A dream homecoming for Cristiano Ronaldo saw the Portuguese star set more incredible stats and help Manchester United bag a crucial win.
Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return to Manchester United in the best possible way by scoring two goals in a 4-1 win over Newcastle.
12 years on since his last Premier League appearance, Ronaldo silenced his doubters again and proved why he can lead United back to their glory days with a Man of the Match performance.
In doing so, he set the following 10 stats.
1. Top speed of 20.2 miles per hour
In the build-up to his second goal, Ronaldo clocked a top speed of 20.2 miles per hour as he raced on to Luke Shaw’s through ball. He then drilled a low shot past Newcastle keeper Freddie Woodman’s legs.
For his second goal yesterday, Cristiano Ronaldo reached a top speed of 20.2mph ⚡ [BBC Sport]
Not bad for a player that's "too old" 👀 pic.twitter.com/v4ByEX7z9f
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) September 12, 2021
2. 30+ goals in 15 consecutive calendar years
Ronaldo’s first-half strike saw him reach 30 or more goals in 15 consecutive calendar years.
3. Third oldest Premier League goalscorer
The 36-year-old became the third oldest Premier League goalscorer by finding the back of the net against Newcastle, and United’s oldest since Ryan Giggs’ effort in a 2-0 win over QPR in February 2013.
Only former teammates Giggs and Paul Scholes have scored at an older age than Ronaldo in the Premier League.
36y 218d – Cristiano Ronaldo is the oldest player to score for Man Utd in the Premier League since Ryan Giggs in February 2013 (39y 86d v QPR), while only Giggs and Paul Scholes have ever scored for the Red Devils in the competition at an older age than Ronaldo. Longevity. pic.twitter.com/SqDG0qRriy
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 11, 2021
4. 200 career braces
Ronaldo couldn’t get a hat-trick on his big day, but 200 career braces speaks volumes of the sheer consistency he has shown over the years.
5. The longest gap between Premier League appearances
Not the kind of thing CR7 would normally care about, but it’s still another record in the bag.
The Portuguese made his first Premier League appearance since a 0-0 draw with Arsenal 12 years ago in May 2009 to break former Crystal Palace defender Damien Delaney’s record.
12y 118d – Cristiano Ronaldo will today break Damien Delaney's record (11y 155d, 2002-13) for the biggest gap between Premier League appearances, with Ronaldo playing for Manchester United today 12 years and 118 days since his previous game in May 2009. Return. pic.twitter.com/lkZketdQeS
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 11, 2021
6. 44th in the all-time list of Premier League goalscorers
Ronaldo climbed four spots in the all-time Premier League goalscorers table to 44th-place. He overtook former United teammates Carlos Tevez and Louis Saha, as well as ex-Chelsea stars Fernando Torres and Eden Hazard.
7. The oldest player to score a brace in a Premier League match
Ronaldo became the oldest player to score a brace in the Premier League on Saturday since Graham Alexander did so for Burnley in April 2010 at 38 years and 182 days old.
36 – Cristiano Ronaldo (36y 218d) is the oldest player to score a brace in a Premier League match since Graham Alexander for Burnley against Hull in April 2010 (38y 182d). Restored. https://t.co/W2q2EEnrOG
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 11, 2021
8. More goals than the entire Arsenal team
Arsenal finally broke their goal duck on Saturday to claim a 1-0 win over Norwich City in their fourth game of the season.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo already has two goals after just 90 minutes.
9. Second-longest gap between Premier League goals
The Manchester United forward bagged his first Premier League goal since a 2-0 win over Manchester City in May 2009.
His 12-year gap is the second-longest in the English league’s history behind Matt Jackson, who ended a 13-year wait in November 2006 by scoring in a 3-2 win against Charlton Athletic.
12y 124d – Cristiano Ronaldo has scored his first Premier League goal since May 2009 (v Man City); his gap of 12 years and 124 days between goals is the second-longest between two strikes by any player in the competition's history, after Matt Jackson (13y 187d, 1993-2006). Gift. pic.twitter.com/K071k8T1LW
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 11, 2021
10. Scored in 20 DIFFERENT seasons
Another fitting testament to Ronaldo’s consistency is the fact he has now scored in 20 different seasons across his career.
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