10 best finishers in the Premier League in 2023/24 | OneFootball

When somebody thinks of elite finishers in football today, there is a good chance that Manchester City’sErling Haaland is the first name that springs to mind. He might only be 23, but the Norwegian already has a reputation as one of the best goalscorers in football.

Tall, powerful, good with both feet - there are many qualities that make him the incredible striker that he is. Surprisingly, though, he doesn't even make it into the top 10 best finishers in the Premier League based on statistics this season, despite leading the Premier League's goalscoring charts right now.

Having previously ranked the 10 worst finishers in the Premier League so far this season, we’ve had a look on FBref to see who the 10 best finishers have been so far this season, ranking them by the difference between their total goals scored and overall expected goals. While Haaland misses out, there are some very surprising inclusions, so let's dive right into things.

10 Phil Foden - Manchester City

+2.6

Just over halfway into the season and Phil Foden is having one of the best campaigns of his career. A large reason for that is just how clinical he's been in front of goal for Manchester City, and boy, has he been clinical. The Englishman has scored eight goals so far this season, but in terms of his expected goals, the data suggests he should have only scored 5.4.

Overperforming by almost three whole goals is quite a showing for the youngster and if he continues playing to the level that he has so far this season, it will be very hard for Gareth Southgate to leave him out of the side when the Euros roll around in the summer.

9 Michael Olise - Crystal Palace

+2.8

It's been a pretty dire campaign so far for Crystal Palace. With the level of talent that the club currently has, Roy Hodgson's side should not be in the current state that they are. The club are currently sitting in 14th place, just five points above the relegation zone, but things could be much worse if they didn't have players like Michael Olise operating at the level he currently is.

The forward has been a standout for the Eagles since he joined from Reading in 2021. He's drawn attention from the likes of Manchester United recently and it's down to how impressive he's been in spite of Palace's struggles. Injuries have limited Olise to just 11 league appearances this season so far, but he's had a huge impact in that time, with six goals and three assists to his name. That's almost three more goals than the data suggests he should have too.

8 Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United)

+2.9

The departure of Declan Rice could have really seen West Ham United take a step back this season, but the Hammers have actually had a very impressive year so far. David Moyes' side are chasing more European football and are currently seventh in the league, seven positions higher than where they finished last campaign.

They're just four points away from matching last season's total of 40 too, and an incredible campaign from Jarrod Bowen has been key to their success. The Englishman, who is giving Southgate plenty of headaches heading into the Euros, has scored 11 times so far in the league for West Ham, 2.9 more than the data is suggesting he should have right now. He's been lethal in front of goal and made the most of his chances.

7 Elijah Adebayo (Luton Town)

+3.7

No one gave Luton Town even the slightest chance of avoiding relegation this season following their promotion to the Premier League. They were written off before they'd even kicked a ball, but miraculously, Rob Edwards' side have actually been pretty impressive all things considered.

After a slow start, the Hatters have started picking up results and have managed to climb out of the relegation zone. A large portion of their success has come from Elijah Adebayo's fantastic season in front of goal. The forward has carried the brunt of the workload up front for the club, but he's delivered. His nine goals is far better than anyone likely expected from him this year, but the data shows that he's actually outperforming his xG by 3.7 strikes. It's that level of finishing that could be the difference between safety and relegation.

6 Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

+3.8

Foden isn't the only Man City player currently overperforming his expected goals by some distance. Bernardo Silva has been superb for Pep Guardiola's side this season so far. He's not exactly set the league alight with his goalscoring, hitting the back of the net just six times so far, but when you factor in that the underlying data suggests he should have scored less than half of that, it's quite impressive.

The Portuguese star has been a key figure for the club and if he continues to convert his chances with the efficiency that he currently is, there's no doubt that the club will be in with a shout for numerous pieces of silverware come the end of the campaign.

5 Leon Bailey (Aston Villa)

+3.8

After a slow start to life in England last season, Leon Bailey has taken a massive step forward this time around with Aston Villa. Unai Emery's side have been nothing short of fantastic this season, and the winger has played a significant role in the success. The Villans are currently sat in the top four, with Champions League qualification a real possibility this year.

Moussa Diaby has earned a lot of plaudits for his performances so far, but Bailey has also been very impressive so far. He's scored seven times in the league, but has overperformed his expected goals by 3.8 strikes which is quite a significant improvement. He's tied with Silva in that sense, but considering Bailey has scored more goals so far, he narrowly pips the City man.

4 Mohammed Kudus (West Ham United)

+3.9

Arriving in the summer from Ajax, Mohammed Kudus has had a superb start to life in the Premier League with West Ham. Sure, Bowen is earning a lot of plaudits for the Hammers' success so far this season, and rightfully so, he's been fantastic, but Kudus has also been huge for the club.

The 23-year-old has had a major impact on the pitch for Moyes' side and has scored six times in the league so far, which might not seem like a big number, but considering it's almost three times as much as his expected goals data suggests he should have scored, it's quite impressive.

3 Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

+4.1

Wolverhampton Wanderers could have been in real trouble this season. There was clear turmoil at the club over the summer, with numerous key players departing and manager Julen Lopetegui quitting shortly before the campaign got underway. They've actually exceeded all expectations so far, though, and have had a solid year so far.

With players like Ruben Neves leaving, there was room for someone to step up and lead the way for the club, and Hwang Hee-chan has done just that. The striker already has 10 league goals under his belt, his best return in almost a decade. He's overperforming his expected goals by just over four strikes too. A finishing touch that any elite striker needs.

2 Diogo Jota (Liverpool)

+4.4

In terms of Liverpool's forwards, Diogo Jota wouldn't immediately spring to mind when talking about the club's best finishers. Mohamed Salah would dominate those conversations, but in terms of how efficient they've been in front of goal, Jota is head and shoulders above anyone else at Anfield.

He's scored eight goals so far in the league but should have only found the back of the net 3.6 times according to the underlying data. With Jurgen Klopp leaving at the end of the season and the club still in with a shout of completing a historic quadruple, they'll need him to continue performing at this very impressive level.

1 Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)

+4.9

With Harry Kane leaving Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, the club needed to find a replacement for him up front and rather than look elsewhere in the transfer market, they turned their attention inward and moved Son Heung-min into the role instead. And it's safe to say it's been a major success.

The South Korean is having one of the best seasons of his career so far, with 12 goals to his name so far, and he's been very clinical in front of goal. Expected goals data suggests that he should have only scored 7.1 goals so far this year, so he's overperforming that number by a staggering 4.9 goals. That makes him the most efficient finisher in the Premier League and, with his return from the Asian Cup on the horizon, Spurs are about to get a whole lot stronger.