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Another exciting Premier League season is underway. 20 teams with differing aspirations have kicked off what promises to be a memorable season full of twists, drama and goals. While solid defences will help teams move closer to their goal, putting the ball in the back of the net is just as important to actually achieve the desired position in the league table.
Now, there are various breeds of strikers ranging from poachers to wide forwards to target men. However, every striker needs to have one attribute in common - goalscoring. As simple as it sounds, scoring goals is easily one of the toughest jobs in the game and this separates the best from the rest.
The evolution of the game has seen wide forwards like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and recently Mohamed Salah score in bucketloads. Nevertheless, it is imperative for teams to have an elite finisher to give themselves a fighting chance of winning trophies.
Gone are the days of the last decade when strikers used to be such good poachers that a half-chance was enough to seal the deal between title rivals. The likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Didier Drogba, Robin van Persie were top finishers in their peak and the current crop do not possess the same sharpness in front of goal.
Selection Criteria - In order to decide the best 5, the data used will be from the 2017/18 Premier League season. The 3 main factors which will be considered are outperforming expected goals (xG), conversion rates to decide the clinical nature and number of big chances converted/missed.
Any player who has scored less than expected goals (xG), as well as less than 10 PL goals, will not be considered. Thus, Manchester City's Raheem Sterling barely misses out. Further, players who score largely from outside the box will not be considered as well, which eliminates the likes of Riyad Mahrez. Finally, we consider a minimum of 50 shots to be taken by the forward, which removes Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from contention.
Taking the above points into consideration, here are the top 5 finishers in the Premier League at the moment.
#5 Roberto Firmino
It has been a remarkable rise for Firmino over the past few years in England. Arriving as a hybrid attacker from German club Hoffenheim in 2015, the Brazilian initially looked like another failed signing for Liverpool as then-manager Brendan Rodgers seemed unsure of whether to play him as a no.9 or a no.10. A few months later, Jurgen Klopp took over the reins at Anfield.
Three years later, the 27-year old has morphed into one of the complete centre-forwards in the game. One of the first names on the teamsheet, Firmino is the epitome of everything Klopp wants from his team. Always hungry for the ball, never shirking away from defensive duties and quality in the attacking third are the hallmarks of his game.
The Liverpool no.9 also has a strong finishing capability which truly came to the fore last season. He scored 15 goals in the Premier League last season as he played the perfect foil to his more popular team-mate. His conversion rate of 18% is as good as most strikers in the league while he managed to score 59% of his big chances, a healthy number.
While he is yet to get going this season, if last season is any indication, it is only a matter of time.
#4 Harry Kane
They called him a 'one-season wonder' and then a 'two-season wonder". Now, we are into his fourth season and Kane is already set to end up as one of the greatest strikers in the Premier League. The Englishman is the focal point of Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham and has truly excelled for both club and country.
Kane plundered 30 goals in the league last season and converted 54% of his big chances, making him a deadly striker. The 25-year old is good with both feet and his head, making him the complete package.
The only negative is his low conversion rate of 16%, which is mainly due to him taking shots from anywhere across the pitch. If he improves his shot selection, which he very likely will as he enters his prime years, Kane will definitely go down as one of the best strikers of his generation.
#3 Mohamed Salah
There is nothing new that can be said of Mohamed Salah's season which has not already been said. The Egyptian marked his return to the Premier League by having one of the greatest goalscoring seasons in the history of the tournament. His 32 goals are now the highest-ever in a single season unless he can break that record this season.
The truly remarkable part of his achievement is that he is the only player on the list who plays as a wide forward. Helped by an attack-minded manager, more advanced position and a perfect foil in Firmino, the 26-year simply exploded last season.
Now, the underlying stats prove that it was no fluke either. The former Chelsea man outscored his expected goals (xG) tally by a whopping seven, had a conversion rate of 22% and scored 47% of his big chances. These prove the ability Salah possesses and naturally make him one of the most potent finishers in the league at the moment.
While the pressure is on him to continue that form this season, he can be expected to hit another 20+ goal this season at the minimum.
#2 Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero is easily the most underrated top striker in the Premier League. Ever since he joined Manchester City in 2011, he has been the most deadly striker, boasting of goals-to-minute ratios better than the likes of Thierry Henry. However, he barely makes it into the Team of the Year in most seasons. This is despite leading the blue half of Manchester to multiple league titles.
Last season saw the arrival of a competitor in Gabriel Jesus and the manager Pep Guardiola looked like he preferred the Brazilian. However, Aguero demonstrated his ability by adapting to the former Barcelona gaffer's requirements and is now once again first-choice at the club this season.
The Argentine scored 21 league goals despite registering lesser minutes than others on the list. The 30-year old posted solid underlying stats with a 22% conversion rate aided by a 52% conversion of big chances.
Aguero has already started this season well and if there is one aspect which separates him from every other striker in the league, it is his consistency. However, he is pipped to the top spot by a slightly surprising competitor.
#1 Jamie Vardy
As unlikely as it looks, Jamie Vardy is easily the best finisher in the Premier League at the moment. The Leicester City no.9 who spearhead the underdog title win a few seasons back continues to be a consistent goalscorer.
The Englishman scored 20 goals in the 2017/18 league season. However, what sets him apart is his lethality. Vardy converted 28% of his shots and even more remarkably, he finished a whopping 70% of his big chances. Thus, if there is one striker in the league whom teams do not want to give a clear-cut chance, it is the Leicester City forward.
Now, add in the factor that he plays for a club outside the top six, is 31 years old and is consistent, we have a recipe for a top finisher. While it remains to be seen how long Vardy can keep going, he is definitely the best for now.
