What Footballers Managed to Scored The Majority of Their Professional Goals in a Single Match?
Recently, Watford defender Ngakia scored twice for Watford against Oxford to take his career goals total to three from 116 professional matches,” wonders Peter Skilton. “Not counting footballers who scored only once, has anybody with 100+ appearances managed a higher percentage of their career goals in a single match?”
Another reader submits with the tale of French defender Chalmé. “Defender Matthieu Chalmé appeared in 362 games during his career, mostly for Bordeaux and Lille,” he explains. “He scored four career goals, with three of them coming in a single game. He scored all three in Lille’s victory at Ajaccio in 2004, recording the most unlikely of hat-tricks.”
Those three well-taken goals in Ajaccio were the only ones he scored in 179 Lille appearances, while in 167 matches with Bordeaux, he found the net one time. Well, twice if you count his self-scored goal in the 2010 Coupe de la Ligue final against Marseille. Netting three-quarters of his total goals in one game takes Chalmé past Ngakia’s mark (66.7%), but there’s a complication.
Chalmé retired at his club in 2014 after a loan spell at Ajaccio, who likely remembered his brief purple patch a ten years prior. He came back to the game with amateur team his local club, featuring seven times in half a year – and netting once. That would drop his ratio of goals in one match down to 60%, but it feels harsh to penalise him for a post-career stint at amateur football.
A brief note, too, for another French full-back: the legendary Thuram. Although the query concerns club careers, plenty of you emailed in to point out that Thuram made 142 international caps and netted twice in the same match – the 1998 World Cup semi-final against the Croatian team. Sometimes, form is everything.
Players Defying Managers: Continued
In last week’s Knowledge we looked at footballers who defied their managers’ instructions. We have additional fantastic examples, so we’re revisiting the Disobedience Records for a another review.
Spurs vs City, FA Cup semi-final, 1955-56
“The Spurs captain, Blanchflower, altered tactics to the side during the cup match against Manchester City while they were a goal down,” writes a correspondent. “Switching Maurice Norman from defense to up front, Spurs still lost and the coach, Jimmy Anderson [not that one], dropped Blanchflower for the following game and removed him of the armband. Soon after Anderson was out, Nicholson became manager, Blanchflower was reinstated and the rest is history.”
England v Albania, World Cup qualifying, 1989
Another fan notes: “Gazza netted his maiden international goal in this 5-0 win at the national stadium after playing ‘all over the pitch’, according to coach Robson. The post-game comments are marvellous – a wonderful mixture of frustration, irony and paternal pride.”
Everton v Tottenham, FA Cup semi-final, 1994-95
“Everton’s last major trophy was the 1995 Cup, and it couldn’t have happened without a key figure,” begins a contributor. “Manager Joe Royle? No. Final scorer, Rideout? Close, but no. Keeper Neville Southall? Not him. That man was mercurial striker Daniel Amokachi, who substituted himself on during the match with Tottenham, netting two to earn the Toffees a spot in the final against Manchester United.”
Recounting the story to the media, the striker said: “Rideout was injured and went down ... I just went to the assistant and said ‘The gaffer says you need me on’.” Royle was rightly angry at the moment, but kinder at the end: “He entered the dressing room and hugged me, gave me his hand and said: ‘Well done, son, but never try that again.’”
Sporting vs Barça, European match, 2008-09
“While playing for Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona against Sporting, Henry decided to change flanks. He soon netted to give Barcelona the lead at half-time. Guardiola’s reaction? He hooked Henry for disobeying orders.”
Set-Piece Specialists
“As a West Ham fan, I’m increasingly having to look at previous years for some enjoyment,” laments Liam Corbett. “Upon reviewing, I saw that Payet scored six free kicks in the 18 cherished months that we had him. Just wondering if there is a more prolific free-kick taker in a similar time period?”
An example exists: Beckham scored 27 free-kicks in his time at Manchester United, including eight in as many months between 2000. His most prolific 18-month spell at the club covers the same period: from 1999-2000, Beckham scored 10 direct-free-kicks – including two raspers against the Hammers. Sorry, Liam.
If it helps, there’s a footballer currently on West Ham’s books who can outdo Payet’s record: James Ward-Prowse. The dead-ball specialist enjoyed two purple patches with Southampton, netting seven set-pieces between 2019-2021 across two Covid-affected seasons. He then hit another six superb free-kicks in a ten-month period between 2022-2023.
Historical Trivia
“A friend who follows Southend insists the team once played a league game at the national stadium? Is he joking?” queried a reader in April 2012.
Surprisingly, he was correct. Southend were among two clubs – Brentford being the second – to face Clapton Orient in the third tier at Wembley back in the 1930s, owing to ground improvement work at Orient’s Lea Bridge Stadium. Club records explain further:
Following a league match against Torquay United (a victory for Orient), officials from the Devon club objected to the boundary fence being too close to the field. The Football League was duly asked to inspect the ground and agreed that alterations had to be made before any more games could take place; suddenly the club found themselves without a stadium. Hard to believe, Wembley was suggested and the Orient actually hosted two matches in that year against Brentford and Southend, securing two victories. Even now the Orient is the sole league team to have played home games at the iconic venue!
Since then of course, Spurs joined Orient in becoming residents at Wembley, albeit in the top flight. Lately, talk of Arsenal upgrading the Emirates – and moving to the national stadium while the construction occurs – has emerged.
Can you help?
“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted four times and was sent off in Gabon’s victory over the Gambia last week,” notes a reader. “Which other players have seen red after scoring at least three goals?”
“In Austria’s 10-0 demolition of San Marino, all starting attackers and midfielders who began the game scored or assisted,” asks another correspondent. “Has any other team managed this?”
“Among all footballers who have a statue at their club’s stadium of their former club, who made the least amount of appearances for that team?” wonders Masai Graham.
“Interestingly, Jon Dahl Tomasson is the initial coach to be sacked by {Sw
