User:Profavi1/RobinEdge

2012–2014: Limited appearances

Having been named on Chelsea's first-team bench as an unused substitute by Roberto Di Matteo in several Premier League fixtures in the 2012–13 season, Edge made his first professional appearance on 2 October 2012, coming on as a late substitute for Oscar in a 4–0 victory over Nordsjælland in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League; he was at the time the second-youngest player to ever appear for Chelsea in the competition.^[1][2] He made his sole Chelsea start on 19 December under Rafael Benítez in a 5–1 win over Leeds United in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, starting in the central midfield position alongside Frank Lampard.^[1] He received a winner's medal as an unused substitute as Chelsea won the 2013 UEFA Europa League final, despite not appearing in the competition.^[1]

Edge concluded his time at Chelsea having made seven appearances, all of which had come in cup competitions.^[1]

2014–15 season: Loan to Bradford City, EFL Cup win and breakthrough

On 31 August 2014, Edge was signed by League One club Bradford City on a season-long loan, returning to his home country. He was given the number 34 shirt.^[1]

He made his debut a week later, starting in Bradford’s 1–0 win over Peterborough in the third round of the EFL Cup.^[1] He scored the first senior goal of his career on his League One debut on 10 September, sealing a 1–0 away victory over Port Vale.^[1]

Over the course of the season, Edge was increasingly used by manager Phil Parkinson as a striker, and he became a consistent goalscorer for Bradford as they led the League One table for the majority of the season. He was also key to their EFL Cup campaign, scoring as they defeated Premier League side Burnley 2–0 in the round of 16.^[1] He scored Bradford’s goal in a 2–1 first-leg away defeat at Premier League club Swansea City in the EFL Cup semi-final, and later scored the sole goal in the 1–0 win in the second-leg at the Valley Parade, which sent Bradford to the final. He was awarded Man of the Match for the latter game.^[1]

On 1 March 2015, in the EFL Cup final against Premier League opposition West Ham United at Wembley Stadium, Edge scored two goals in the first half to give Bradford an early lead, and later forced an own-goal from defender Winston Reid to make the score 3–0 before half time.^[1] Edge was substituted off in the second half, as Bradford went on to win the match thanks to his goals. He was awarded the Alan Hardaker Trophy for Man of the Match for his performance in the final, helping Bradford City to their first major trophy in over 100 years and entry to the Europa League third qualifying round, and finished as the top scorer in the competition with five goals.^[1]

Edge later went on to finish the season as top scorer in League One with 25 goals in 30 appearances as Bradford won the league, winning automatic promotion to the Championship, making it 32 goals and three assists in 38 appearances in all competitions.^[1] For his performances, he was named in the PFA League One Team of the Year, and was named Football League One Player of the Month and EFL Young Player of the Month for both February and March 2015.^[1]

2015–16 season: Unexpected title race and first PL Golden Boot

Edge made his QPR and Premier League debut in the club's first game of the season, coming on as a substitute in a 0–0 draw to Swansea City on 15 August.^[1] He started their next game, a 4–0 home loss to Manchester City, and was criticised for his performance.^[1] After not scoring in his first four Premier League games, Edge finally opened his account in a 1–1 draw with Sunderland on 19 September.^[1] He scored a brace in a 2–1 EFL Cup second-round win over the same opposition days later.^[1] Edge went on to score in five consecutive games for QPR, including four goals in four matches in the Premier League.^[1] He later scored a brace in a 2–0 victory over Southampton on 7 November.^[1]

Edge scored his first career hat-trick on 7 December, scoring all five of QPR’s goals in a 5–2 win against Derby County, joining Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, Jermain Defoe, Dimitar Berbatov and Sergio Agüero in equalling the record for most goals scored by a single player in a Premier League match.^[1] He scored a brace in a 3–1 win over Blackburn Rovers on 16 December.^[1] He was later awarded Premier League Player of the Month for his performances throughout December 2015, with eight goals in four games.^[1]

Edge reportedly turned down an offer from Bayern Munich in January 2016 in order to remain with QPR for the remainder of the 2015–16 season.^[1] After a winner in the fourth round of the FA Cup against Huddersfield Town on 30 January, Edge scored a brace in a 2–0 win at Newcastle United on 14 February, though he sprained his ankle during the game and was out for several weeks.^[1] He scored another brace on 26 March in a 2–1 win at Aston Villa. ^[1]

On 10 April, Edge scored a 32-minute hat-trick in a 3–0 win at Southampton.^[1] On 30 April, Edge registered two goals, an assist, and won two penalties as QPR defeated Blackburn 4–0.^[1] For his six goals in April, he was once again awarded Premier League Player of the Month, becoming the first ever QPR player to be given the award twice.^[1] Edge later scored consecutive braces in QPR's penultimate two games of the season, in 2–0 victories against Derby County and future club Tottenham Hotspur on 8 and 15 May, keeping QPR within 1 point of the leaders.^[1] In QPR's final game of the season against West Bromwich Albion on 22 May, Edge was substituted off in the 18th-minute after an injury, later revealed to be a broken elbow; QPR went on to win the game 5–1.^[1]

