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The 10 worst finishers in the Premier League: Bamford, Nunez, Jesus…

Ben Stewart •

The art of finishing is one of the game’s most crucial components and that’s why we regularly see Premier League clubs splashing the cash on big-name strikers.

Even the best in the business can get it wrong sometimes though as this season we have seen several stars looking more wasteful than usual.

We’ve dived into the numbers and figured out who the top 10 worst finishers in the Premier League this season have been, based on their xG underperformance.

10. Mohamed Salah

The Egyptian King has been one of the best goalscoring wingers we have ever seen grace the Premier League, but even he has been guilty of missing some big chances this season.

With an xG underperformance of 1.9 goals so far, Salah hasn’t quite been matching his usual high standards this season. He is Liverpool’s joint-top goalscorer with seven league goals, but we can’t help but feel like he could have more.

9.  Diego Costa

Wolves have struggled to find the back of the net all season and Costa has been no different. He is yet to score since arriving at Molineux, despite racking up an xG of 2.0.

Chelsea's Diego Costa during the Barclays Premier League match at Stamford Bridge, London. 29th August 2015.

READ: 11 times Diego Costa was a massive sh*thouse: Ramos, Gabriel, Alonso…

8. Mohamed Elyounoussi

Southampton find themselves on a six-game losing streak in the league which is partly down to their poor finishing. Elyounoussi has been guilty of being their biggest underperformer as he is yet to score despite having an xG of 2.4 this season.

The Saints have only scored 15 goals so far and if they maintain their ratio of just 0.83 goals per game, they will barely score over 30 goals over the entire season which speaks to their problems.

7. Brennan Johnson

The Welsh forward started the season well with goals against Everton and Bournemouth, but since that point, he has found goals hard to come by. He has underperformed his xG by 2.4 goals which he will be keen to rectify in the second half of the season.

6. Darwin Nunez

Only Aleksandar Mitrovic has taken more shots per game than the Liverpool striker this season. Despite Nunez scoring five league goals so far, he has been guilty of missing some massive chances.

The 23-year-old has missed 15 big chances in the league this season, which is more than any other player. In total, he has underperformed his xG by 2.4 goals but we are convinced that he will come good eventually.

5. Ollie Watkins

The Aston Villa man was guilty of slightly underperforming his xG last season and this year has been a familiar story so far. He has hit the back of the net three times, but currently has an xG underperformance of 2.4.

4. Jarrod Bowen

The Hammers haven’t been their usual selves this season and neither has Bowen. West Ham have underperformed their xG by 7.3 goals this season, which is the biggest in the league.

Bowen has underperformed his own xG by 2.5 goals as he has struggled to recreate his form from last season which saw him score 12 goals. If David Moyes manages to turn things around, he will need players like Bowen to step up.

3. Gabriel Jesus

There’s no doubt that Jesus has had a positive impact on this Arsenal side and yet he has been one of the most wasteful players in the league. The Gunners have definitely lost a spark since the Brazilian has been out of the side.

He started out well scoring a brace on his home debut but is now on a 14-game goal drought for club and country. In the league, he has scored five goals but has underperformed his xG by 2.7 goals.

2. Danny Welbeck

Welbeck is another forward who has had an overall positive influence on his side, despite being quite wasteful in front of goal himself. The 32-year-old is yet to score this season despite accumulating an xG of 3.0.

Last season he chipped in with eight goal contributions which was his highest tally in the league since leaving Manchester United in 2014. He’ll be hoping that first goal is around the corner.

1. Patrick Bamford

Bamford has underperformed his xG during every single season he has spent at Leeds and this year is no different. Even during the 2020-21 season, where he managed to score 17 goals, he was still 1.2 goals under his xG.

His biggest underperformance actually came during Leeds’ promotion to the Premier League when he underperformed his xG by a whopping 11 goals. Bamford may still manage to match that tally this season as he has not yet scored, despite building up an xG of 4.1 goals.

Injuries have hampered the 29-year-old over the last couple of years and despite his tendency to miss a sitter or two, Leeds do look a stronger outfit when he’s leading the line. Accumulating 4.1xG from just 429 minutes of Premier League football this season shows that even half-fit he knows how to carve open dangerous opportunities.

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Darwin Nunez Gabriel Jesus Mohamed Salah Premier League Quick Reads