The 100 funniest moments in Premier League history – ranked

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The Premier League leads elite sports and entertainment on two fronts – it’s the best product in terms of quality and comedy.

As much as there are The Simpsons quotes for every occasion, there’s also a moment in Premier League history to please even the most acquired tastes.

Moan about modern football all you want, but the vast array of cameras capturing every moment of our game has made some moments immortal.

Here are the 100 funniest moments in Premier League history, ranked…in some kind of order.

With horrific technique like it’s that no wonder he got KO’d straight away.

You can’t really blame Daniel James for celebrating his 89th minute equaliser. It was a pretty delicious finish.

That doesn’t make Crystal Palace’s winner four minutes later any less funny though.

We reckon Martin Keown was pretty happy when Ruud van Nistelrooy missed his penalty. What do you reckon gang?

After Keown’s initial deranged response, the Dutchman then gets bounced around by the Arsenal back four like a space hopper.

Luis Suarez truly is a master of shithousery.

What is so funny about this clip is the casual nature with which he sinks his teeth into Branislav Ivanovic, as if he is the starter at a Michelin star Serbian restaurant.

„Oh look at me I can do a scorpion kick and I’m really handsome. Piss off!“ (Alexis Sanchez, 2017).

Manchester United v Aston Villa - Premier LeagueManchester United v Aston Villa - Premier League
Real money was spent on this | Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Mental that yer da actually spent your university fund on this.

So, so, so many questions…

Most importantly, where is he spitting the toothpaste out?

Tim Sherwood’s gilet is made of 59% cotton.

That’s second to none.

„Will you 100% be a QPR player by the end of the evening?“

„I just hope things will go well in the next few hours.“

Spoiler alert: they didn’t.

It makes us sick that one of the greatest Premier League managers of all time was treated in such an appalling manner.

Show some respect Arsene, ffs.

Can’t believe yer da kicked a hole through the TV after watching this. Just when your university fund was recovering from the Moyes banner as well.

We do love Jesse Lingard, but he should probably get some friends his own age.

Richard ShawRichard Shaw
Huh, don’t remember Gianfranco Zola playing for Coventry | Getty Images/Getty Images

After Chelsea brought the wrong kit, they were forced to borrow Coventry’s away strip.

Pure, unadulterated Sunday League levels of incompetence. We love it.

This was when deadline day peaked. Jim White has been on a steady and welcome decline into irrelevance ever since.

A throwback to when Gabby Agbonlahor briefly forgot that human beings are capable of walking.

Ah, English is such a beautiful language.

We never knew Arsenal defender Rob Holding was such a scholar. Is that a Shakespeare quote he used to describe Adama Traore back in 2020?

Matt Richie is an angry man but even by his own standards of mardyness, this seemed a bit unnecessary.

What had that bloke’s testicles ever done to you Matt?

We don’t blame Jan Age Fjortoft. How could anyone resists a man in that goalkeeper shirt?

Jamie Carragher handles this well.

Aside from that fourth-wall-breaking look down the camera, of course.

„WHY DID YOU DO THAT JORDAN?!“

„Funny.“

[Proceeds to get the rave on]

The real highlight of this exchange came during the handshakes when Gary Neville attempted to intimidate Patrick Vieira but came across like a constipated puppy.

In the late 2000s one thing was certain, a meeting between Nemanja Vidic and Fernando Torres was always going to be funny.

Watching the Serbian fold like an accordian whenever Torres so much as breathed in his general direction was solid gold entertainment.

Did Aaron Lennon do this on purpose out of jealously? It’s not for us to say…

The most iconic Premier League moment of all time and also one of the funniest if you don’t like Manchester United.

This isn’t your run of the mill goalkeeper fumble, it is much funnier than that. Extra marks for Jerzy Dudek’s collapsing in on himself like a newborn foal after realising the error of his ways.

You will not see a more clinical finish than this. While attempting to clear a cross Vincent Kompany sliced it, with the ball remaining airborne for an eternity before dropping delicately into the net.

It looked really cool.

Santiago Vergini (pictured above on the right) attempting to melt a Southampton fan’s brain with his infamous death stare.

This was 100% not an accident.

