The beauty of the Premier League is that you get to see some of the world’s leading stars do what they do best on a weekly basis. However, it occasionally takes a strike from an unheralded talent to show just how high the level is across the division.
On this day in 2013, such an event occurred when Pajtim Kasami scored a volley that shocked Selhurst Park as Fulham ran out 4-1 winners.
The Eagles started well, Adrian Mariappa opening the scoring with a close-range header after just seven minutes.
Kasami’s time came 12 minutes later when he produced, for some people, the best goal in Premier League history.
Chasing on to a Sascha Riether chip down the line, the Swiss controlled on his chest and while still on the run, thumped a dipping volley over Julian Speroni’s head.
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His right-footed effort sailed in past the Argentine’s, bringing Selhurst to a standstill – well apart from those supporting Fulham – as Kasami careered away to celebrate.
Understandably, even the player was shocked and his goal is still one that takes the breath away. It is hard not to appreciate watching him angle his body to control before firing across himself and into Speroni’s net.
A penny then for Steve Sidwell who also scored one of the best goals of his career that night on the stroke of half time.
Bryan Ruiz’s free-kick was blocked by the wall and Sidwell skipped back a couple of paces, set himself and from the edge of the D and blasted the ball into the net to put his team 2-1 up.
Palace’s Jason Puncheon maybe should have been tighter, but even so, it was still a super strike.
Dimitar Berbatov and Philippe Senderos completed the scoring to give Fulham a rare highlight in what turned out to be a miserable campaign, eventually being relegated.
The Eagles survived, finishing 12th, but only after sacking Ian Holloway on the back of this result. The Bristolian had guided his team to the top flight via the play-offs but suggested after this game he no longer felt he could take the team forward and duly left.
And what of Kasami? That goal, which was nominated for FIFA’s Puskas Award for the best goal in a calendar year and proved to be one of only three he managed in as many years at the club.
In fairness, his time at Craven Cottage was interrupted by a loan spell at Luzern and after joining Olympiacos in 2014, had a year at Nottingham Forest on loan and has been in his homeland with Sion since 2017.
A talented midfielder, despite having 12 caps for Switzerland, it is perhaps fair to say the now-27-year-old has not lived up to his potential. Even so, he will always have his Selhurst scorcher on October 21, 2019.
