The Goal of the Month is a monthly segment on BBC's Match of the Day television programme, in honour of the best goal scored each month. The segment has been featured on the programme since the 1970–71 season. Typically, a selection of eight or ten goals from the month are shown before the Goal of the Month is decided. Until the 2006–07 season, viewers were given the chance to win a prize by selecting the correct winner and the winner would be decided by a vote firstly by post then by text and phone votes. For the majority of the 2007–08 season, the BBC did not allow any competitions due to a money-for-competitions-entry scandal, but towards the end of the season and for the goal of the season competition, normal service was resumed. When Match of the Day moved to Match of the Day 2 when Colin Murray presented the winner was decided by the subjective opinion of one of the pundits, such as Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson or Alan Shearer. From October 2013, BBC Match of the Day 2 viewers have picked the Goal of the Month in a poll conducted by voting on the BBC Sport website or sending the hashtag of the viewers favourite goal via Twitter.

The award of Goal of the Month was usually given as first-, second- and third-best goal of the month on Match of the Day up until the BBC lost the right to show Premier League highlights from 2000 to 2001. When highlights returned to the BBC for 2004–05, the format was reduced to only the best goal of the month being announced. Contending goals used to feature from other competitions which the BBC had the broadcasting rights for, most usually from the FA Cup, this was up to 2007–08 when its rights were transferred to ITV. Once the FA Cup returned to the BBC from 2014 to 2015, Goal of the Month remained exclusively a Premier League affair. The winners usually go forth to contest the Goal of the Season.

From the 2016–17 season, the Premier League has run its own Goal of the Month award, whose winners can conflict with the Match of the Day accolade, as had happened six times in its maiden season.

Records During the period in which a top three was announced each month, Dennis Bergkamp was the only player to have achieved the deemed first, second, and third best goals of the month in one calendar month, August 1997. Only two goals came from his hat-trick against Leicester City — not all three as is widely cited. The third was from a previous game against Southampton. The record for the number of players having more than one nomination for GOTS in a season is three. This has happened twice, the first time in 1992–93 when Ryan Giggs (September and May), Dalian Atkinson (October and December) and Dwight Yorke (February and March) each won two Goal of The Month awards. The second was in 1995–96 with Tony Yeboah (August and September); Ian Wright (October and January) and Alan Shearer (December and April) each having two goals in contention. There have been numerous occasions where two players have been nominated twice, but as of 2019–20, no player has yet had three goals selected in a Premier League season. Kevin De Bruyne is the last player to have had two goals selected, in the 2019–20 season. Consecutive GOTM wins has occurred only three times. The players to have achieved this are: Yorke in 1992–93 (February and March); Yeboah in 1995–96 (August and September) and Gareth Bale in 2012–13 (January and February). May 1995 is the only instance, where Goal of the Month was awarded to foreign team's player, namely Nayim of Real Zaragoza for his goal against Arsenal in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final. Since the advent of the Premier League in 1992–93, Jack Wilshere is the only player to have won GOTS in consecutive seasons (2013–14 and 2014–15), although his latter win was controversial. Wayne Rooney is the player with the most GOTS wins in the Premier League era, having won the award three times: 2004–05, 2006–07 and 2010–11.

Winners 1992–93

Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateSeptember Manchester UnitedTottenham HotspurWhite Hart LanePremiership19 September 1992October Aston VillaWimbledonSelhurst Park3 October 1992November AltrinchamChester CityMoss LaneFA Cup25 November 1992December Aston VillaSheffield WednesdayHillsboroughPremiership5 December 1992January Leicester CityBarnsleyOakwellFA Cup20 January 1993February Aston VillaIpswich TownVilla ParkPremiership6 February 1993MarchSheffield Wednesday17 March 1993April LiverpoolOldham AthleticAnfield10 April 1993May Manchester UnitedBlackburn RoversOld Trafford3 May 1993

1993–94

Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateAugust Norwich CityLeeds UnitedElland RoadPremiership21 August 1993September EvertonGoodison Park25 September 1993October SouthamptonNewcastle UnitedThe Dell24 October 1993November Tottenham HotspurQueens Park RangersLoftus Road27 November 1993December ArsenalSwindon TownCounty Ground27 December 1993January Manchester UnitedSheffield UnitedBramall LaneFA Cup9 January 1994February WimbledonSelhurst Park20 February 1994March ArsenalSouthamptonThe DellPremiership19 March 1994April Leeds UnitedTottenham HotspurElland Road17 April 1994May EvertonWimbledonGoodison Park7 May 1994

1994–95

Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateAugust SouthamptonAston VillaVilla ParkPremiership24 August 1994September Newcastle UnitedChelseaSt James' Park10 September 1994October LiverpoolBlackburn RoversEwood Park15 October 1994November Blackburn RoversQueens Park Rangers26 November 1994December SouthamptonBlackburn Rovers10 December 1994January Coventry CityWest Bromwich AlbionThe HawthornsFA Cup18 January 1995February WimbledonLiverpoolAnfield19 February 1995March Tottenham HotspurLiverpool11 March 1995April Nottingham ForestCrystal PalaceSelhurst ParkPremiership29 April 1995May Real ZaragozaArsenalParc des PrincesUEFA Cup Winners' Cup10 May 1995

1995–96

Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateAugust Leeds UnitedLiverpoolElland RoadPremiership21 August 1995SeptemberWimbledonSelhurst Park23 September 1995October ArsenalLeeds UnitedElland Road14 October 1995November Tottenham HotspurCoventry CityHighfield Road4 November 1995December Blackburn RoversTottenham HotspurEwood Park30 December 1995January ArsenalEvertonHighbury20 January 1996February Nottingham ForestTottenham HotspurCity Ground28 February 1996March Manchester CitySouthamptonMaine Road16 March 1996April Blackburn RoversWimbledonEwood Park17 April 1996May Newcastle UnitedNottingham ForestCity Ground2 May 1996

