Erik Lamela’s rabona goal in the north London derby against Arsenal has been nominated for the 2021 Puskas Award.
The award is given to the player judged to have scored the “most beautiful” goal of the calendar year, with Son Heung-Min taking the prize last year for his solo effort against Burnley.
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With the game at the Emirates goalless, Lamela overlapped his feet and squeezed a shot through Thomas Partey’s legs and into the net to put Spurs ahead.
“It has a different feeling to do it in the derby,” said Lamela, who left Tottenham in the summer to join Sevilla.
These games are completely different to other ones and it’s a very, very special goal. I dream a lot about goals like that, especially in a derby, but it was in one second that I decided to shoot like that.
The strike won the Premier League goal of the season award.
Lamela faces some strong competition for the 2021 Puskas Award with Riyad Mahrez, Patrik Schick and Caroline Weir among the other nominees.
Mahrez scored his nominated goal in a World Cup qualifier for Algeria against Zimbabwe, expertly bringing down a long pass before showing off his footwork in the box and then lashing past the goalkeeper.
Schick netted a stunning goal from nearly the halfway line as Czech Republic beat Scotland at Euro 2020.
Manchester City’s Weir has been nominated for the award for a second year in a row for her brilliant chip against Manchester United in the Women’s Super League.
Also on the list are Colombia’s Luis Diaz for a brilliant scissor kick against Brazil and Valentino Lazaro for a scorpion kick scored for Borussia Monchengladbach.
2021 Puskas Award nominations
- Luis Diaz – Brazil v Colombia (June 23)
- Gauthier Hein – Chamois Niortais FC v AJ Auxerre (April 10)
- Erik Lamela – Arsenal v Tottenham (March 14)
- Valentino Lazaro – Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Monchengladbach (November 8)
- Riyad Mahrez – Zimbabwe v Algeria (November 16)
- Sandra Owusu-Ansah – Kumasi Sports Academy v Supreme Ladies FC (May 8)
- Vangelis Pavlidis – Willem II v Fortuna Sittard (May 16)
- Daniela Sanchez – Queretaro FC v Atletico de San Luis (January 16)
- Patrik Schick – Czech Republic v Scotland (June 14)
- Mehdi Taremi – Chelsea v Porto (April 13)
- Caroline Weir – Manchester City Women v Manchester United Women (February 12)
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