Most Clinical Strikers In The Premier League This Season
Today, we will be looking at the most clinical strikers in the Premier League this season. When these ruthless hitmen are baring down on goal, there is only ever one outcome.
To measure a strikers’ clinical edge, we will consulting their goals to xG stat [via FBref]. Essentially, this weighs up the amount of goals that a player has scored versus the amount of goals that they should be scoring. If a player is over performing in this category, we feel it is fair to call them a clinical finisher.
We have seen some incredibly clinical finishers in the Premier League over the years – Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Andy Cole and Robbie Fowler all spring to mind.
In this list we will be featuring players from Liverpool, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. Can you guess who made the final cut?
Roberto Firmino
Roberto Firmino is a player that many probably would not expect to see on a list of this ilk. Generally, he has been known for his clever hold-up play – but this season, he has displayed a killer edge with his finishing.
Firmino’s game time has been limited for Liverpool this season, but he has made good use of his cameo appearances. So far, he is overperforming on his xG by +4.8.
The Brazilian centre-forward may be set to leave Liverpool on a free transfer at the end of the season, but he still has plenty left in the tank – whoever picks him up will have a real gem on their hands.
Rodrigo Moreno
Another unexpected entry – Sam Allardyce’s Leeds United could be set for an ignominious return to the Championship, but not if the third-most clinical striker in the Premier League has anything to say about it.
Rodrigo Moreno has scored a total of 13 Premier League goals this season – additionally, he is overperforming on his xG by +5.1.
Aged 32, Rodrigo is reaching the end of his career prime – will he remain in England’s top flight if Leeds fail to avoid relegation at the end of the season?
Harry Kane
Finally, someone we all expected to see – Tottenham Hotspur may be floundering in the Premier League this season, but it hasn’t stopped Harry Kane from having one of the best campaigns of his career.
Kane has scored 28 league goals this season, putting him just two goals away from equalling his career-best tally. Additionally, he has overperformed on his xG by +7.5.
Will Kane remain at Tottenham Hotspur? Losing him would be a crippling blow to the North London outfit – but he may need to leave for the good of his individual career.
Erling Haaland
No surprises here – the most clinical striker in the Premier League this season, and perhaps of all time, is Erling Haaland.
What more can you say about the Norwegian all-star? He has everything you could possibly want in a centre-forward and more. Moreover, his finishing is ruthless – he has outperformed his xG by +8.7.
Is Erling Haaland the best striker in Premier League history? It’s probably too early to say – but if he continues his current form, we will have no problem calling him such.