Phil Jones, Olivier GiroudPhil Jones, Olivier Giroud
Jones briefly stopped crawling to wipe his nose. Seriously. | Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Say what you want about Phil Jones‘ United career, but if his willingness to turn into an earthworm does not prove his commitment, nothing will.

Can we just shock you? We like VAR.

Kieran TrippierKieran Trippier
Not in shot: Spurs‘ goal, which Trippier is slotting the ball into | Clive Mason/Getty Images

We should have ‚lumped on‘ Kieran Tripper scoring an own goal against Chelsea back in 2019.

An Oxford University study recently proved that is scientifically impossible to watch this video without wincing.

Martin JolMartin Jol
A makeshift Spurs side missed out on the Champions League | Phil Cole/Getty Images

It is ridiculously funny that a dodgy lasagna was enough to prevent Tottenham qualifying for the Champions League.

Should’ve gone for the vegetarian option instead.

A poltergeist haunting Mick McCarthy would go some way to explaining why Wolves did so poorly during the 2011/2012 season.

*Makes ball sign with hands*

The first thing you are taught about shooting is to keep your head over the ball. Ronny Rosenthal could have done with remembering this back in 1992.

Perhaps then the Rosenthal scale for bad misses would not exist.

Large Samuel being evil is a vibe.

Watching the Twitter account ‚Has The 9-0 Been Mentioned‘ meltdown as United gradually built up their winning margin was a complete joy.

Whoever runs that account took it well though, immediately changing the name to ‚Have EITHER of The 9-0’s Been Mentioned‚.

It was so funny, we are even willing to forgive the grammatical mistake.

PARKLIFE!

Always the master of ridiculous excuses, Sir Alex Ferguson forced United to change out of their grey strip at half time during a Premier League meeting with Southampton.

Apparently, the players could not see each other. Seems legit.

Liverpool's Brazilian player Lucas LeivaLiverpool's Brazilian player Lucas Leiva
Liverpool won a penalty in the 100th minute of play | ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

Not very funny if you are an Arsenal fan, but very funny for everyone else.

Spare a thought for anyone who had Jonny Walters in their Fantasy Premier League team on that fateful January afternoon.

Before Dion Dublin became a ’stairs leading up to the bedroom‘ aficionado he enjoyed a former life as a Premier League striker.

If you cannot remember, don’t worry. It’s not the first time Dublin has been forgotten about. Just ask Shay Given.

It’s simple mathematics that any goalkeeping howler look three times worse if you are wearing tracksuit bottoms.

Perhaps that is why Massimo Taibi’s blunder has remained at the forefront of everyone’s memory.

The Weeknd stole this aesthetic for his Superbowl performance. Neil Warnock setting trends once again.

If you pause a 0:40 you can pinpoint the exact moment that Harry Redknapp’s heart breaks.

This takes us back to more innocent times.

Like when the internet was more concerned with making minute long George Michael x Big Mick mashups than aggressive and largely pointless debates about football.

Manchester United v Arsenal - Premier LeagueManchester United v Arsenal - Premier League
Worth a thousand words… | Alex Livesey/Getty Images

GOD I WOULD 8-2 BE AN ARSENAL FAN!!! AMIRITE LADZ!!!

One of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history. But why is it funny?

Because it happened to Arsenal.

With actual striker Jon Macken sat on the bench, Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce turned to goalkeeper David James to change his side’s fortunes in a final day European showdown against Middlesbrough.

Shockingly, it did not work. And people wonder why England Under-21s won nothing while Pearce was at the helm.

If Harry Redknapp isn’t a wheeler dealer, then the Pope isn’t Catholic.

Nothing says: „I won’t let you get in my head,“ like reading out a prepared, four minute rant in your pre-match presser. That’ll show Sir Alex who’s boss Rafa!

Liverpool’s 2008/2009 season fell apart after this. Fact.

This presser was a real slow burner but the pay off was massive.

The sudden leap from a 3-0 home defeat to boasting about winning three Premier League titles is peak Jose nonsense. We love it.

Only a Scotsman skilled in the art of swearing would be able to discern what noises left Fergie’s mouth after Mike Phelan burst this balloon.

He was just trying to help as well.

