Top 5 Premier League one-season wonders – ranked

Over the course of the Premier League period, there have been loads of gamers who’ve promised greatness solely to fail to ship. A flash within the pan has not been unusual in England’s prime flight, however who’re the one-season wonders which have stood out probably the most? Soccer FanCast has taken a glance.

5 Jesse Lingard (West Ham United, 2020/21)

Technically, this was solely half a season, with Jesse Lingard thriving at West Ham after becoming a member of on mortgage from Manchester United in January 2021.

Having not made a single look within the Premier League at Previous Trafford within the opening half of the marketing campaign, Lingard was an prompt hit with the Hammers, scoring 9 objectives and aiding 5 in simply 16 top-flight video games.

Deployed by David Moyes in a second-striker function, Lingard confirmed his high quality because the hyperlink between West Ham’s midfield and assault.

His success was arguably integral to the Hammers qualifying for the Europa League – a contest they reached the semi-finals of the next 12 months.

With West Ham happening to style European glory within the Convention League a 12 months additional on, it might maybe be argued that Lingard was a catalyst for the success Moyes’ males had as they returned from Might’s ultimate in Prague with their first main trophy in over 40 years.

Nonetheless, West Ham didn’t handle to signal Lingard within the low season following his outstanding run, and the midfielder returned to being a bit-part participant for United, making simply two league begins in 2021/22.

Lingard moved to Nottingham Forest as a free agent forward of the 2022/23 marketing campaign, although he was unable to rekindle his kind, failing to attain in any respect within the Premier League, and he was launched on the finish of the season. His solely comfort is now showing on lists like these.

4 Michu (Swansea Metropolis, 2012/13)

Maybe the final word one-season surprise within the Premier League period, Michu loved a rare marketing campaign in his maiden season within the competitors with Swansea Metropolis in 2012/13.

Signed from Rayo Vallecano for simply £2m, the Spaniard took the Premier League by storm, scoring 18 objectives in 35 appearances and including an additional 4 throughout the cup competitions.

Michu began as he meant to go on, scoring twice and offering an help on his league debut in a 5-0 victory towards Queens Park Rangers.

His objectives additionally helped propel Swansea to the League Cup ultimate, during which he scored in one other 5-0 rout, this time of League Two Bradford Metropolis.

Different advantageous reminiscences in his debut season included an excellent match-winning double away at Arsenal, whereas his strike from outdoors of the field at Stamford Bridge set the Swans on their method to Wembley of their League Cup semi-final tie towards Chelsea.

And on the tail finish of the season, his impudent end threatened to spoil Sir Alex Ferguson’s leaving get together at Previous Trafford.

The striker had one thing of a knack for headed objectives, together with his aerial prowess accounting for six of his 22 in 2012/13.

His innate sense to be in the best place on the proper time was additionally typically on present, with the close-range, first-time end an artwork he had perfected throughout his brief time in south Wales.

Having signed a brand new, bumper contract in February 2013, Michu appeared destined to be a key participant for the Swans for years to come back, however he managed solely six objectives within the subsequent marketing campaign throughout all competitions, and he was loaned out to Napoli in 2014 earlier than leaving Swansea Metropolis in November 2015, heading onto Spanish minnows Langreo.

3 Papiss Cisse (Newcastle United, 2011/12)

The season earlier than Michu’s exploits, Papiss Cisse arrived at Newcastle United in January 2012 and went on to attain 13 objectives in simply 14 Premier League appearances for the Magpies.

Having netted 9 instances for Freiburg within the Bundesliga within the first half of the 2011/12 season, Cisse was already in advantageous kind, however no one fairly anticipated him to settle into English soccer fairly as shortly as he did.

Cisse took Newcastle’s well-known No 9 shirt and lived as much as the billing with a surprising purpose on his debut in a 2-1 win towards Aston Villa. The objectives didn’t cease flowing there, with Cisse scoring three successive league braces between March and April.

His ultimate objectives of the season got here in a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge – the second of which was an unimaginable, outside-of-the-boot strike from lengthy vary that curled remarkably into the nook and was later named because the BBC’s Aim of the Season.

