Premier League 90th-Minute winners at record high in 2025-26

The 2025-26 Premier League season has produced the highest proportion of 90th-minute goals and winners in the competition’s history.

Through seven matchdays, a goal has been scored in the 90th minute or later every 2.9 matches — a faster rate than any previous season, surpassing 2023-24 (every 3.4 matches).

Proportion of Late Goals

According to Opta, this season, 13.2% of all Premier League goals have been scored in the 90th minute or later. This figure is at least 4.2 percentage points higher than any other campaign, with 2023-24 previously holding the record.

Match Duration vs Goal Rate

Despite an average match duration of over 100 minutes — the second highest in Premier League history — the overall goals-per-game rate has dropped to 2.6, its lowest in more than a decade. Longer matches alone do not account for the spike in late goals.

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Set-Piece Impact

The frequency of 90th-minute set-piece goals has risen from one every 15 matches in 2024-25 to one every 10 matches in 2025-26.

Decisive Late Goals

Of the 24 goals scored after the 90th minute this season, 10 have turned a draw into a victory — a record 41.7% proportion. Overall, 14.3% of matches have been decided by a 90th-minute winner, more than double the previous record of 7.1% set in 2023-24.

Scoreline Margins

Average goal margins have narrowed significantly. In 2023-24, the average margin was 1.58 goals (2.02 excluding draws), the highest in Premier League history. This season, that figure has dropped to 1.34, the lowest in a decade. Tighter contests mean that matches are more often in the balance when additional time is announced.

Title Implications

Late goals have already influenced results among leading clubs. Liverpool have scored stoppage-time winners against Newcastle (3-2) and Burnley (1-0), while conceding decisive goals in defeats to Crystal Palace and Chelsea. Arsenal’s 96th-minute winner at Newcastle and late equaliser against Manchester City further underline the trend’s impact at the top of the table.

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While the sample size remains small, the data indicates an unprecedented frequency of decisive late goals. If sustained, this pattern could have a direct bearing on the 2025-26 title race and final league standings.