2016-17 pundits' picks: Goal of the Season

Matt Smith: I can’t look beyond Emre Can against Watford. You can’t because it was such a cracking goal. You look back at Mane’s goal against Arsenal but it doesn’t beat Can’s goal – just for the spectacular nature of it and how important it turned out to be. It was another three points in a difficult situation at Watford where they were huffing and puffing against a team sitting back. It was a big goal.

Gareth Roberts: It’s hard to look much further than Emre Can’s goal at Watford. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime type of goal that was huge for Liverpool – brilliant to even think of it in the first place, brilliant in its execution, brilliant to watch. As someone once said, “What a hit, son.”

Jan Molby: We have had a number of good goals this season. We have seen some great goals from Coutinho, Jordan Henderson’s strike against Chelsea was brilliant but I’ve got to go for Emre Can’s goal at Watford because that was one in a million. I do believe that every footballer has a great goal in them at some stage and that was his.

David Fairclough: Jordan Henderson against Chelsea. Jordan will never hit a ball like that again in his career! It was just perfection and to beat somebody of the ability of Thibaut Courtois is always something to consider.

Chris Bascombe: Sadio Mane on the opening day at Arsenal. We were all wondering how good was this guy going to be and when he got the ball the way he did and then finished the way he did, it was just so exciting to see and you just thought how many more great goals is this fella going to score for Liverpool. It was a fantastic moment on the first day and it just demonstrated that Liverpool had signed a very good player.

Melissa Reddy: For technique, it is criminal to look past Emre Can’s overhead kick at Watford given his perfect execution while in motion. That it was Lucas who chipped the ball in for the German made it even sweeter. Jordan Henderson’s top-corner beauty from distance against Chelsea was also particularly enjoyable, as was Marko Grujic’s reaction to it. You can’t discuss goals of the season without having a fair few Coutinho efforts to consider and his solo shredding of Everton in the Anfield derby was delightful. Mane’s chopping between Nacho Monreal and Calum Chambers before finding the far corner against Arsenal was an absolute treat too. 

Roy Evans: It’s got to be Emre Can against Watford. I think even he was surprised at what a great goal it was but it was just a spectacular goal.

Steve Hunter: Emre Can’s scissor kick v Watford. A goal of the highest quality when we needed it most.