Who Are the Fastest Premier League Players This Season? Speedsters in the EPL

In the modern Premier League, speed is currency. Whether it is a winger burning past a full-back, a striker chasing a through ball, or a defender desperately scrambling to recover, the ability to generate explosive pace at critical moments can be the difference between winning and losing. In 2025/26, the speed data collected across Matchweek 34 reveals some fascinating stories — including one Wolverhampton Wanderers wing-back who has left the entire division in his wake.

Tchatchoua: The Fastest Man in the Premier League This Season

Wolverhampton Wanderers wing-back Jackson Tchatchoua has produced the two fastest sprints recorded in the Premier League this season — and his top speed is not just the best of 2025/26. It is the third-fastest speed ever recorded in Premier League history.

The 24-year-old Cameroonian was clocked at 37.30 km/h against Everton on 30 August 2025 — a breathtaking figure that no other player has come remotely close to matching this season. His second-fastest sprint, registered at 36.97 km/h during Wolves’ visit to Crystal Palace in Matchweek 27, would top the charts in almost any other season.

Data through Matchweek 34, 2025/26 Premier League season.

Two New Entries in Matchweek 34: North London’s Speedsters

Matchweek 34 delivered two significant new entries into the season’s top ten fastest speeds — and both came from north London clubs.

Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli was clocked at 36.74 km/h at home to Newcastle United, immediately making him the second-fastest player in the Premier League this season. The Brazilian winger’s explosive burst of pace places him well clear of the rest of the field, behind only Tchatchoua’s extraordinary benchmark.

Just behind Martinelli sits Tottenham Hotspur’s Djed Spence, recorded at 36.62 km/h during Spurs’ 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers. That result makes Spence the fourth-fastest player in the division this season — and crucially, it means that two Tottenham full-backs now sit inside the top five fastest speeds of 2025/26. Spence’s teammate Destiny Udogie already occupied fifth position after being clocked at 36.42 km/h against Brighton in September.

The Positional Breakdown: Full-Backs and Wing-Backs Rule

One of the most striking aspects of the 2025/26 speed data is the positional dominance of full-backs and wing-backs across the top ten. Following the Matchweek 34 updates, nine of the top ten fastest speeds recorded this season belong to full-backs or wing-backs.

The sole exception is Newcastle United striker William Osula, whose 36.29 km/h sprint against Manchester United earns him ninth place in the overall rankings — a reminder that genuine centre-forward pace remains a potent weapon even in an era dominated by wide defenders in the speed charts.

Newcastle United: The Division’s Fastest Club

Newcastle United stand out as the only club in the Premier League with three players represented in the top ten fastest speeds of the season. Anthony Elanga (36.35 km/h), William Osula (36.29 km/h), and Anthony Gordon (36.26 km/h) all feature — a trio of pace threats that explains why Eddie Howe’s side are so dangerous on the counter-attack and from quick breakaways. The combination of wide pace from Elanga and Gordon alongside a striker with Osula’s speed gives Newcastle a unique dimension in transition.

Each Club’s Fastest Player: The Wider Picture

Beyond the six clubs represented in the overall top ten, the speed data reveals that just four players from the remaining 14 clubs have surpassed the 36 km/h threshold this season.

Erling Haaland is Manchester City’s fastest individual, reaching 36.2 km/h against Arsenal. Liverpool’s Jeremie Frimpong hit 36.18 km/h, also against Arsenal. Leeds United winger Daniel James recorded 36.13 km/h against Newcastle, while Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh clocked 36.11 km/h against Manchester City.

Data through Matchweek 34, 2025/26 Premier League season.

One of the most intriguing findings from the broader club-by-club data is that the fastest players are not always the ones you might expect. Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix and West Ham United’s Jean-Clair Todibo are both central defenders — not positions traditionally associated with elite straight-line pace — yet both are the quickest players at their respective clubs this season. Similarly, Everton’s Thierno Barry is a centre-forward, further reinforcing that raw speed is not exclusively a wide player’s attribute in the modern EPL.

Key Takeaways

The 2025/26 Premier League speed data tells a clear story:

• Jackson Tchatchoua is in a class of his own, holding the two fastest recorded speeds and ranking third in Premier League history for top speed.
• Full-backs and wing-backs dominate the speed charts, reflecting the modern game’s reliance on athletic, attack-minded defenders.
• Newcastle United are the division’s fastest team collectively, with three players in the overall top ten.
• Martinelli and Spence are the pace revelations of Matchweek 34, with both north London entrants dramatically reshaping the rankings.
• Even central defenders and strikers feature among club speed leaders — a reminder that pace is distributed across positions more widely than the traditional winger stereotype suggests.

Read More: Who Has Run the Furthest in the Premier League This Season? The Engine Rooms of EPL

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