QPR ended the season with their highest ever Premier League finish at 3rd, just one point off champions Chelsea, and sealed qualification for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history. They additionally went the entire season unbeaten away from home, becoming only the second club ever to do so in the Premier League (after Arsenal in 2001–02 and 2003–04), as well as having the third-best defensive record of any team in Premier League history, with just 21 goals conceded.^[1] Edge was instrumental in QPR's unexpected Premier League title race, scoring 29 goals in 34 appearances, and later received the Premier League Golden Boot in his debut season in the competition, as well as being named Premier League Player of the Season, PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Fans' Player of the Year, and in the PFA Team of the Year.^[1] He scored 32 goals and made three assists in 38 appearances in all competitions, exactly matching his output for the previous season, and was named QPR Supporters’ Player of the Year.^[1] He was later shortlisted for the 2016 Ballon d'Or, finishing 7th.^[1]

Edge scored in QPR's first match of the 2016–17 season, a 2–0 win over Aston Villa on 14 August, as well as assisting Jonathan Calleri's first ever Premier League goal.^[1] He scored and assisted two weeks later in his final home game for QPR, a 3–0 win against Everton.^[1]

2016–17 season: Copa del Rey and Champions League double, limited playtime

Edge made his debut for Barcelona on 21 September, scoring the sole goal in a 1–0 league win over Real Betis at Camp Nou.^[1] Having scored in his second game against Deportivo La Coruña on 1 October, Edge scored a hat-trick in his third game, a 3–0 away win over Málaga on 15 October, and a brace in his fourth, a 3–0 home win against Atlético Madrid on 23 October.^[1] He scored in his fifth consecutive game in a 1–0 win over Villareal on 30 October, though he sustained a broken elbow in the same match.^[1] He returned to the squad on 11 December, scoring a brace in a 2–0 win at Celta de Vigo, making it ten goals in his first six Barcelona games, breaking Zlatan Ibrahimović's record of five goals in his first five games.^[1]

Edge also scored six goals in four appearances in the Copa del Rey, including a hat-trick in the second leg of the semi-final against Almería on 8 February 2017 which finished 3–0 (having scored the sole goal in the first leg a week prior).^[1] On 15 February, he made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League in over three years in the round of 16 win against Beşiktaş, having appeared in it four times with Chelsea.^[1] He scored the sole goal in a 1–0 win over old club Valencia on 25 March.^[1] He scored a brace in a 6–0 routing of rivals Espanyol on 16 April, as well as in a 3–0 win over Sporting Gijón on 29 April.^[1] He scored the sole goal in Barcelona's final league game of the season, a 1–0 away win over Rayo Vallecano.^[1] Edge was an unused substitute as Barça won the 2017 Copa del Rey Final over Villareal.^[1] In the 2017 UEFA Champions League final against old club Chelsea, he came on as an 86th-minute substitute for Cristian Tello, and scored a stoppage-time goal to ensure Barcelona won the game 3–0; it was his first goal in the competition.^[1]

Edge finished his first season with Barcelona as the club's top goalscorer with 26 goals in 25 appearances as they finished 2nd in La Liga. His 19 league goals in 19 appearances, a goal-to-game ratio of 1.00, placed him runner-up in the Pichichi Trophy to Cristiano Ronaldo of league champions Real Madrid, while he was the second-highest goalscorer of the Copa del Rey with six goals, only behind Sofiane Feghouli of Valencia.^[1] Additionally, Barcelona did not concede a single goal in Edge's first fourteen appearances for the club, a record-breaking run that only ended in March 2017.^[1] Though he was widely expected to be a backup to superstars Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez in the number 9 position throughout the season, Edge's impressive goalscoring form, and Messi and Suarez's lack thereof, meant that, when fit, he largely secured the position of first-choice striker in the league (though Messi remained manager Luis Enrique's centre-forward of choice in the Champions League, and Suarez was signed by Bayern Munich in January 2017).^[1] He was runner-up in the fans' vote for Barcelona's player of the season in the Trofeo Aldo Rovira, which was awarded to teammate Neymar.^[1] He was shortlisted for the 2017 Ballon d'Or later in the year, finishing 8th.^[1]

2017–18 season: Premier League title, cup double and injury struggles

Edge made his debut for the club on 19 August in a 2–0 home win against Hull City, scoring the second goal.^[1] On 14 September, he scored a brace on his UEFA Europa League debut, a 2–2 draw with Molde FK, and later scored four goals in the 6–0 victory in the reverse fixture on 2 November.^[1] He later scored the opening goal in a 2–1 victory on his return to Queens Park Rangers on 6 October; he opted not to celebrate the goal out of respect for his former club.^[1] On 8 November, he scored a brace in a 2–0 win against defending league champions Manchester City.^[1] In the Europa League, he went on to score a brace in a 2–0 win against Galatasaray on 30 November, and another four goals in a 5–0 win over Cercle Brugge on 14 December, to help Spurs top their group.^[1] Edge was sent off for the first time in his career in a goalless draw with Everton on Christmas Day 2017.^[1]

Edge scored a brace against MK Dons in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 27 January 2018, followed by braces in a 3–0 win over Newcastle in the league on 7 February, and in a 4–0 win against 1899 Hoffenheim in the Europa League on 15 February.^[1] He scored against Arsenal 2 minutes into his debut North London derby appearance on 24 February, which finished 1–1.^[1] On 5 April, he scored his 18th Europa League goal of the season in a 3–0 win against A.C. Milan in the quarterfinals, breaking Radamel Falcao's record for most goals in a single Europa League campaign.^[1] He scored a nine-minute brace and bagged an assist in a 3–1 victory over Manchester United on 8 April.^[1] On 22 April, Edge scored once again against old club QPR in a 2–0 win; however, a broken ankle sustained during the game ended his season.^[1]

