A good striker normally indicates that a side will do well in any given season, but they are notoriously hard to come by. Though putting the ball in the net sounds like the easiest job in the world, the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Rasmus Hojlund and Darwin Nunez have proved that doing it on a regular basis in the Premier League is far from simple.
But on the other end of the spectrum, there are players whose careers have been built in England’s top flight, and whose eye for goal is invaluable for their side as the margins continue to shrink in football.
Below, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best marksmen around, including players across the division.
A striker’s currency is goals, and it will be no surprise to see plenty of those towards the top of the goalscoring charts in this list, but our list of criteria also includes things like conversion rate (shots per goal), goals per 90 minutes and also a nod towards the difficulty of scoring goals for different sides (would Erling Haaland have scored 19 goals at Ipswich Town?).
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So without further ado, let’s jump into this not-at-all-controversial top 10 (note: stats correct as of 17th February 2025):
10 Raul Jimenez (Fulham) 9 goals, 179 minutes per goal
Enjoying a late renaissance in his career after a sickening injury, Raul Jimenez continues to impress leading the line for Marco Silva’s Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Mexican has found the net nine times this season, as well as grabbing three assists.
His goals come from his sheer volume of shots, with his conversion rate (13%) the lowest of the players on this list, but it is his goals that have Fulham firmly in the hunt for European football rather than scrapping in the bottom half of the division.
Out of contract this summer, the Cottagers will be hoping to tie him down once more in a bid to guarantee goals in west London for seasons to come.
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ByBen BrowningFeb 14, 2025 9 Kai Havertz (Arsenal) 9 goals, 205 minutes per goal
A striker as frustrating as he is enjoyable, Kai Havertz found the net nine times for Arsenal, earning him a spot on this list despite his recent season-ending injury.
However, recent high-profile misses have laid bare the need to upgrade on the German in north London if they are to lift serious silverware in the seasons ahead. While his work rate, hold-up play and eye for a goal are admirable, Arsenal will need more to challenge at the very top.
8 Liam Delap (Ipswich) 10 goals, 186 minutes per goal
A proper old-school No 9, any hopes Ipswich Town have of surviving in the Premier League this season are on the shoulders of Liam Delap. Still just 21 years old, the ex-Manchester City youth graduate has hit the net 10 times already in his debut top-flight campaign, and has also won plaudits for his hold-up play and willingness to press.
With a goal every other game for a side that look destined for the second tier, it is little surprise to see clubs like Chelsea linked with a move for the Englishman, and a full national team debut cannot be too far away should he continue to find the net at Portman Road.
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ByCharlie SmithFeb 13, 2025 7 Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) 11 goals, 178 minutes per goal
Crystal Palace signed Eddie Nketiah for a massive fee in the summer, but such has been the form of Mateta that the ex-Arsenal man has barely had a chance for a run of games.
Fresh from earning an Olympic silver medal, Mateta has hit double figures again for the Eagles as he powers them away from the relegation zone after a horror start to the season, earning links with the likes of Manchester United and Lyon in the process.
His goals have come from just 50 shots – only Chris Wood has scored more from fewer attempts – underlining just how clinical in front of goal the 27-year-old has become at Selhurst Park.
6 Matheus Cunha (Wolves) 12 goals, 164 minutes per goal
In truth, it is difficult to place Matheus Cunha on the pitch, with the Brazilian roaming all over the place for Wolves and undoubtedly the man they look to for some magic in the final third.
So far, that is working, with the Brazilian having grabbed 12 goals for his side this season as they look to beat relegation.
His tally of 77 shots so far this season is behind only Erling Haaland on this list, while he converts those to goals roughly 16% of the time, the second-lowest on this list.
Such were his performances in the first half of the season that he was linked with a move to a bigger club in January, only to pen a new deal until 2029 which includes a release clause available to be activated in the summer.
5 Yoane Wissa (Brentford) 11 goals, 160 minutes per goal
Criminally underrated, Yoane Wissa has been overshadowed at Brentford by Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo, but continues to dazzle at the Gtech under Thomas Frank’s tutelage.
Now 28 years old, Wissa has hit the net 11 times this season (none of them from the spot) and is scoring a goal every other game, while his 21% goal conversion is better than the likes of Erling Haaland (20%).
Capable of playing across the front three, Wissa has now hit double figures for a second successive year and looks set to continue to improve in the years to come.
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ByBarney LaneFeb 6, 2025 4 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) 11 goals, 158 minutes per goal
Off the back of a record-breaking season last year, Ollie Watkins remains one of the Premier League’s best strikers, but he has struggled to replicate his form so far for Aston Villa this season.
He has found the net 11 times for Unai Emery’s side, grabbing five assists in the process too, in what has still been a very strong season for the 29-year-old Englishman.
Stat
2023/24
2024/25
Appearances
37
24
Goals
19
10
Assists
13
5
Minutes per goal/assist
101
110
It is easy to see why he was linked with Arsenal in January, such has been his sustained form in the top flight, but Villa will be hoping that the sale of Jhon Duran allows them to keep hold of their talisman for a while longer yet as he aims to fire them back into the Champions League.
3 Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) 18 goals, 112 minutes per goal
Be honest, no one saw Chris Wood becoming a killer top-flight striker at Nottingham Forest. Yet that is precisely what the gangly forward has done, spearheading his side towards a shock spot in the Champions League next season.
The 32-year-old has scored 18 goals this season, including 15 non-penalty efforts from an expected goals total of just 10.4 (as per FBref), while he is converting at a mammoth 39%, putting him among the best in Europe.
His form across the 2023/24 campaign could have been attributed to fluke, but to repeat it once more this season demonstrates that there is a seriously talented striker leading the line at the City Ground.
2 Erling Haaland (Man City) 19 goals, 116 mins per goal
Since his arrival at the Etihad Stadium, Erling Haaland has broken just about every goalscoring record, and even as he and Manchester City struggle this season he has managed to find the net 19 times.
He continues to hit the net at a rate of 0.76 goals per game, and strikes fear into defenders with his sheer speed and power, while also possessing an unteachable knack of being in the right place at the right time.
Having just signed a new deal in Manchester, defenders have another 10 years of trying, and ultimately failing, to stop him from finding the net in the top flight.
Appearances
133
Goals
117
Assists
17
Minutes per goal/assist
81.7
1 Alexander Isak (Newcastle) 17 goals, 111 mins per goal
Perhaps now slightly numb to Haaland’s ridiculous scoring rate, we’ve opted to dethrone the Norwegian marksman and replace him with Alexander Isak.
Isak may trail Haaland by two goals in the goalscoring charts at the time of writing, but his 111 minutes per goal is actually better than Haaland’s 116, and so too are his goals per 90 minutes (0.81 v 0.77).
Playing for a slightly inferior side in Newcastle United, Isak has also managed a better conversion rate (26% vs 20%) than Haaland, and is carrying the Magpies towards European football once more, catching the eye of clubs across the world in the process.
Erling Haaland
Alexander Isak
Games
6
6
Goals
5
5
Assists
2
1
The apple of every Newcastle fan’s eye, they will be praying that they can keep hold of him this summer.