By Martin Graham
As supporters streamed away from Old Trafford after the weekend, frustration lingered. Manchester United had exited both domestic knockout competitions at the first attempt, something that had not happened since the early 1980s. The sting was sharpened by the identity of the decisive figure.
Danny Welbeck, once developed in United’s academy, delivered the winning blow for Brighton in a 2-1 FA Cup third-round success. That finish represented his eighth senior goal in all competitions against the club where his career began, equalling his best return versus any single opponent.
Former teammate Phil Jones suggested the reaction among the home faithful was telling, claiming many would welcome Welbeck’s return instantly. His impact fits into a long-running Premier League theme: players inflicting repeated damage on teams they once represented.
Familiar faces delivering repeated punishment
To feature here, footballers must have worn a club’s colours and later scored against that same side in league action since the competition’s launch in 1992-93.
Andy Cole sits at the top of the list when it comes to Newcastle United. Manchester United paid a then-record £7m to prise him away in January 1995, and he wasted no time making an impression when facing his former employers. Across spells with United, Blackburn, and Manchester City, Cole struck 11 times in 18 league matches against the Magpies, including four goals in a single Old Trafford match during the 1999-00 season. His Premier League total stands at 187, placing him fifth overall.
Chris Wood also proved a thorn for a previous club. His time at Leicester City was brief and modest during the 2014-15 campaign, before he rebuilt his career elsewhere. Since then, the New Zealand international has scored eight league goals against Leicester in 13 outings, representing Burnley, Newcastle, and Nottingham Forest.
Alan Shearer, the division’s record marksman with 260 goals, earned his lone title at Blackburn Rovers before moving to Newcastle United in 1996. Against Blackburn, he registered seven strikes in 12 league appearances for his boyhood club. His most prolific return, though, came against Southampton, with 14 goals in 22 matches, despite all of his Saints appearances arriving before the Premier League era.
Midfielders and mercurial talents with old scores to settle
Frank Lampard’s progression from promising youngster to elite goalscoring midfielder began at West Ham United. A move across London in 2001 transformed his career, yielding 13 major honours with Chelsea. Against his former side, Lampard found the net seven times in 19 league games, including a memorable penalty that had to be taken twice in December 2009. With 177 Premier League goals, he remains the only midfielder inside the top 10 scorers list.
Nicolas Anelka also enjoyed success after leaving Arsenal, where he had played a key role in a league and FA Cup double in 1997-98. Following spells with Manchester City, Bolton, and Chelsea, the French forward accumulated seven league goals in 15 appearances against the Gunners, adding further trophies during his later career.
Louis Saha appears twice in this category. Against Newcastle United, where he once spent a loan period, he scored six times in 13 matches across stints with Fulham, Tottenham, and Manchester United. He matched that total versus Fulham, the club he led to the second-tier title in 2000-01, scoring evenly split between United and Everton.
Recent examples and prolific modern scorers
Welbeck’s six Premier League goals against Manchester United place him ahead of several other former players who have troubled the club. Two came while representing Arsenal, with four more for Brighton. That tally exceeds the returns of Wilfried Zaha, Mark Hughes, Fraizer Campbell, Keith Gillespie, and Paul Ince, while Joshua King sits just behind on five, despite never making a league appearance for United.
Harry Kane’s brief loan at Norwich City in 2012-13 passed without a goal, but meetings thereafter told a different story. Playing for Tottenham, he scored six times in five league encounters with the Canaries, including two separate braces. Kane’s overall Premier League haul stands at 213, second only to Shearer.
Jermain Defoe completes the list. After emerging under Harry Redknapp at West Ham, he moved to Tottenham in 2004 and later punished his former side with six league goals. All arrived during his two permanent spells in north London, where he lifted the League Cup in 2007-08. Defoe’s Premier League total of 162 places him 10th on the all-time scoring chart.