Spurs went on to end their 10-year trophy drought and win a continental treble in Edge's absence, clinching the 2017–18 Premier League title on the final day of the season after leapfrogging Edge's former club Chelsea on goal difference, in addition to defeating Chelsea in the 2018 FA Cup final and another of Edge's former clubs Valencia in the 2018 UEFA Europa League final.^[1] The league win was Spurs' first in 54 years and first Premier League title; their 17 goals conceded was the joint-second-best defensive record of any team in Premier League history.^[1] They became the third team to go an entire season unbeaten away from home, with the last team to have done so being Edge's QPR in 2016.^[1] The FA Cup win was Spurs' first in 24 years, and the Europa League trophy their first in 31 years.^[1]

Though his injury troubles limited him to just 22 league appearances, Edge played a key part in Spurs' highly successful campaign, finishing the season as their highest goalscorer in all competitions with 35 goals and six assists in 38 appearances, as well as finishing as the top scorer in the Europa League with 18 goals in 12 appearances.^[1] Aged just 23 years and 138 days old, Edge became the second-youngest player ever to win each of the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and Champions League, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (who was 32 days younger), as well as the youngest to additionally have won the Europa League.^[1] For his efforts, he was runner-up in the Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year award, behind Kyle Walker.^[1] He was later shortlisted for the 2018 Ballon d'Or, finishing 12th.^[1]

2018–19 season: Domestic quadruple and second Golden Boot

Despite links away, Edge opted to remain with Tottenham for the following season, stating his desire to win the Champions League with the club, making it the first time he was not subject to a summer transfer since 2013.^[1] On 12 August 2018, he marked his return from injury with a 58th-minute outside-the-box volley against Chelsea, the sole goal as Spurs won their eighth FA Community Shield.^[1]

On 4 September, Edge scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 derby win over Arsenal in the third round of the EFL Cup at the Emirates Stadium.^[1] Following a brace against Stoke City on 15 September, and assisting and scoring in his Champions League debut with Spurs, a 2–1 comeback win against Juventus on 19 September, Edge scored all four goals of Spurs' 4–0 thrashing of Liverpool at Anfield on 29 September.^[1][2] For his six goals in two games in September 2018, Edge was awarded his third Premier League Player of the Month award, his first as a Tottenham player.^[1]

On 12 January 2019, Edge scored his first hat-trick of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup.^[1] A week later, he scored another hat-trick in a 3–0 home win over Liverpool.^[1] In February, Edge scored seven goals in five games, including consecutive braces over Crystal Palace and Watford on 2 and 9 February, as well as the first goal in a top-of-table clash over Chelsea on 17 February, winning 2–1.^[1] For his performances across the month he was awarded his fourth Player of the Month award for February 2019.^[1]

On 2 March, he scored a 118th-minute winner in the 2019 EFL Cup final against Aston Villa; the 1–0 win was the the second EFL Cup win of his career, though he missed out on a second Alan Hardaker Trophy for man of the match, which was awarded to Spurs goalkeeper Michel Vorm.^[1] On 20 April, he scored a brace in a 4–0 win against the same opposition in the semi-final of the FA Cup, sending Spurs to the final.^[1] On 28 April, he reached the 40-goal mark for the season by scoring against Middlesbrough; three days later, he scored against Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Allianz Arena, although Spurs were eliminated from the competition after losing 2–1.^[1] On 18 May, he scored in the winning goal in the 2019 FA Cup final, a 1–0 win over Arsenal.^[1] In doing so, he became the third player in history to have scored in the Community Shield, FA Cup final and EFL Cup final (after Ian Rush and Mark Hughes), as well as becoming the second person (after Hughes) to have scored in all three in the same season.^[1]

Having secured all three domestic cup trophies solely thanks to goals from Edge, Spurs also successfully defended their Premier League title with two games to spare, meaning they completed a clean sweep of domestic trophies, as well as breaking the record for fewest goals conceded in a Premier League season (14), which was previously held by Chelsea in the 2004–05 season.^[1] Edge, whose 27 Premier League goals were key to Spurs defending their title, was awarded the Premier League Golden Boot and was named Player of the Season and PFA Fans' Player of the Year, having already won all three awards in 2016.^[1] He scored 44 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions, a personal best, becoming the club's highest goalscorer in a season since Clive Allen in 1986–87.^[1] He was awarded Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year for his efforts.^[1] He was shortlisted for the 2019 Ballon d'Or, finishing as runner-up behind Bayern's Luis Suárez, his former Barcelona team-mate.^[1]

2019–20 season: Third successive domestic double, and third Golden Boot

Due to what manager Mauricio Pochettino attributed to "poor form" during pre-season, Edge was dropped from the squad for Tottenham's first four games of the season, including not appearing as Spurs won the FA Community Shield against Manchester United.^[1] He made his first appearance of the new season on 3 September, scoring a 90th-minute winner as Spurs defeated Burnley 1–0 in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.^[1] Two weeks later, in Spurs' first UEFA Champions League game of the season, Edge scored the winning goal in a 1–0 away victory over former team Barcelona.^[1] The match was his 200th career appearance and first return to Camp Nou since departing the club two years prior; he did not celebrate his goal.^[1] He scored a brace against Hull City in a 3–0 win on 5 October, and later scored the only goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 20 October.^[1] On 5 November, he scored the second goal of a 2–0 win in the return fixture against Barcelona.^[1] Four days later, on his 100th appearance for Tottenham, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Watford.^[1] He scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 win against old side QPR on 30 November, his 100th Premier League appearance, as well as a late winner against Everton on 14 December.^[1]

