Erling Haaland did the unthinkable during the Manchester derby, missing a chance to score from a yard out when City were trailing rivals United in the first half.
Luckily for Manchester City and Haaland, he went on to score the goal that clinched the three points after a spectacular double from Phil Foden and all was forgotten.
But Haaland’s miss nonetheless goes down as one of the worst in Premier League history. Here are some of the others that make the list too…
Fernando Torres v Manchester United 11/12
One of the most famous misses in the history of the Premier League. Fernando Torres was already experiencing a bad stint at Chelsea after moving from Liverpool for £50 million and the striker made things even worse with this howler.
Torres had already given the Blues a glimmer of hope in the game to make it 3-1 but spurned a golden opportunity to close the deficit even further. In front of the Stretford End at Old Trafford, the Spaniard confidently took the ball round Edwin Van der Sar but with the goal gaping, he missed the target completely. The Manchester United fans could barely believe what they had seen.
Fortunately for Torres, he got his redemption later on in the season, rounding the keeper to score at the Nou Camp to send Chelsea to the Champions League final, which they went on to win.
Darwin Nunez v Luton – 23/24
Haaland and Darwin Nunez may have to tussle for the unwanted award for miss of the season. The Uruguayan was left red faced when he was presented with a golden opportunity in front of the Liverpool fans at Kenilworth Road.
With the game goalless, Mohamed Salah found space in the box and nodded the ball into the path of Nunez just a few yards out, who somehow fired high over the bar. To spare his blushes the flag went up, but the replays showed both Salah and Nunez appeared be onside. The game ended 1-1 but it could have been a different story had the striker converted this easy opportunity.
Nwankwo Kanu v Middlesbrough 04/05
Nwankwo Kanu’s miss against Middlesbrough was another absolute howler. In the 90th minute, West Brom found themselves 2-1 down but had a glorious chance to rescue a point when Geoff Horsfield found space in the box and played the ball across the box to Kanu who was a yard out from goal. But somehow, the Nigerian forward put the ball over the bar. A truly astonishing miss.
West Brom went on to complete the great escape and survived on the final day in 2005, but Kanu’s miss will forever be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Cristiano Ronaldo v Sheffield United 06/07
As Haaland’s howler proved, even the very best miss easy opportunities sometimes. Manchester United came out 2-1 winners against the Blades but Ronaldo had his head in his hands when he missed from barely two yards out. Ryan Giggs had found Ronaldo completely free in the box with an open goal but the Portuguese star managed to balloon the ball over from close range.
The ball did take a slight bobble, but a player of Ronaldo’s calibre should have been tucking that one away. A rare moment of weakness from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Sergio Aguero v Chelsea 18/19
Sergio Aguero might have bagged a hat-trick as Man City thrashed Chelsea 6-0, but he also produced one of the worst misses in Premier League history during the same game. Bernando Silva had the ball inside the box on the left-hand side, playing a delicious pass to the back post for Aguero who looked certain to score. But with an open goal and just a couple of yards out, he missed the target.
Ronny Rosenthal v Aston Villa 92/93
Perhaps the worst of the lot. Despite scoring in the game, Rosenthal’s miss proved costly as Liverpool lost 4-2 to Aston Villa. A long punt forward came Rosenthal’s way, who got the better of the Villa defence and found himself through on goal. He rounded the keeper Nigel Spink and even had the luxury of taking a touch before placing his shot.
With the goal empty, the Villa fans had accepted their fate, but Rosenthal somehow smacked the crossbar with his strike. Nobody could believe it, Villa went on to win, and it has become one of the most talked about misses in Premier League history.
Dele Alli v Stoke 15/16
Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur ran out 4-0 winners on a cold Monday night in Stoke in 2016, but the tally could have been greater if Dele Alli hadn’t squandered an easy chance.
The Spurs number 20 ran right through the Stoke defence, found himself one-on-one, and rounded Stoke goalkeeper Shay Given. The angle was not too tight and Dele had all the time in the world to find the net, but he struck the outside of the post with his tame effort. It mattered little in the grand scheme of things, but an embarrassing miss nonetheless.
Matt Ritchie v Burnley 2018/19
Despite Newcastle winning 2-1, an astonishing miss from Matt Ritchie was the main talking point from this game. He somehow missed the target from a yard out when he was found at the back post, instead finding the side-netting.
Raheem Sterling v Burnley 2017/2018
Raheem Sterling got this one all wrong at Turf Moor in 2018. Kyle Walker ran down the right-hand side and picked out Sterling, who was free in the middle with an open net to aim at. Staggeringly, the England international missed the target completely, firing his shot wide. He looked absolutely dumbfounded, thumping the ground in frustration. The miss proved costly, with Manchester City only able to secure a point against Burnley.
