winger is now among the top 10 highest-scoring Germans in the Premier League having bumped Michael Ballack from the list. Tottenham were said to be interested in January, which he can count as a lucky escape.
3) Pedro Neto (Chelsea) – 35.39km/h
Liam Rosenior reckons Neto is ‘world class’, the 25-year-old’s pace key to him being used this season as a striker, left winger, wing-back, number 10 and, where he is most comfortable, on the right wing. And despite being shunted around the team, he remains the Blues’ most consistent winger. It would help if he wasn’t getting sent off or shoving ball boys.
2) Jackson Tchatchoua (Wolves) – 35.78km/h
The fastest player in Serie A, having averaged 34.88km/h last season was the fastest in the Premier League until he was overtaken by the new no.1. And the 24-year-old be running very fast around the Championship next season unless the reported interest from Italy resurfaces.
Tchatchoua maxed out at 37.1km/h for Hellas Verona last term but reached 37.7km/h when Wolves faced Everton on matchday two.
1) Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) – 36.10km/h
Gordon clocked 38.2km/h during the defeat at Manchester City to speed to the top of this list. Will he be as quick to the door this summer, with Liverpool and Bayern Munich sniffing? Karl-Heinz Rummenigge evidently doesn’t hold a grudge.