On 12 January 2020, Edge scored five second-half goals in a 5–0 demolition of Wolves in the third round of the FA Cup, exactly one year on from his hat-trick against the same opposition in the same round of the same competition; his fifth goal was the 200th senior goal of his career.^[1][2] He scored a hat-trick against Everton in a 3–0 win at Goodison Park on 24 January, reaching the 100-goal milestone with Tottenham in the process.^[1] In early February, he scored in successive games against Hull City, league leaders Manchester City, and Sunderland, before spraining his ankle on 22 February in an FA Cup game against Bournemouth.^[1] He scored the sole goal on his return from injury on 14 March, knocking Manchester City out of the FA Cup.^[1] He scored in a 1–0 win over QPR on 28 March; three days later, he scored the only goal in Spurs' Champions League quarter-final first leg against Chelsea, which proved to be the winning goal of the tie, and his 200th club goal.^[1][2] On 21 April, Edge scored the only goal in a semi-final first leg away win over eventual European champions Inter Milan, who would go on to end Spurs' hopes of a continental treble, defeating them 2–1 after extra time at White Hart Lane a week later and progressing to the final on away goals.^[1][2] On 16 May, he scored a 99th-minute extra-time winner in the 2020 FA Cup final, a 1–0 win against Manchester United, though he picked up a minor knock that prevented him from playing in the final game of the Premier League season against Norwich City.^[1]

Having already three-peated the FA Cup, becoming the third club ever to do so (and the first in 134 years), Manchester City's 1–1 draw with Chelsea meant that Tottenham also three-peated the Premier League title, becoming the first club to do so since Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in 2009.^[1][2] They also became the first club in English football history to win three consecutive domestic doubles.^[1] Edge was once again Spurs' top scorer in all competitions during the season, scoring 32 goals in 40 games; he won the Premier League Golden Boot for the third time, with 18 goals in 24 appearances (the joint-lowest tally of any Golden Boot winner), as well as being the top scorer in the season's FA Cup.^[1][2] Additionally, Edge's goal in the FA Cup final extended his run of scoring on every appearance in a major final (having already scored in the 2015 and 2019 EFL Cup finals and the 2019 FA Cup final).^[1] He was later nominated for the 2020 Ballon d'Or, finishing 6th.^[1]

2020: Second FA Community Shield and departure

Following the season, Edge was linked with a number of clubs, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg and French champions Lyon.^[1] Despite the transfer rumours linking him heavily with a move to Manchester City, Edge initially turned down a potential move to the club in July.^[1]

He later started the 2020 FA Community Shield against City on 9 August, and scored a spot-kick in the penalty shootout to help win Spurs the game.^[1] However, on 14 August, he was pictured tearfully doing a lap of honour and applauding Spurs fans following his next game, a 1–0 win over Sunderland in the first game of the new Premier League season, with many suspecting it had been his last appearance for Tottenham.^[1] Four days later, he announced his departure from the club in a statement on Instagram, thanking his teammates, fans and manager Mauricio Pochettino.^[1] He left Tottenham as the club's 13th-highest goalscorer of all time, as well as its highest ever goalscorer in European competitions.^[1]

2020–21 season: Injury troubles, EFL Cup win, and 100th Premier League goal

Edge made his debut in a 0–0 draw against Nottingham Forest on 29 August, and scored his first goal in his second appearance, a 1–0 win over Crystal Palace on 12 September.^[1][2] On 19 September, he scored on his Manchester derby debut, netting two second-half goals to help City come from behind and defeat Manchester United 2–1, ending their 100% start to the season.^[1] He scored the winner in a 1–0 win over Galatasaray in the Champions League on 29 September, though he sprained his ankle in the process.^[1] He scored his first City hat-trick on his return from injury on 28 October, in a 3–1 EFL Cup victory over Brentford.^[1] He scored further hat-tricks against Stoke City in the EFL Cup on 2 December, his first City appearance in nearly a month, as well as in his next appearance, a 3–0 away league win over Leicester City.^[1][2] In the following game, he scored a brace as City beat Southampton 2–1.^[1]

On 12 January 2021, Edge scored his fourth hat-trick of the season against AFC Wimbledon in first leg of the semi-final, and later scored another hat-trick in the reverse fixture on 26 January.^[1] He scored another brace against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 23 January.^[1] On 18 February, he scored a brace in the Europa League in a 2–2 round of 32 draw against Bayer Leverkusen, but was sent off in the reverse fixture and was unable to prevent City's defeat and elimination.^[1] On 28 February, he scored a first-half hat-trick in the 2021 EFL Cup final against Arsenal as City won 3–0.^[1] As a result he won his second Alan Hardaker Trophy, having previously won it in 2015, and became the third player to have won it twice (after former QPR teammate Ben Foster and former Chelsea teammate John Terry).^[1] The match also continued his streak of scoring in major finals, as well as ensuring had scored a hat-trick in all five of his EFL Cup appearances that season, and breaking Andy Ritchie's record for most EFL Cup goals scored in a season.^[1][2]

He was sent off against Arsenal in the league on 4 March, his second red card in three games.^[1] On 13 March, he scored a 93rd-minute equaliser against former side Tottenham in the FA Cup quarter-finals, his first return to White Hart Lane since departing the club; he did not celebrate his goal.^[1] He scored a 92nd-minute winner against league leaders Chelsea on 27 March.^[1] He scored a brace against Sunderland in his following game on 3 April; his first goal was his 100th in the Premier League, also making him the second-fastest player to reach this milestone, doing so after 131 games (just behind Alan Shearer's 124).^[1][2] He was sent off in a goalless draw with Swansea City a week later.^[1] He later scored a brace against Newcastle United on 1 May.^[1] A week later, he was injured against Everton, and was forced to miss City's final two games of the season.^[1]

