Most headed goals: Premier League’s best aerial threats ranked | OneFootball

The Premier League is renowned for featuring some of the world’s most lethal aerial threats.

Many players throughout history, including Peter Crouch, Alan Shearer, and Tim Cahill, have left their mark in the air. As we approach the end of 2024, it’s time to highlight the top-performing passers in the competition since the beginning of the 2023/24 season.

This ranking is based on their Squawka Score and includes only those players who have played at least 2,000 minutes.

10. Amadou Onana

The sole player on the current list who has transitioned between clubs since the 2023/24 season began. Previously part of an Everton team facing relegation challenges, he moved to Aston Villa, a club competing in the Champions League. Onana has scored twice for Villa, both times with a header. He also netted a similar goal for Everton last season. In fact, during this period, only 13 players have scored more goals in the Premier League via this means.

9. Ethan Pinnock

Pinnock has scored four goals for Brentford since the start of the 2023/24 season. Unsurprisingly, the towering centre-back has successfully breached the defences of Chelsea, Luton, Wolves, and Manchester United with his head. It is noteworthy that only four players in the Premier League have recorded more headed goals than him during this period, with three of those players primarily focused on attacking roles.

8. Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Standing at 6 feet 2 inches tall, Calvert-Lewin possesses a notable vertical leap that makes him a formidable presence in aerial situations at both ends of the pitch. His height and jumping ability prove advantageous for Everton, particularly during defensive set pieces like corners.

Although he has scored only two headed goals during the specified timeframe, he ranks second in terms of shots taken from headers, averaging 1.16 per 90 minutes. This statistic indicates that while he is frequently involved in aerial attempts, he may struggle with generating sufficient power or finding the optimal angle to challenge the goalkeeper successfully.

Nevertheless, he excels in winning aerial duels, leading the team with an average of 5.41 per 90 minutes, underscoring his effectiveness in contributing to offensive and defensive plays.

7. Cristian Romero

When he isn’t earning yellow cards, Cristian Romero has shown to be a significant challenge for Tottenham’s opponents, especially during attacking corners. Lionel Messi has dubbed him the best centre-back in the game. Since the start of the 2023/24 season, Romero has scored four headed goals.

6. Erling Haaland

Given the incredible number of goals Erling Haaland has scored since the beginning of last season—39 goals—it’s striking that approximately 10% of those have come from headers, especially considering his tall, lanky frame. But could he have scored more headed goals? Notably, he has registered the highest number of header attempts, averaging 1.24 per 90 minutes. Additionally, he boasts the highest post-shot expected goals (xG) of 0.17 per 90 minutes, a statistic that measures the quality of finishing. Furthermore, his headed expected goals stand at 0.21 per 90 minutes, which is the highest among all Premier League players during this period.

5. Ollie Watkins

Ollie Watkins has emerged as a formidable aerial specialist, showcasing his talent by scoring the joint highest number of headed goals (8) since the start of last season. This impressive achievement highlights his ability to excel in the air, as 32% of his total goals have come from headers. Furthermore, Watkins ranks fourth among all Premier League players in terms of headed expected goals, underlining his consistent threat in aerial duels and his knack for finding the net with his head.

4. Kai Havertz

Having demonstrated his aerial prowess at Chelsea, it is not surprising to see Kai Havertz ranking this high. The multifunctional Arsenal forward has scored four headed goals since the start of last season. This success can be attributed to his intelligent movement attacking space inside the box and his excellent timing when getting on the end of crosses. However, it is his overall aerial game that continues to impress, as he consistently wins aerial duels and makes important headed clearances, further solidifying his value to Mikel Arteta’s team.

3. Joao Pedro

Brighton forward João Pedro is currently in great form, boasting the second-highest post-shot expected goals (post-shot xG), a metric that assesses the quality of finishing. His post-shot xG stands at 0.17 per 90 minutes, which is significantly lower than his overall expected goals (xG) of 0.51. This discrepancy indicates that he typically converts difficult chances effectively, placing the ball in harder-to-reach areas of the goalkeeper’s goal.

2. Gabriel

Arsenal have found an ideal combination with the Premier League’s leading set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, and one of the league’s most prolific aerial finishers. Since the beginning of last season, Gabriel has distinguished himself as the top defender in scoring from headers, averaging 0.13 goals per 90 minutes. His impressive performance places him in direct competition with some of the league’s strikers, as only three players currently surpass him in this specific aspect of attacking contribution.

1. Chris Wood

A headed goal from Chris Wood seems almost inevitable these days, as the Kiwi striker has scored a joint-high of eight goals this way since the start of the 2023/24 season. There is a sense of efficiency in his performance, as these eight goals have come from 24 headed attempts, giving him a success rate of 49%. Wood’s performance metrics reveal that he averages 0.17 post-shot expected goals (xG) per 90 minutes from his headed efforts, further underscoring his effectiveness in this aspect of his play.