Ivan Toney scored a penalty in striking fashion during Al-Ahli's 4-1 victory over Al-Khaleej on Friday evening. The 30-year-old striker scored twice for Marino Pusic's side, but his spot-kick in the closing seconds has caused the biggest stir on social media.
In Saudi Arabia this season, the former Brentford forward has scored 13 times in nine league matches. The Englishman opened the scoring against Al Khaleej before adding the final goal from the spot deep into stoppage time.
Toney is known for his unusual approach to penalties. He normally uses a so-called no-look technique, watching the goalkeeper throughout his run-up rather than the ball. On Friday evening, he tried something completely different.
Keeping his trademark short run-up, Toney surprised goalkeeper Marwan Al-Haidari by shooting almost immediately after the referee's whistle. He took two steps backwards, suddenly sprinted towards the ball and struck it hard into the bottom-left corner. Al-Haidari stayed in the middle of his goal.
On social media, one supporter wrote: "Ivan Toney with the strangest penalty technique I've ever seen". Another responded: "The keeper was probably completely convinced he knew how Toney would take the penalty, and then this happened..."
The Saudi Arabian broadcast missed part of the lightning-quick penalty. "Ivan Toney with a penalty technique that surprises everyone, even the cameraman," said one person. "He deserves to be mentioned among the best penalty takers we've ever seen in world football. His technique is out of this world."
In 2023, then Brentford manager Thomas Frank called Toney 'the best penalty taker in the world' after a 3-2 victory over Fulham in which the striker converted his 22nd penalty for the club. "That's for various reasons: his strategy, the fact that he trains for it and his tremendous calmness," Frank told Sky Sports at the time.
Jamie Carragher agreed with Frank, describing Toney's penalty technique as 'special' because, according to the former Liverpool defender, goalkeepers barely believe they can save one of the Englishman's penalties.
Watch footage of the penalty below: