Speed kills in the Premier League. Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all have lightning-quick players who can change a game in seconds.
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry put it perfectly: "Speed is always important." But as the great Ferenc Puskás once said, being fast is only useful if you use it wisely. You can't just run around like a headless chicken.
Using data from Gradient Sports, we've identified the Premier League's top speedsters based on their maximum acceleration over the first three meters of a sprint. That initial burst can be the difference between breaking through a defense or getting caught.
The Speed Demons of English Football
11. Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest) - 5.5 m/s²
Remember when Aina burned past Kyle Walker in his first Forest season? Even Walker, the Premier League's self-styled pace king, had to admit: "You're pretty quick." Aina's phone went crazy with messages from his mates after that one.
10. Alex Scott (Bournemouth) - 5.6 m/s²
The most surprising name on this list. Scott doesn't look crazy fast—he glides rather than burns across the pitch. But his rapid acceleration helps him press opponents and escape tight situations in Andoni Iraola's high-energy system.
9. Noah Okafor (Leeds United) - 5.6 m/s²
Daniel Farke says Okafor has all the skills. His main weapon? Pure speed. The finishing and creating are still works in progress, but that pace gets him into dangerous positions.
8. Jérémy Doku (Manchester City) - 5.6 m/s²
Pep Guardiola once called Doku "the best player in the world in the first five meters." This season, he's actually slowed down on purpose. Turns out his teammates couldn't keep up with him before. Since learning to pick his moments, he's already notched nine assists—a career best.
7. Pedro Neto (Chelsea) - 5.6 m/s²
Speed runs in Neto's family. His dad played professional roller hockey, his mum played volleyball, and his twin sisters won national trampolining titles. With genetics like that, being quick was practically guaranteed.
6. Diego Gómez (Brighton) - 5.7 m/s²
Gómez has played in seven different positions for Brighton this season. That versatility is only possible because of his electric pace, which lets him adapt to any role Fabian Hürzeler asks of him.
5. Benjamin Šeško (Middlesbrough) - 5.8 m/s²
Standing 6'5" with a rocket of a shot and blistering speed? Šeško looks like he was designed in a laboratory. He showed off that pace with a cracking goal against Everton in February.
4. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham) - 5.8 m/s²
Wilfried Zaha knows Wan-Bissaka's speed all too well. During a match in 2023, Zaha broke clear and heard footsteps behind him. "I thought, 'Oh my God... it's Aaron,'" he said. Wan-Bissaka caught him and won the ball back. Any other defender wouldn't have stood a chance.
3. Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton) - 5.9 m/s²
Mitoma turned down a professional contract at 19 to write a university thesis on dribbling. He strapped GoPros to players' heads and consulted with Olympic hurdlers to perfect his running technique. That dedication, combined with natural speed, makes him unstoppable.
The Top Two Speedsters
2. Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) - 5.9 m/s²
Gordon's pace is his ticket to the England World Cup squad. Thomas Tuchel loves his direct running: "He just collects high intensity runs, he collects meters in sprints and this is so, so good." For punters backing Newcastle, Gordon's ability to run in behind defenses consistently creates goal-scoring opportunities.
1. Alex Jiménez (AC Milan/Real Madrid loan) - 6.0 m/s²
The fastest player in the Premier League took some time to adjust to English football's intensity. But now he's flying. "In my game, I try to have pace, drive and speed," Jiménez said. "It's something I can take from one league to another." And he's not getting any faster—he's already at the top.
When betting on matches involving these speed merchants, remember that pace can unlock tight defenses and create counter-attacking opportunities. Teams with multiple quick players often perform well in over/under goals markets, as their ability to hit on the break creates high-scoring chances.
