In an age of freakish intensity and disconcertingly aggressive defensive lines, you simply can’t survive if you’re not fleet of foot.
Dean Saunders will tell you that there’s nothing novel about contemporary principles, which, in his eyes, have merely been jazzed up and renamed to appease faux intellectuals. However, suggesting the sport hasn’t evolved drastically from his playing days is short-sighted, to say the least.
There’s perhaps a reason why he didn’t quite make the grade as a manager.
Anyway, back to speed. The Premier League, perhaps the sharpest and fastest division Europe has to offer, is blessed with an array of roadrunners. Speed, of course, manifests in a variety of ways. There are the quick bursts and the imperious striders, the ball-at-feet rapid and dominant space-eaters. Still, the ultimate goal is getting from A to B as efficiently as possible.
FotMob has recorded the top speeds of every Premier League player in the 2025–26 season, and here are the ten fastest to grace our screens so far.
The Brazilian was the first new face through the door at Manchester United this summer, and it hasn’t taken long for Cunha to impose his distinct personality and character upon a fanbase which cherishes mavericks.
His opening weekend debut against Arsenal offered signs of what he can provide, with his best work typically coming when he dropped into a deeper position. From there, Cunha can combine his familiar samba footwork and powerful stride to coast beyond defenders.
He may not appear particularly quick, but his 34.5 km/h top speed sees him into the top ten.
The Tottenham Hotspur full-back ranked only behind Erling Haaland is FotMob’s speed charts last season.
Spence has enjoyed quite the resurgence in 2025, having come into Ange Postecoglou’s team before Christmas last year.
Spurs’ No. 24 showed just how swift he is during the UEFA Super Cup, matching Achraf Hakimi stride-for-stride on a couple of occasions. Still, he has gears to move through, with Spence yet to top his 35.1 km/h high from 2024–25.
The nifty Welsh winger has long been revered for his turn of pace, with the diminutive James much more of a speedster than a long strider.
He bursts past opponents with his acceleration, and has returned to the top-flight with Leeds United, having enjoyed previous stints in the top flight with the Yorkshire club and Man Utd.
James has consistently been around the 35 km/h top speed mark, dating back to his time with the Red Devils.
The German is a freak athlete.
Not only is Schade lightning-quick, but he was among Brentford’s long throwers last season and has shown an ability to consistently outleap opponents.
There’s not a single slow-twitch muscle fibre in his body, and he’s going to have to take on greater responsibility for the Bees this term now that several of his friends have deserted him.
Brentford might not be very good, but Schade’s still fast.
Fairly compact in build, Chelsea winger Neto is an explosive winger who can do damage down both flanks.
His career in west London hasn’t quite taken off, although he enjoyed a productive start to the Club World Cup in the summer.
In 2025–26, Neto will be keen to prove himself as more than merely a runner.
The Swedish international hit a top speed of 36.7 km/h when he made up 85 metres in nine seconds in the build-up to his strike against Man Utd in April.
Newcastle thus knew they were signing a speedster, and Elanga still has gears to move through despite a bright Premier League debut for the Magpies at Villa Park.
Expect him to compete for top spot.
Many Arsenal supporters are ready to wash their hands of Martinelli, who’s failed to build on his outstanding 2022–23 season, when Arsenal emerged from top-four hopefuls to title contenders.
The Brazilian is a head-down runner who can frustrate with his unwillingness to look up, but he’s also pretty relentless. He’ll run all day, and it’s likely that he’ll hit his top speed, or close to it, several times a game.
Anthony Gordon was the criminally underused figure who could’ve alleviated England’s woes at Euro 2024.
The absence of a runner down the left rendered Gareth Southgate‘s side a mightily tough watch in Germany, with the Newcastle winger since showing off his use as a speedy outlet that the Three Lions desperately lacked.
The Magpies might not have Alexander Isak, but they’ll boast one of the speediest forward lines in the Premier League this term.
The Dutchman’s recovery speed immediately caught the eye after he arrived from Wolfsburg in 2023.
Van de Ven was an integral part of Ange Postecoglou’s all-or-nothing framework, but the demands of his role meant his poor hamstrings eventually suffered.
He closes space like no other and hunts down attackers who think they’ve burst in behind with frightening ease. Under Thomas Frank, there’s hope that Van de Ven’s sprint tally is reduced, but that doesn’t mean he won’t run really fast when called upon.
Step aside, Micky. There’s a new king in town.
The contrast between Van de Ven and Frimpong couldn‘t be more distinct, with the former’s mammoth stride currently bested by the latter’s shorter burst.
Frimpong is Liverpool’s new chaotic livewire who should alleviate some of the recovery burden from Ibrahima Konaté, while also supplying a threat in the final third.
However, there‘s a sense that his legs work too quickly for his brain at times.
