7 strange unwanted Premier League individual single game records

On January 20, 2007, during Sheffield United’s match against Reading, former Northern Ireland international Keith Gillespie became the recipient of the fastest red card in Premier League history. 

The ex-Newcastle United and Black Rovers defender, who came on as a second-half substitute during a throw-in, elbowed Reading’s Stephen Hunt in the face just moments after entering the pitch.

Despite 12 seconds elapsing since his substitution, Gillespie’s sending-off technically occurred at zero seconds since play was yet to officially resume. 

To add to the drama, the Briton heard Hunt making jokes about his situation and struck the Stoke City man again before heading toward the tunnel, sparking a mass brawl between the two teams.

This unwanted record overshadows an otherwise solid career, which also included a stint at Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. 

In what turned out to be a frustrating evening for Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku against Crystal Palace on October 1, 2022, he managed to touch the ball only seven times, setting an unwanted Premier League record for the fewest touches in a 90-minute game. 

For context, Havertz set the recent record of zero passes in 90 minutes with 25 touches of the ball.

Lukaku's touches included a kick-off and three successful passes, and he notably did not register a single touch inside the opponent’s penalty area, turning a spectator as Chelsea secured a 2-1 comeback win. 

Known for his passionate and animated presence on the sidelines, Conte, during a Premier League match between Chelsea and Swansea City, made headlines on November 29, 2016 by receiving the fastest red card for a manager in Premier League history after he protested a decision made by referee Neil Swarbrick.

The incident occurred in the 43rd minute after Swarbrick awarded a goal kick to Swansea instead of a corner to Chelsea, pushing Conte into a vehement outburst that escalated when the Italian continued his protests. This led to Swarbrick's decision to dismiss him from the technical area. 

Conte was forced to join the fans directly behind the Chelsea bench before being dismissed to the dressing room after Swarbrick considered him too close to the action. 

Although he had been expelled previously in Italy while managing Atalanta and Juventus, this incident marked Conte's first red card in English football.

Marouane Chamakh, on August 16, 2014, set a Premier League record by committing 11 fouls in Crystal Palace's season opener against Arsenal, the club he spent three years at (2010-2013) and struggled to take off before joining The Eagles in the 2013-14 season. 

Obviously motivated more than anyone on the pitch, Chamakh’s aggressive approach and high foul count reflected a desire to prove a point to his former team, as by the time he moved to Crystal Palace, it was clear he hadn’t lived up to expectations at Arsenal, scoring just 14 goals in 67 appearances.

The Moroccan stayed on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, avoiding a red card despite his record-breaking foul count. 

Arsenal would come from behind to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Koscielny and Aaron Ramsey in the late moments of both halves.

Chris Wood and Son Heung-Min share the unusual distinction of being caught offside six times in a single match, a record in the Premier League. For context, the most Erling Haaland has been caught offside in a full Premier League season is eight times, which was during his first year in England. 

 Chris Wood, January 19, 2019 (Watford vs. Burnley)

With Burnley known for their direct and physical style of play that often utilises long balls and crosses into the box for their forwards to latch onto, it was no surprise that pointman Chris Wood found himself caught offside six times in the match between Burnley and Watford on January 19, 2019. 

The New Zealand striker's efforts yielded relatively significant results as his eagerness to break beyond Watford’s defence and capitalise pinned the Hornets back, securing a valuable point in a goalless stalemate. 

 Son Heung-Min, December 2, 2017 (Watford vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

The very pacy and transient Son Heung-Min, who often positions on the shoulder of the last defender, waiting to pounce on through balls or counter-attacks, matched the same record by being flagged offside six times in a Watford vs. Tottenham Hotspur match on December 2, 2017. 

Despite tight offside calls often halting frequent exploits by the Korean to find gaps in Watford’s defence, Son eventually found the back of the net, scoring the equaliser as Tottenham secured a 1-1 draw.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with 12 attempts, set the unwanted Premier League record of most shots without scoring during Manchester United's frustrating 0-0 draw against Burnley at Old Trafford on October 29, 2016. 

Renowned as a prolific goalscorer throughout his illustrious career, Ibrahimović joined Manchester United in the summer of 2016 with the expectations of being a dominant force in the Premier League after joining Manchester United in the summer of 2016, but was unlucky on this day despite his best efforts. 

He was denied by an inspired Tom Heaton, who made several incredible saves in a man-of-the-match performance. 

Many of Ibrahimović's 12 attempts on goal were clear-cut chances, including a powerful header from close range that was remarkably saved by Heaton and a few efforts that narrowly missed the target.

United as a team registered 38 shots in total, in a show of dominance that was successfully repelled by Burnley's stubborn defence. 

Steve Mounié set the record for most duels lost by a player in a single Premier League game on January 20, 2018, when he lost 33 duels during a tough and frustrating afternoon at the Bet365 stadium, which ended in a 2-0 defeat for the Beninese forward. 

Being the main striker for a team fighting for Premier League survival, his job was to hold up the ball, win headers, and create opportunities for his teammates, but he found himself repeatedly losing duels, particularly against Stoke’s strong defensive pairing of Ryan Shawcross and Kurt Zouma.

Darwin Nunez, on January 31, 2024, set one of the newest unwanted Premier League records during a match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield after hitting the woodwork four times in a single game, the highest number of times a player has struck the post or crossbar in a Premier League match.

Although the Uruguayan got into the record books for a reason no striker wants, he was a constant threat for Liverpool, consistently finding himself in scoring positions against a porous Chelsea side who lost 4-1.