Despite the EFL Cup win, the season was a largely disappointing one for Manchester City; they barely scraped a fourth-place league finish, gaining one point from their final three games, as well as being knocked out in the Champions League group stage, the Europa League round of 32, and the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.^[1][2] Edge, who competed with Wilfried Bony for regular playing time until his departure to Real Madrid in January 2021, had a season frequently marred by injury and disciplinary issues, spraining his ankle twice and receiving four red cards in a six-week period between 25 February and 10 April.^[1][2] As such, he was restricted to just 20 league appearances, his lowest in a season since at Chelsea in 2013–14.^[1] Despite this, he finished as the joint-fourth-highest scorer in the league, as well as City's top goalscorer in all competitions.^[1] As such, he was named the club's Player of the Year by supporters.^[1] He was nominated for the 2021 Ballon d'Or, finishing 19th.^[1]

2021–22 season: Champions League, fourth league title and Ballon d'Or

Edge scored a brace in City's opening game, a 2–2 draw against Newcastle United on 14 August 2021.^[1] He later scored a brace against old side Queens Park Rangers on 11 September, as well as the sole goal against Aston Villa on 18 September, though he was sent off in the latter game.^[1] He scored a brace as City came from behind to defeat Leicester City 5–1.^[1] For his five goals in three games in September, Edge was awarded Premier League Player of the Month, his first for Manchester City and fifth overall.^[1]

Edge scored a brace against Watford on 16 October, though he sprained his ankle once again in the process and was injured for a month.^[1] On his second game after returning, on 23 November, he scored a brace against old club Barcelona in the Champions League, sending City into the knockout stages.^[1] On 27 November, he scored a brace and assisted Mesut Özil's goal in a 3–0 away win against Arsenal.^[1] After goals against Everton, Leeds United and Sunderland, he sprained his ankle again in an FA Cup game against Hull City, and was sidelined for three weeks.^[1][2]

On 13 February 2022, Edge scored four goals and assisted three in City's 9–0 win over Everton at Goodison Park, equalling the largest win in the history of the Premier League and setting a new record for the biggest away win in the history of English top-flight football; he also became the first player to score more than three goals in three Premier League games (having previously done so for QPR against Derby County in December 2015 and for Tottenham against Liverpool in September 2018).^[1][2] Three days later, he scored an away goal against Real Madrid in a 2–1 loss in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.^[1] He followed this up with a brace against Derby County in the FA Cup on 19 February.^[1] On 26 February, he scored a brace to defeat league leaders Southampton 2–0.^[1] On 6 March, he scored a brace in a 3–1 win against Real Madrid at the Etihad, sending City into the Champions League quarter-finals on aggregate.^[1] On 7 April, he scored a last-minute winner against Bayern Munich in the second leg of the quarter-final, though he picked up a hamstring injury in that match which sidelined him for multiple weeks.^[1] He made his return on 27 April, scoring as City overcame a 2–1 deficit to defeat Barcelona 3–0 in the Champions League semifinal, reaching their first ever final in the competition.^[1][2] On 14 May, he scored a hat-trick in the 2022 FA Cup final against Newcastle United, although City lost 4–3, with Edge's former QPR teammate Jonathan Calleri netting a hat-trick of his own to prevent City from winning the continental treble.^[1][2] Despite this, Edge was named man of the match.^[1] He appeared in City's final Premier League game of the season on 22 May, a 1–0 win against Tottenham, and lifted the Premier League trophy at his old ground.^[1] On 28 May, Edge started in the 2022 UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan, and scored the equaliser in the 44th minute after a pass from Oscar (for whom he had come on as a substitute on his professional debut at Chelsea nearly ten years prior).^[1] City later won the final 2–1 after an extra-time winner from Angeliño, winning their first ever UEFA Champions League trophy, and Edge's second.^[1]

Despite a myriad of injury troubles, Edge was a key figure in City's campaign, scoring 35 goals and assisting nine in 38 appearances in all competitions to help City win the Premier League and the Champions League.^[1] His 21 goals in 22 appearances in the Premier League meant he finished second in the Golden Boot race to West Ham United's Harry Kane, his former Tottenham teammate, though it was widely regarded that Edge would have won the award easily had it not been for his injuries.^[1][2][3] He finished as top scorer of the FA Cup, with five goals, and of the Champions League, with eight goals, and was later named Player of the Season, as well as in the Team of the Season.^[1][2] He was also named Manchester City Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.^[1] He was later awarded the 2022 Ballon d'Or in recognition for his performances throughout the season, becoming the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001, as well as being named UEFA Men's Player of the Year and in the FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11.^[1][2][3]

2022–23 season: Loan return to Queens Park Rangers and fourth Golden Boot

On 7 August 2022, Edge assisted Marcos Astina's winner as City defeated Newcastle United 1–0 in the FA Community Shield.^[1] He later scored in both of City's opening Premier League games, a 2–1 defeat at Manchester United and a 2–0 win over Crystal Palace.^[1] He sprained his knee in the UEFA Super Cup against Valencia and was subsequently injured for three weeks, including missing an EFL Cup match against old side Bradford City.^[1][2]