Such was the extent of the Senegal striker’s performances, Newcastle went into the final recreation of the marketing campaign nonetheless in rivalry for a Champions League place, although they needed to accept an admirable Europa League spot – above eventual Champions League winners Chelsea – with the Magpies having completed twelfth the season prior.

Cisse went into the following marketing campaign as one of the feared forwards within the Premier League, but he couldn’t sustain his kind.

He did handle 11 objectives within the 2014/15 season – a formidable tally from simply 22 appearances – although he was by no means in a position to replicate the identical degree as he confirmed in his early days at St James’ Park, and left Newcastle for Shandong Luneng in 2016.

2 Robinho (Manchester Metropolis, 2008/09)

Robinho’s arrival at Manchester Metropolis on deadline day in August 2008 for a then-British document switch price of £32.5m signalled that Metropolis’s new house owners meant enterprise.

For Metropolis, again then not more than a workforce with aspirations of qualifying for Europe, signing one among Actual Madrid’s prized belongings was a rare story, and Robinho repaid the cash splashed out on him in his first season as he scored 15 instances in all competitions to complete because the membership’s main goalscorer.

In doing so, he made the Metropolis of Manchester Stadium his private fortress. 12 of his 15 strikes got here in Manchester, together with his debut strike towards Chelsea – the membership he very practically joined as an alternative – from a free-kick.

A hat-trick towards Stoke Metropolis was among the many flurry of objectives that adopted, although none have been maybe as cheeky because the chip that left Arsenal’s Manuel Almunia fully humiliated as they romped to a 3-0 victory.

The Brazil ahead additionally supplied 9 assists and appeared set to go on and enhance in his second season in England. Nonetheless, Robinho failed to attain in any respect within the league in 2009/10, and solely managed to web as soon as that marketing campaign, with that purpose coming within the FA Cup.

Robinho joined Santos on mortgage in 2010 earlier than he was bought to Serie A giants Milan as Metropolis moved on from their first famous person switch.

Issues have turned out relatively effectively for Metropolis since then, however who is aware of how Robinho’s time in England could have been perceived had he adopted up on his preliminary exploits at Eastlands.

Having helped the Rossoneri to a Scudetto in 2010/11, he was hardly over the hill as a participant on the prime degree, so it might be a case of a possibility missed with the Brazilian unable to seek out long-term consistency underneath Mark Hughes at Metropolis.

1 Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn Rovers, 2007/08)

Roque Santa Cruz solely reached double figures for objectives as soon as in his membership profession in Europe, and that was throughout his first season at Blackburn Rovers again in 2007/08.

After signing from Bayern Munich, Santa Cruz scored 19 league objectives in 37 appearances to assist Blackburn end seventh within the division, with solely Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres and Emmanuel Adebayor scoring extra top-flight objectives that 12 months.

It was not unhealthy firm for Santa Cruz to maintain, however the Paraguay worldwide couldn’t sustain the momentum within the following season, netting simply 5 instances in all competitions following Mark Hughes’ departure to Manchester Metropolis.

Nonetheless, he nonetheless received an enormous transfer in 2009, when Hughes’ Metropolis got here calling with an £18m supply. It’s honest to say Santa Cruz’s transfer didn’t work out, as he scored solely three league objectives in his first season on the membership, beginning solely six top-flight video games.

His first season haul had loads of highlights. They included a hat-trick – albeit in a dropping vein – towards Wigan Athletic, with the primary of these strikes a volleyed screamer previous Latics goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.

He would assist Rovers inflict revenge on Wigan within the reverse fixture with one among three braces he scored within the league – future employers Manchester Metropolis and whipping boys Derby County his different victims in a blinding particular person marketing campaign.

He returned to Blackburn for an unsuccessful mortgage spell in 2011 earlier than heading off to have an affordable profession in Spain with Actual Betis and Malaga.

The objectives flowed once more on his return to Paraguay, however Santa Cruz might by no means return to the head he as soon as discovered himself at throughout his time in Lancashire.

Given his short-lived but evident prowess in entrance of purpose, you may solely take into account his drop-off in kind to mark a participant with unfulfilled potential on the prime degree.