1996–97

Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateAugust Manchester UnitedWimbledonSelhurst ParkPremiership17 August 1996September Leeds UnitedElland Road7 September 1996October Newcastle UnitedFerencvárosSt James' ParkUEFA Cup15 October 1996November ArsenalTottenham HotspurHighburyPremiership24 November 1996December Manchester UnitedSunderlandOld Trafford21 December 1996January Queens Park RangersBarnsleyLoftus RoadFA Cup25 January 1997February ChelseaManchester UnitedStamford BridgePremiership22 February 1997March MiddlesbroughChelseaRiverside Stadium22 March 1997April ChelseaWimbledonHighburyFA Cup13 April 1997May MiddlesbroughManchester UnitedOld TraffordPremiership5 May 1997

1997–98

Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateAugust ArsenalLeicester CityFilbert StreetPremiership27 August 1997September LiverpoolCelticCeltic ParkUEFA Cup16 September 1997October Manchester UnitedBarnsleyOld TraffordPremiership25 October 1997November SouthamptonEvertonGoodison Park2 November 1997December Coventry CityManchester UnitedHighfield Road28 December 1997January Manchester CityWest Ham UnitedMaine RoadFA Cup25 January 1998February Manchester UnitedDerby CountyOld TraffordPremiership21 February 1998March Bolton WanderersLiverpoolAnfield7 March 1998April ArsenalNewcastle UnitedHighbury11 April 1998May Crystal PalaceBolton WanderersReebok Stadium2 May 1998

1998–99 Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateAugust LiverpoolNewcastle UnitedSt James' ParkPremiership30 August 1998September Leicester CityArsenalFilbert Street12 September 1998October Tottenham Hotspur19 October 1998November Coventry CityEvertonHighfield Road16 November 1998December ArsenalAston VillaVilla Park13 December 1998January Coventry CityNottingham ForestHighfield Road9 January 1999February Tottenham HotspurLeeds UnitedWhite Hart LaneFA Cup24 February 1999March BarnsleyOakwell16 March 1999April Manchester UnitedArsenalVilla Park14 April 1999May ArsenalTottenham HotspurWhite Hart LanePremiership5 May 1999

1999–2000

Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateAugust ChelseaSunderlandStamford BridgePremiership7 August 1999September SouthamptonManchester UnitedOld Trafford25 September 1999October Tottenham HotspurWhite Hart Lane23 October 1999November Manchester UnitedLeicester CityOld Trafford6 November 1999December Tottenham HotspurWatfordWhite Hart Lane26 December 1999January Aston VillaLeeds UnitedVilla ParkFA Cup30 January 2000February Manchester UnitedCoventry CityOld TraffordPremiership5 February 2000March West Ham UnitedWimbledonUpton Park26 March 2000April Manchester UnitedMiddlesbroughRiverside Stadium10 April 2000May ArsenalSheffield WednesdayHighbury9 May 2000

2000–01

Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateAugust ChelseaWest Ham UnitedStamford BridgePremiership19 August 2000September ArsenalChelsea6 September 2000October Manchester UnitedHighbury1 October 2000November Manchester UnitedCoventry CityHighfield Road4 November 2000December West Ham UnitedDerby CountyUpton Park26 December 2000January MiddlesbroughBradford CityValley ParadeFA Cup8 January 2001February ChelseaArsenalHighbury18 February 2001March LiverpoolManchester UnitedAnfieldPremiership31 March 2001April Charlton AthleticLeicester CityThe Valley1 April 2001May Aston VillaCoventry CityVilla Park2 May 2001

2001–02 Awarded by ITV Sport's The Premiership.

Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateRefMarch ArsenalNewcastle UnitedSt James' ParkPremiership2 March 2002

2002–03

Awarded by ITV Sport's The Premiership. Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateAugust ArsenalBirmingham CityHighburyPremiership18 August 2002September West Ham UnitedChelseaStamford Bridge28 September 2002October EvertonArsenalGoodison Park19 October 2002November ArsenalTottenham HotspurHighbury16 November 2002December Newcastle UnitedEvertonSt James' Park1 December 2002January ChelseaLeeds UnitedStamford Bridge28 January 2003February MiddlesbroughLiverpoolAnfield8 February 2003March Manchester UnitedFulhamOld Trafford22 March 2003April Bolton WanderersWest Ham UnitedReebok Stadium19 April 2003

2003–04 Awarded by ITV Sport's The Premiership.

Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateSeptember Wolverhampton WanderersBolton WanderersReebook StadiumPremiership27 September 2003March LiverpoolPortsmouthAnfield17 March 2004

2004–05 Key:

MonthScorerForAgainstStadiumCompetitionDateAugust PortsmouthCharlton AthleticThe ValleyPremiership21 August 2004September Aston VillaCrystal PalaceVilla Park25 September 2004October ArsenalCharlton AthleticHighbury2 October 2004November LiverpoolArsenalAnfield28 November 2004December ChelseaNorwich CityStamford Bridge18 December 2004January Manchester UnitedMiddlesbroughOld TraffordFA Cup29 January 2005February ArsenalCrystal PalaceHighburyPremiership14 February 2005March Bolton WanderersNorwich CityReebok Stadium19 March 2005April Manchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedOld Trafford24 April 2005May ArsenalEvertonHighbury11 May 2005

2005–06 Key: