Ranking the Top 10 English Premier League Goals of the Season

Who ya got? RvP, Ben Arfa or Crouch? Suarez, Coates or Cisse?

Today on Set Piece, we're counting down the top 10 goals of the 2011-12 English Premier League season, and, yes, all those guys made the list.

The 2011-12 season was a great year for great goals, and limiting our list to only 10 strikes proved difficult.

But it also meant we got a fabulous collection of golazos.

What do you think? Are we right, wrong or absolutely insane? Let us know in the comments.

Honorable Mention

Here are a few more goals that caught our eye this season. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

Please add your own to the comments.

Nani, Manchester United 3-1 Chelsea, Sept. 18, 2011 (fast forward to 1:30 mark).

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City 3-2 QPR, May 13, 2012 (the title-deciding goal).

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City, April 8, 2012

Juan Mata, Chelsea 3-3 Manchester United, Feb. 5, 2012

Ashley Young, Tottenham 1-3 Manchester United, March 4, 2012

Robin van Persie, Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal, March 3, 2012

Darren Fletcher, Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City, Oct. 23, 2011

10. Mikel Arteta vs. Aston Villa

Match: Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa, March 24, 2012

Great free kicks are a joy to watch, and this one from Arsenal's Mikel Arteta against Aston Villa on March 24, certainly qualifies.

Arteta proved himself a shrewd summer signing this season, and his continued presence should help Arsenal push for greater heights next term.

The quality of that video is poor, so click here and here for views from the stands.

9. Fraizer Campbell vs. Norwich City

Match: Sunderland 3-0 Norwich City, Feb. 1, 2012

Perhaps the highest accolade we can bestow upon Fraizer Campbell's wonder goal for Sunderland against Norwich is this:

It managed to overshadow Stephane Sessegnon's outstanding effort later in the match.

8. Craig Gardner

Match: Wigan 1-4 Sunderland, Jan. 3, 2012

Remember that part about great free kicks?

Wait until you see what Sunderland's Craig Gardner did to the ball on this sublime effort.

First it goes one way, then the other, then into the top corner. Amazing.

7. Ryan Taylor vs. Everton

Match: Newcastle United 2-1 Everton, Nov. 5, 2011

Newcastle scored some beautiful goals, and Everton had some beautiful goals scored on them this season.

Keep reading. Both teams will reappear later in the countdown.

6. Hatem Ben Arfa vs. Bolton

Match: Newcastle United 2-0 Bolton Wanderers, March 9, 2012

Now we enter the portion of the countdown where the goals become truly great.

Hatem Ben Arfa's brilliant Ryan Giggs-esque run and solo goal against Bolton will be replayed over and over for years.

More views can be found here.

5. Robin Van Persie vs. Everton

Match: Arsenal 1-0 Everton, Dec. 10, 2011

Robin van Persie's expert volley against Everton deserves a higher spot. His technique and execution were both flawless.

Nonetheless, four goals were better this season.

4. Peter Crouch vs. Manchester City

Match: Stoke City 1-1 Man City, March 24, 2012

When he scored against Manchester City in March, Peter Crouch instantly had a contender for goal of the season.

But a string of great goals over the last few weeks of the season—and one just before this—knocked Crouch off the top.

3. Luis Suarez vs. Norwich

Match: Norwich City 0-3 Liverpool, April 28

Luis Suarez had a tough season, but his hat trick against Norwich in April almost made everyone forget about all of it.

His long-long-long-distance strike was the pick of the bunch here.

2. Sebastian Coates vs. QPR

Match: QPR 3-2 Liverpool, March 21, 2012

The video won't embed, so you'll have to click here to watch it.

In most seasons, Sebastian Coates' overhead scissor-kick goal would be the strike of the season.

Not so this season.

Oh, and by the way, that was Coates' first goal for Liverpool. Nice introduction, eh?

1. Papiss Demba Cisse vs. Chelsea

Match: Chelsea 0-2 Newcastle United, May 2, 2012

Newcastle signed Papiss Demba Cisse during the winter transfer window, and the Senegalese striker impressed from the start.

Never more so than in this match.

Cisse's first goal against Chelsea on May 2 was impressive, but his second was other-worldly.

Click here for another view.

Follow @MikeCummings37