Despite his Ballon d'Or win, Edge subsequently lost his place in the starting eleven to Stevan Jovetić and appeared in just six games across the next four months, amidst reports of a falling-out with manager Jürgen Klopp; in that time, he scored late equalisers against Stoke City and Arsenal.^[1][2] On what ended up being his last appearance for Manchester City, he opened the scoring in a 1–1 draw with Aston Villa on 4 January 2023.^[1] He completed his time at Manchester City with 75 goals in 81 games.^[1] Edge's drop in form between season was described as "remarkable" by Phil McNulty, who suggested that his recurring injuries were affecting his technical dribbling ability and skill.^[1][2]

On 7 January 2023, Edge's former side Queens Park Rangers announced his return on a short-term loan deal until the end of the season.^[1] Edge, who received offers from a number of European sides, opted instead for a surprise move to his old club.^[1] Many pundits and fans questioned Edge's decision to sign for a relegation-battling club rather than a top European team, with Gary Neville deeming the decision "a huge shock" and Micah Richards describing it as "unbelievable", though the move was praised by some pundits, including Alan Shearer.^[1]

On his first appearance for the club in six-and-a-half years on 14 January, Edge scored the second goal in a 3–0 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.^[1] He sprained his ankle in his next game against Crystal Palace on 21 January.^[1] He returned to the side on 12 February at Old Trafford to face league leaders Manchester United, managed by recently departed QPR manager Chris Ramsey.^[1] Edge scored a brace as QPR won 2–0 to end United's 25-game unbeaten start to the season, with many pundits describing the performance as one of the greatest of Edge's career.^[1][2][3] He scored another brace in his next game, a 2–1 win against Leeds United on 26 February, which was also his second home debut.^[1] He subsequently scored a hat-trick as QPR thrashed Arsenal 4–0 at the Emirates Stadium on 4 March, taking his tally to eight goals in five games.^[1] He scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over West Ham United on 11 March, and a brace in a 2–0 victory over Stoke City two weeks later.^[1] For his five goals in three games in March, Edge was awarded Premier League Player of the Month, his third with QPR and sixth overall.^[1][2]

On 1 April, he scored the only goal against Watford, continuing the club's six-game winning streak.^[1] On 15 April, he scored in a 2–0 win over Aston Villa, followed by a brace in a 2–1 win over Swansea City on 22 April and the opener in a 1–1 draw with Chelsea on 29 April.^[1][2] After scoring five goals in five games in April, he was awarded a record seventh Premier League Player of the Month, the first time he won the award in consecutive months.^[1][2] He scored a penalty in QPR’s final game of the season, a 2–2 draw with Everton at Loftus Road on 14 May. ^[1]

Edge ended up winning his fourth Premier League Golden Boot after scoring 23 goals in 22 games, with 18 of the goals and 15 of the appearances coming during his loan stint at QPR.^[1] For his efforts in helping QPR from a relegation battle to an 11th-placed finish, Edge was awarded Premier League Player of the Season for the third time, and was also named QPR Supporters’ Player of the Year for the second time, despite only playing for the club for half a season.^[1][2] Edge’s loan spell at QPR is often described as one of the greatest loan spells in footballing history.^[1][2] He later finished 18th in the 2023 Ballon d'Or.^[1]

2023–24 season: 150th Premier League goal and second Europa League title

Edge made his second debut on 13 August 2023, scoring an equaliser from a penalty as Spurs drew 1–1 with Sunderland.^[1] He scored and assisted in the Europa League play-off round against Cork City on 16 August, later scoring a brace in the reverse fixture on 24 August, in which the first goal was the 300th of his career.^[1][2] Following a barren run in which he scored two goals in nine games, Edge entered form following the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino on 2 October; reunited with former Chelsea manager José Mourinho, he scored five goals in the Portuguese's first three matches in charge, including the equaliser against Newcastle United on 14 October, and a hat-trick against Stoke City on 22 October.^[1][2] Edge's goal against Newcastle was his 150th in the Premier League, and meant that he became the fastest player in Premier League history to reach the milestone, doing so in 187 games (breaking Alan Shearer's record of 212).^[1][2]

Edge went on to score three goals in his next 14 games (in losses against Watford and Liverpool, and a draw against Arsenal), and he subsequently lost his place in the starting line-up to Britt Assombalonga.^[1][2] He was linked with a move to Liverpool in the January transfer window, though Mourinho dismissed claims that he would leave the club.^[1] Edge scored the opener as Spurs defeated Liverpool 2–1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup on 18 February 2024, and scored in a 2–0 win over Stoke City a week later.^[1][2] On 2 March, Edge made his first return to the Etihad Stadium since his departure from Manchester City, and scored a brace as Spurs defeated his former club 3–1; the game was also his 200th Premier League appearance.^[1] He continued his scoring streak throughout March, netting in a 1–1 draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Europa League round of 16 on 7 March, a brace against Aston Villa in a 5–0 FA Cup quarter-final win on 11 March, and gaining a hat-trick and assist in 4–0 reverse leg win over Monchengladbach on 14 March.^[1][2] This took his tally to 10 goals in six consecutive games, a run of form which re-asserted his spot in the starting line-up, and earned him a recall to the England squad, having not appeared for his country since October 2021.^[1]

On 23 March, Edge scored as Spurs defeated league leaders Newcastle United 3–1, and scored a week later as Spurs defeated Chelsea 2–0.^[1][2] On 4 April, he scored a brace against Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-finals as Spurs won 3–2 at the Emirates Stadium, making him the joint-top scorer in North London derbies (alongside Emmanuel Adebayor).^[1] On 13 April, he scored in a 6–2 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley; the game was his first ever FA Cup loss with Tottenham, having won it in each of his three previous seasons with the club.^[1] Edge was in the starting line-up for the 2024 UEFA Europa League final against Borussia Dortmund, though he was substituted off after 60 minutes, with his team 1–0 down; Spurs went on to win the match on penalties after drawing 3–3.^[1] This ended Edge's streak of scoring in every major final he had played in.^[1]