Imagine the shame of having to sit next to Graeme Souness while apologising for attempting to batter your own teammate.

The handshake PR shot is making own skin crawl just thinking about it. Cringe comedy at its finest.

We tried counting the amount of F bombs in this transcript but we ran out of fingers and toes after the first 30 seconds.

For context, this is Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear giving one of his first press conferences after just a week (A WEEK!) in charge.

Why someone did not just get this man some velcro, we will never know.

Coming into the league with a well-earned reputation for simulation, Jurgen Klinsmann boiled the piss of his critics by celebrating his debut goal with one of his trademark dives.

Fernando TorresFernando Torres
All you had to do was put the ball in the open net, Fernando | Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Fernando Torres‘ time at Chelsea was embodied in this moment.

Latching onto a through ball, he rounded the goalkeeper and simply had to tap home into the empty net.

Hilariously, he sliced his shot wide, sparking pandemonium from the United fans behind the goal.

He’s had Gerrard on toast with chilli flakes sprinkled on top here.

Ashley Williams looks a bit jealous here. He should have told the mascot about the time he beat Bradford City in the League Cup final.

File this alongside ‚when the DVD logo hits the corner of the screen,‘ in the things you love to see folder.

You can’t help but admire the stubbornness on show here. Deep down, Big Ron knows he’s in the wrong dugout but there’s no chance he’s getting up now he’s sat down.

Even by Sir Alex’s high standards, this was quite the post-match interview.

The Scot claimed Robin van Persie was lucky to avoid death when Ashley Williams…checks notes…kicked a ball at his head. Righto.

„Oh bollocks, I’ve just said bollocks on live television. Quick say nonsense instead before someone notices. Great. Sorted. You’ve still got it Al‘ ya dirty dog.“

This one is not quite as funny now Jurgen Klopp has enjoyed so much success.

At the time though, pulling out a tragically over the top celebration for a 2-2 draw against lowly West Brom provided rival fans with plenty of ammunition.

This is the incredible power that Eden Hazard hides in his ample arse cheeks. A quick shake and opposition players fly off like a plastic bag in the wind.

Call us old fashioned but giving it the biggun to your own fans is not the best look for a club captain.

If only someone had told Granit Xhaka before he threw this tantrum.

Most players can only dream of having the power that Rory Delap enjoyed during Stoke City’s‘ reigns of terror in the late 2000s.

That is a proper influencer, not these Instagram frauds.

Would whoever the Ewood Park groundsman was in 1996 please come outside. Tim Flowers would like a quiet word.

In a game against Middlesbrough during the 2001/2002, Leicester full-back Frank Sinclair completed the rarest of footballing sights, a 25-yard own goal.

It was one of six Premier League OGs he was scored in his career with each one being greeted with a shout of „not again Frank!“ by his teammates.

Listen, we like players showing passion. However, stripping off and kicking an advertising hoarding within an inch of its life is a bit much.

Perhaps Temuri Ketsbaia just really hates Big Macs?

Poor old Peter Enckelman. We’re sure he doesn’t mind us enjoying some fun at his expense.

Chelsea do not get anywhere near enough stick for doing this.

At John Terry’s request they substituted their club captain in the 26th minute of his final game. It’s the footballing equivalent of having a ‚Live, Laugh, Love‘ cushion in your house.

The look on Roy Carroll’s face after he claws this back from over the line is akin to a puppy that’s been caught pooing on the carpet.

This one is funnier than Klinsmann’s thanks to the woman in the crowd who pulled out a double thumbs down. This proved she was twice as outraged with Suarez’s shithousery.

Robert Pires, Thierry HenryRobert Pires, Thierry Henry
It’s clever when you pull it off, but funny if you don’t | Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Robert Pires and Thierry Henry are two of the smoothest operators in Premier League history.

That’s why it was so surprising – and so funny – when their carefully engineered penalty routine blew up in their faces.

Off. You. Pop.

The most powerful three words in the English language.

Shortly after this Kieran Gibbs released a cover of Shaggy’s ‚It Wasn’t Me‘.

It failed to chart.

Neil WarnockNeil Warnock
He was stood in this position for a while | Stu Forster/Getty Images

For a while we thought Neil Warnock’s arthritis might have frozen him in place.

