Premier League history made at Everton! Abdoulaye Doucoure's lightning-quick strike against Leicester sets record for fastest goal scored by a home team

Right after kick-off, James Garner played the ball back to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who hoofed a long pass deep into Leicester’s half. Beto won the physical battle with Boubakary Soumare in the air and set up Doucoure. The Everton midfielder took a single touch before unleashing a precise right-footed finish into the bottom left corner from the edge of the six-yard box to score the quickest goal ever recorded by an Everton player.

According to Opta, Doucoure’s goal was the fourth-quickest in the competition’s history as the fastest-ever remains Shane Long’s 1.69-second strike for Southampton against Watford in April 2019. Other notable early goals include Philip Billing’s 9.11-second effort for Bournemouth against Arsenal in March 2023 and Ledley King’s deflected long-range attempt for Tottenham against Bradford City in December 2000, which took 9.82 seconds to hit the back of the net.

The Toffees have now scored 14 goals in the opening minute of Premier League matches—more than any other team in the competition’s history. Things got even worse for Leicester as Beto completed his brace just before the end of the first half to give his side a healthy 3-0 lead - ending his personal Premier League goal drought that had stretched back to October.

Everton’s improved form under Moyes has been a key talking point in recent weeks. Before facing Leicester, the Toffees had won back-to-back matches. A victory against Leicester would propel Everton up to 15th place, surpassing Tottenham in the standings. More importantly, it would create a crucial nine-point gap between themselves and 18th-placed Leicester, giving them significant breathing room in their battle to avoid relegation.