Ivan Toney surprised everyone with his stoppage-time penalty for Al-Ahli against Al-Khaleej on 23 October.
Known for his slow, no-look routine, this time the striker changed his approach, taking just two steps back before driving the ball into the bottom corner as goalkeeper Marwan Al-Haidari remained rooted to the spot.
The goal sealed a 4-1 win in Jeddah and completed Toney's brace on his return from injury. The England international has also converted 92 per cent of his Premier League penalties for Brentford.
How Toney Took the Penalty Against Al-Khaleej
Toney stepped back twice before accelerating towards the ball and driving it into the bottom-left corner. Goalkeeper Marwan Al-Haidari remained near the centre of his goal as the shot went past him. The speed of the kick was such that the Saudi broadcast reportedly missed part of the action.
The penalty came late in a match Toney had already influenced. He opened the scoring in the first half, before Al-Ahli added two more goals after the break. Al-Khaleej pulled one back late on, but Toney's penalty restored the three-goal margin.
The Saudi Pro League's official match report confirms the 4-1 result and records Toney's penalty as a right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner.
Toney has scored 13 league goals in nine appearances this season, according to Goal. His finish against Al-Khaleej attracted attention not simply because he scored, but because he appeared to abandon the deliberate timing that usually defines his penalties.
Ivan Toney’s Penalty Technique vs His No-Look Routine
Toney's usual technique is built around watching the goalkeeper instead of the ball. He waits until the final moment to see whether the keeper moves, then chooses where to place his shot.
In a Premier League interview, Toney explained that he developed the method after missing a penalty with a more conventional approach. He reasoned that the closer a taker gets to the ball, the less time a goalkeeper has to react.
“If the keeper doesn't move, I have a side I just put the ball, but nine times out of 10 the keeper will move, and I put it in the other side,” he said in the interview.
He has also explained that the referee's whistle does not mean he has to strike immediately. Instead, he takes the penalty when he is ready, saying, “I take a penalty when I'm ready, on my terms.”
His familiar method has worked on major occasions, too. During England's Euro 2024 quarter-final shootout against Switzerland, Toney scored while keeping his eyes on goalkeeper Yann Sommer throughout his run-up.
Sommer guessed correctly but could not stop the shot. Toney has not publicly explained why he chose the quicker routine in Jeddah, so it is still unclear whether this represents a change to his method or a one-off decision.
What Law 14 Says About Taking a Penalty Quickly
Under Law 14 of the Laws of the Game, a penalty is taken after the referee signals. The goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, with at least part of one foot touching the line, in line with or behind it when the ball is kicked.
The rules permit feinting during the run-up, but feinting after the run-up has been completed as an offence that results in a caution and an indirect free-kick for the defending team. The law does not require the taker to delay after the referee's signal, so taking a penalty quickly is not, by itself, an offence.
There is no indication in the reporting reviewed that the referee questioned Toney's technique, and the goal stood in Al-Ahli's 4-1 win.
