There were 36 uninterrupted passes leading to Arsenal’s fifth goal against Manchester City on Sunday, but which other Premier League goals have been scored following a long passing move in 2024-25?
In an ideal world, every fan loves to see their team pass the opposition into submission before scoring. Long spells of possession can demoralise opponents, while chants of “Olé!” ring out satisfyingly from the stands.
Arsenal’s fifth goal in their 5-1 demolition of Manchester City was a perfect example, adding an extra layer of humiliation to an already miserable afternoon for the reigning champions.
Following the 36-pass move that led to Ethan Nwaneri’s strike, we take a look at the longest open-play passing sequences leading to a goal in the Premier League this season.
Ethan Nwaneri – Arsenal vs Manchester City (2 February 2025)
36 passes, 10 players involved, 1m 58s long
Nwaneri capped a brilliant Arsenal performance with his injury-time goal in Arsenal’s 5-1 win over Man City on 2 February at the Emirates Stadium.
His strike – Arsenal’s fifth of the match – came at the end of a 36-pass sequence involving all 10 outfield players, lasting just two seconds shy of two minutes. To add to City’s frustration, the full-time whistle blew immediately after Nwaneri’s goal, meaning Pep Guardiola’s side never touched the ball again.
It was the longest passing move leading to a Premier League goal since 23 September 2023, when Man City themselves gave Nottingham Forest a lesson in possession with purpose. Rúben Dias’ seventh-minute strike at the Etihad Stadium ended an open-play passing move of 46 passes in a sequence that lasted two minutes and 17 seconds.
Arsenal’s 36-pass build-up was the third-longest sequence leading to a Premier League shot this season; two longer sequences (37 passes) ended without a goal. It was also Arsenal’s longest open-play passing move of the match, making it a fitting way to close out a resounding victory.
Jhon Durán – Aston Villa vs Everton (14 September 2024)
27 passes, 8 players involved, 1m 28s long
Former Aston Villa super-sub Jhon Durán scored in their 3-2 win over Everton at Goodison Park in September, finishing off an incredible comeback after the Villans found themselves two goals down inside 27 minutes.
The Colombian striker needed just seven minutes off the bench to make an impact, capping off a stunning 27-pass move involving eight different Villa players. Receiving the ball from Ross Barkley 30 yards from goal, Durán was obviously tired of seeing his teammates pass the ball about, as he struck a sensational shot past Jordan Pickford to complete the turnaround.
Nicolas Jackson – Chelsea vs West Ham (21 September 2024)
26 passes, 9 players involved, 1m 24s long
Nicolas Jackson scored his second goal of the game in Chelsea’s 3-0 away win over West Ham following a 26-pass move that lasted just short of a minute and a half.
After opening the scoring inside four minutes, the Senegalese forward added another 14 minutes later after being sent clear by Moisés Caicedo and finishing with a brilliant outside-of-the-foot strike.
Enzo Fernández’s pass to Caicedo before the Ecuadorian assisted Jackson was the only one of the 26 passes to start inside the opposition’s half.
Rodrigo Muniz – Fulham vs Manchester City (5 October 2024)
24 passes, 10 players involved, 1m 10s long
Rodrigo Muniz‘s late consolation strike in Fulham’s 3-2 defeat at Man City may not have changed the result, but it was arguably the pick of the afternoon’s goals.
Marco Silva’s side strung together a 24-pass move involving 10 of their 11 players and lasting 70 seconds, ending with Reiss Nelson assisting Muniz for his first goal of the 2024-25 campaign.
Both Muniz and Nelson had only come off the Fulham bench 11 minutes earlier, and this goal is one of 11 scored by Fulham’s substitutes in 2024-25, a tally that only Bournemouth can match.
Adama Traoré – Fulham vs Ipswich (31 August 2024)
23 passes, 10 players involved, 1m 0s long
Possibly the most aesthetically pleasing sequence graphic of the season belongs to another Fulham player; Adama Traoré.
Fulham consistently switched play during their 23-pass move leading to Traoré’s equalising goal in the 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town at Portman Road in August before they eventually found a route into the box down the left wing.
Antonee Robinson fired in a cross that went through a group of players before reaching Traoré, who quickly adjusted his feet to cushion the ball into the Ipswich net with a first-time finish.
Erling Haaland – Manchester City vs Crystal Palace (7 December 2024)
23 passes, 9 players involved, 1m 21s long
Last season saw Manchester City score the three goals with the longest passing build-ups in the Premier League. So far in 2024-25, they have to settle for the joint-fifth longest in the competition thanks to Erling Haaland’s goal in the 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace in December.
Haaland’s goal on 30 minutes ended an open-play passing move of 23 passes over a period of 81 seconds, as the Norwegian striker headed Matheus Nunes’ excellent left-wing cross past Dean Henderson to level the scores at 1-1.
Unsurprisingly, for a man who touches the ball infrequently in matches for City, this was Haaland’s only involvement in the move.
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