Edge finished the season with 30 goals in 48 games, with 15 goals in 28 appearances in the Premier League; it was his worst goals-to-games record of any season since departing Chelsea, and marked the first time he was not nominated for the Ballon d'Or since 2015.^[1] Despite this, he finished as the top scorer of the Europa League, and was Tottenham's top scorer in all competitions as they won the aforementioned trophy and finished 3rd in the league.^[1]

2024–25 season: Fourth EFL Cup and Premier League, third Champions League, and departure

Prior to the beginning of the season, Edge was reportedly on the verge of joining Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven, before negotiations collapsed in early August.^[1] He was left out of the squad for Spurs' first game of the season against Swansea City.^[1] He returned to the side on 20 August, starting in a 1–0 UEFA Champions League play-off round win over Malmö, after which Mourinho stated that Edge was "low on confidence" and "doubted his abilities".^[1] He started in Tottenham's following game away at Liverpool four days later, in which he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–2 defeat.^[1] On 27 August, he scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture against Malmö, a 6–0 win, and scored in the 2024 UEFA Super Cup on 30 August, a 4–1 win over European champions Chelsea.^[1] On 21 September, he rescued a point for Spurs against former club Manchester City with a second-half equaliser.^[1] A week later, he assisted Dele Alli's opener and scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 win at Sunderland.^[1]

Edge was substituted off with injury in a Champions League group stage game against Lille on 2 October, later revealed to be a reaggravated broken ankle, ruling him out for at least two months.^[1] On his return from injury on 14 December, he scored four goals in a 5–0 away win against Chelsea; in doing so, he equalled Sergio Agüero's record of 12 Premier League hat-tricks, and also was the record-extending fourth Premier League game in which he scored more than three goals.^[1][2] A week later, he scored a brace to defeat defending champions Newcastle United 2–1.^[1] Across the first few months of the new year, he scored decisive goals in league victories against Reading, Swansea City, Sunderland and Watford, helping Spurs establish a comfortable position at the top of the table, as well as an FA Cup third-round hat-trick against Derby County on 1 February 2025.^[1] On 25 February, he scored a late winner in Spurs' first leg in the Champions League round of 16 against Schalke 04.^[1] In the 2025 EFL Cup final against old club Manchester City, he scored a goal in each half to seal a 2–0 win and second trophy of the season for Spurs.^[1] The brace meant that he had scored a record-extending eight goals in four League Cup finals (2015, 2019, 2021, 2025), additionally breaking Didier Drogba's record of having scored in three separate League Cup finals, as well as becoming the first ever player to win the Alan Hardaker Trophy three times.^[1] On 9 April, Edge scored a decisive goal in the second leg of Spurs' Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea to spend Spurs into the final four.^[1] On 18 May, he scored a goal with an overhead kick to seal a 1–0 win over Norwich City that confirmed Spurs as Premier League champions; his goal was later awarded Premier League Goal of the Month.^[1] In his following game, Spurs' final game of the season, Edge scored a brace against former club Queens Park Rangers, though he was sent off for a tackle in stoppage time; he later returned to the field after the match's conclusion to lift the Premier League trophy.^[1][2] This would prove to be Edge's final appearance for Tottenham, as he sustained a minor injury in the warm-up for the 2025 UEFA Champions League final against former club Barcelona in Munich; Spurs would go on to win the game 2–1 to secure their first ever Champions League title.^[1][2] The win also meant that Edge became the second player in football history to win the Champions League with three different clubs, after Clarence Seedorf who did so with Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan.^[1][2]

Edge concluded the season with 32 goals and two assists in 33 games in all competitions, with 19 goals coming in 20 appearances in the Premier League, making him Tottenham's top goalscorer in all competitions.^[1] Though Mourinho reportedly wanted him to stay, Edge confirmed a week after Spurs' Champions League triumph that he would depart the club, having won every possible trophy during his time at Tottenham; in a lengthy statement, he expressed regret at the timing of his first departure, and thanked Spurs fans as well as his teammates and managers Pochettino and Mourinho.^[1][2] In a later interview, he revealed that the retirements of teammates Fernando Muslera and Kyle Walker, with whom he was close friends, played a part in his decision to depart, as well as his desire to play abroad once again.^[1] He concluded his time at Spurs with 173 goals in 203 appearances, putting him third in Spurs' all-time top goalscorers list behind Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Smith. For his performances across the season, Edge finished 4th in the 2025 Ballon d'Or, which was won by Spurs teammate Alen Halilović.^[1]

2025–26: Debut half-season; Bundesliga, Europa League titles

On 21 January 2026, Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach announced the signing of Edge on a two-and-a-half year contract for a reported fee of €9.5 million (£8.2 million).^[1][2] He retained the number 10 shirt.^[1]

Edge made his debut on 26 January, scoring both goals as Gladbach came from behind to defeat Hannover 96 2–1.^[1] Five days later, he scored another brace as Gladbach defeated Bayern Munich 2–1, including a stoppage-time winner.^[1] On 8 February, he scored a third brace in three games to help defeat 1. FC Nürnberg 3–1.^[1] He later scored both home and away on 18 and 25 February against Lille in the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League round of 32 as Gladbach triumphed 4–2 on aggregate.^[1] After scoring against Schalke 04 on 28 February, he did not score again until May; the 12-match goalless run was the longest of his career.^[1]