Once in a while a GIF comes along that makes anyone under 35 drool in anticipation of all the potential memes.

This was one of those occasions.

Some would argue this was Steven Taylor’s most convincing performance for Newcastle United.

A theatrical display of Academy Award quality. The gesticulations, the delivery of the lines, the ridiculous outfit, this is the best appeal for a decision of all-time.

„Stitch-up. It was a stitch-up. They filmed hours of material and most of it is a good bloke doing a good job at work and the one time I accidentally head-butt an opposition player and it makes it to the programme, you’re gonna look a prat. You head-butt David Meyler on telly, you’re labelled a prat, and that’s the game.

„And Sky Sports must have taken what, about 90 minutes of footage that day, and got it back and most of it was like, you know… „Oh, look. Here’s a good guy, he’s getting on. He’s their friend as well as their boss. He’s a motivator, an tactician, a great dancer. There’s lots of good stuff. Oh, he’s made one mistake, like any human would, should we just cut that out?” …No, what? Put that bit in, cut the other stuff out. We want a scapegoat, we want to dumb down. We wanna give them the biggest plonker of the year.

„I’m not a plonker.“ Alan Pardew, 2014.

Did you know a beach ball was actually Sunderland’s second top scorer during the 2009/2010 season?

Did you know Paul Merson pronounces the word ‚balloon‘ as ‚bloon‘?

Of course you did.

See, that’s just unfortunate isn’t it.

Louis van GaalLouis van Gaal
Surely a yellow, ref | Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

In professional wrestling, you’d call that a flat-back bump. A textbook one as well.

Phil Brown clearly loves humiliating his players almost as much as he loves fake tan.

This bonkers moment was further burnt into popular memory when Jimmy Bullard spoofed it with a goal celebration the following season.

The funniest thing about this is the reason for Arsene Wenger’s dismissal. All he did was kick a water bottle in the air.

There are so many immortal one liners in this but „no you’re right, I saw him going off but I thought they were bringing a sub on,“ is our personal favourite.

Delia Smith traded her mild-mannered sensibilities to deliver a rousing half time pep talk to the Norwich City players.

Her vibe was less Middle England culinary icon and more foul-mouthed white van driver after eight pints.

The ‚man getting hit in the groin by football‘ of the top ten.

If you’ve never heard the legend of Ali Dia, sit back, relax and prepare for your mind to be blown.

With Southampton in the midst of an injury crisis Graeme Souness took a chance when he received a call from George Weah offering him his cousin. In a brilliant turn of fate, Dia ended up coming off the bench despite Matt Le Tissier thinking he was a competition winner in training.

He was soon dragged off when Souness realised he was about as coordinated as Bambi on ice. After the game he disappeared and despite various attempts to track him down, the trail goes cold after a handful of appearances for Gateshead.

Humans are terrible aren’t they.

Still, pretty funny.

Paul Alcock would have made a killing as a silent movie star in the early 1900s. Just look at that comic timing.

Slapstick gold.

What would you rather do? Walk over hot coals, or be forced to spend an intense evening alone at the pub with Nigel Pearson when you are dating his daughter?

Thought so. We’ll get the fire ready.

This takes „let them know you’re there“ to the next level.

During this perilously short cameo – in his final career appearance against United – Steven Gerrard’s only involvements were clattering into one of football’s nice guys, Juan Mata, and stamping on Ander Herrera.

In terms of lols per second, this one scores very highly.

It takes a special sort of person to instigate a riot at a football match and Emmanuel Adebayor is exactly that.

What really blows us away in this clip is the sheer distance he sprints solely to troll Arsenal fans. It is level of commitment we should all strive for in our day to day lives.

Fun fact: our resident 90s football fanatic Toby Cudworth actually has this entire rant tattooed on his back.

£2000 well spent, we’re sure you’d agree.

Imagine trying to sell the movie rights for this moment.

„So a few weeks before he does this big speech where he tells the boys to not let it slip – and then he SLIPS to lose them the title.“

„Sorry mate, that’s a bit on the nose. No one is going to believe that.“

Barclays does not get more Barclays than this.

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