Which Footballers Have Scored Most of Their Professional Goals in a Solitary Game?
Recently, Jeremy Ngakia found the net twice for Watford against Oxford United to take his career goals total to three from 116 professional matches,” asks a curious fan. “Not counting players who only scored one goal, is there anyone with over 100 matches managed a greater proportion of their career goals in a one game?”
Denis Boone writes in with the story of Matthieu Chalmé. “French right-back Matthieu Chalmé played 362 professional matches during his playing days, primarily with Bordeaux and Lille,” Denis writes. “He scored four career goals, with a hat-trick scored during a solitary match. Chalmé netted all three goals in Lille’s 3-0 win at Ajaccio in March 2004, recording the surprising of three-goal hauls.”
That memorable hat-trick in Corsica were the only ones Chalmé managed 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 a single match takes Chalmé past Ngakia’s mark (two-thirds), but there is a fly in the ointment.
Chalmé hung up his boots at his club in 2014 after a temporary move at the Corsican club, who presumably recalled his short burst of form a ten years prior. He did return to football with amateur team Lège Cap-Ferret, playing seven games in half a year – and scoring one goal. This reduces his ratio of goals in one match down to 60%, but it seems unfair to penalise him for a post-career stint at amateur football.
A brief note, too, for another French full-back: Lilian Thuram. Although the query concerns club careers, plenty of you wrote in to highlight that the defender made 142 international caps and netted twice in the identical game – the World Cup semi-final against the Croatian team. Sometimes, form is everything.
The Insubordination Files: Part II
In last week’s Knowledge we looked at players who defied their managers’ instructions. We have additional fantastic examples, so we’re revisiting the Disobedience Records for a second look.
Spurs vs City, FA Cup semi-final, 1955-56
“The Spurs captain, Blanchflower, made changes to the team during the cup match against City while they were losing 1-0,” recalls a correspondent. “Moving Maurice Norman from defense to attack, they ultimately lost and the coach, Jimmy Anderson [no relation], dropped Blanchflower for the following game and removed him of the captaincy. Soon after Anderson left, Nicholson took over, Blanchflower was reinstated and the rest is history.”
England v Albania, World Cup 1990 qualifier, April 1989
Adam Clark notes: “Gazza netted his maiden international goal in this victory at Wembley after roaming everywhere’, according to coach Robson. The post-match interview are marvellous – a wonderful mixture of annoyance, irony and fatherly pride.”
Everton vs Spurs, Cup semi, 1994-95
“Everton’s last major trophy was the 1995 FA Cup, and it couldn’t have happened without a key figure,” begins Jim Hearson. “Manager Joe Royle? Nah. Final scorer, Rideout? Close, but no. Keeper Southall? Nope. The hero was mercurial striker Amokachi, who substituted himself on during the match with Tottenham, scoring twice to secure Everton a place in the Wembley showpiece against United.”
Recounting the story to the BBC, Amokachi said: “Rideout was injured and went down ... I just approached Willie Donachie and said ‘The gaffer says you need me on’.” The manager was rightly angry at the moment, but more forgiving at the final whistle: “He came into the dressing room and embraced me, gave me his hand and said: ‘Well done, son, but never try that again.’”
Sporting vs Barça, European match, 2008-09
During his time with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona against Sporting, Thierry Henry took it upon himself to switch wings. He quickly scored to ensure Barça went in 1-0 up at the break. The coach’s response? He hooked Henry for ignoring his instructions.”
Free-kick flurries
“As a West Ham fan, I’m increasingly having to look at past seasons for some enjoyment,” laments a fan. “Upon reviewing, I saw that Payet scored six free kicks in the precious year and a half that we enjoyed him. Just wondering if there is a more prolific free-kick taker in a comparable span?”
An example exists: Beckham netted 27 direct kicks in his spell with United, including eight in as many months between March and November 2000. His most prolific 18-month spell at the club includes the identical timeframe: from May 1999 to November 2000, Beckham scored 10 direct-free-kicks – including two raspers against the Hammers. Apologies.
For consolation, there’s a player currently on West Ham’s books who can outdo Payet’s record: James Ward-Prowse. The set-piece maestro had two great runs with Southampton, netting seven set-pieces between November 2019 and February 2021 across two pandemic-interrupted campaigns. He then added six more superb free-kicks in a 10-month spell between 2022-2023.
Knowledge archive
“A Southend-supporting friend insists the club once played a league game at Wembley? Is he joking?” asked Stuart Jacks in April 2012.
Ludicrously, he was correct. Southend were among two clubs – the Bees being the second – to play against Clapton Orient in the third tier at Wembley back in 1930, owing to ground improvement work at their home ground. Club records explain further:
After a game against Torquay United (which the O’s won), officials from the Devon club complained about the perimeter fence being too near to the pitch. League officials was duly asked to check the stadium and agreed that alterations had to be made before further matches could take place; suddenly the club found themselves homeless. Incredible as it seems, the national stadium was proposed and the O’s actually played two league games in 1930 against Brentford and Southend United, securing two victories. To this day the club is the sole league team to have played home games at the iconic venue!
After that of course, Spurs followed Orient in playing temporarily at the stadium, albeit in the top flight. Lately, talk of Arsenal renovating their stadium – and moving to the national stadium while the construction occurs – has surfaced.
Your Input Needed
“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored four goals and was sent off in Gabon’s victory over the Gambia last week,” notes Seb in Berlin. “Which other players have seen red after scoring at least three goals?”
“In Austria’s 10-0 demolition of San Marino, every outfield player who started scored or assisted,” queries Paul Savage. “Has any other team achieved this feat?”
“Among all footballers who have a statue at their club’s stadium of their ex-team, who played the fewest games for that team?” asks Masai Graham.
“Interestingly, Jon Dahl Tomasson is the first manager to be sacked by {Sw