Edge ended his goalless run by scoring a hat-trick in Gladbach's final Bundesliga game of the season on 9 May, an eventual 6–0 win over VfL Wolfsburg, to ensure that Gladbach won their first Bundesliga title since 1977 by finishing above title rivals Dortmund on goals scored.^[1] Dortmund's 4–0 win against Schalke 04 meant that Gladbach would not have won the title had they won by a margin of five goals (though Edge would still have received a winners medal, having made seven appearances for Dortmund earlier in the season).^[1] On 20 May, Edge played the full 120 minutes as Gladbach defeated former club Chelsea 1–0 in the 2026 UEFA Europa League final, winning their first UEFA Cup since 1979; though Edge had two penalties saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga, he was awarded man of the match for his performance in the game.^[1][2] The two trophies meant he overtook Paul Scholes to become the outright most decorated Englishman of all time, with 28 trophies.

Edge finished the season with 19 goals in 32 games in all competitions (seven in 11 for Dortmund; 12 in 21 for Gladbach); it was his lowest goal tally since he departed Chelsea in 2014.^[2] He finished as the second-highest goalscorer in the Bundesliga season with 16 (six for Dortmund, 10 for Gladbach).^[1] He ended up finishing 19th in the 2026 Ballon d'Or.^[1]

2026–27: Second season in Germany

Edge opened his account for the new season with a brace in a 4–2 win against Eintracht Frankfurt on 22 August 2026.^[1] Five days later, he assisted Branimir Hrgota's first equaliser against former club Barcelona in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, which Gladbach went on to win 3–2 after extra time to secure a third trophy of the year.^[1] On 16 September, on Gladbach's debut appearance in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, Edge scored once and assisted twice in a 4–1 win against Dynamo Moscow, though he was sent off late in the second half.^[1] On 17 October, he scored a late winner in a 1–0 win over Greuther Fürth.^[1] His next goals came with a brace in the DFB-Pokal against FC Augsburg on 28 October.^[1] On 22 November, he netted a goal and assist in a 2–0 away win over Hamburger SV, which kickstarted a run of form in which he scored six goals in six games, including the opener in a 2–2 draw with Dynamo Moscow, equalisers in 1–1 draws with Hannover 96 and SC Freiburg, and a brace in a 2–1 win over Liverpool on 8 December to fire Gladbach into the Champions League knockout stage.^[1][2]

Edge scored in each of Gladbach's games in January 2027, against Greuther Fürth, Augsburg, and TSG Hoffenheim.^[1] The following month, he helped end an away winless run with a brace in a 3–0 win against Hannover 96.^[1] After an equaliser against Wolfsburg on 28 February, he was man of the match after assisting and scoring in a 2–0 win over league leaders Bayern Munich on 6 March.^[1][2] Ten days later, he opened the scoring in second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain, with Amin Younes' stoppage-time winner ensuring Gladbach won 2–1 on the night (2–2 agg) and went through on away goals.^[1] On 27 March, he scored an equaliser against Mainz 05; for his performances across March, he was awarded his first Bundesliga Player of the Month.^[1] Edge scored in both legs against Manchester Uninted in the Champions League quarterfinals, with his goal in the second leg on 7 April putting Gladbach 2–1 ahead at Old Trafford, though Manchester United eventually triumphed 6–4 on aggregate.^[1] On 18 April, he scored and assisted twice in a 3–0 win at Kaiserslautern.^[1] On 8 May, with Gladbach needing a final-day victory to secure Champions League qualification, Edge scored the opener in an eventual 3–2 victory at Schalke 04.^[1]

While the club spent the majority of the season languishing in mid-table, a late surge took them up to fourth, and Edge was voted the club's Player of the Season after finishing the season with 25 goals and 11 assists in 46 games in all competitions.^[1] He played in all but one of Gladbach's league games, finishing the season with 16 goals and six assists in 33 games, only one behind Bundesliga top scorer Thomas Müller.^[1] Edge's role as a playmaking second striker saw his assist numbers increase significantly in comparison to previous seasons; his 22 goal contributions formed 59.4% of the team's overall tally of 37.^[1] He also finished as the joint-top scorer of the Champions League, with seven goals and three assists in nine games.^[1]

UEFA Euro 2020 squad exclusion controversy

Edge, who was the top scorer of the 2019–20 Premier League, was excluded from the squad for UEFA Euro 2020, along with Premier League Player of the Season Charlie Austin and Andy Carroll, in favour of playing 34-year-old Wayne Rooney as the starting striker at the tournament.^[1]

The move was met with shock and ridicule from fans and pundits; Alan Shearer described the decision as "absolutely baffling", with BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty writing "Edge's prolonged exclusions from the squad, despite his sheer quality, hint at a more systemic problem within the FA; that older players of a long-gone "golden generation" will always be prioritised over the current crop of stars."^[1][2] Former England star Gary Neville said "[Allardyce] is just doomed to fail if he repeats the same mistakes as Hodgson. If [England] fail to show up at the tournament, the blood will be on Allardyce's hands."^[1]

Allardyce defended his decision to the press ahead of England's first game against Poland, stating "I'm in this position to build a team, not just shove the players with the most goals onto the pitch. When it comes to major tournaments, experience and comraderie between a squad is as important as talent."^[1] England were eliminated at the group stage without winning a single game, with the exclusion of Edge and Austin described by many as a key factor in their poor performance.^[1] As a result of the controversy, both Allardyce and FA chairman Greg Clarke resigned immediately following the tournament.^[1]