The ‘BEST’ striker in English football this season according to Opta data, with two Brazilians and an England star in top five… but there’s no place for Erling Haaland
- New data from Opta has revealed the best striker in English football this season
- Manchester City star Erling Haaland failed to make the surprise top five strikers
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New data has revealed the Premier League’s best striker this season, with one of the division’s top three sides boasting star talent, and it’s not Erling Haaland.
The English top flight will resume this weekend after the international break that saw Arsenal, Liverpool and reigning champions Manchester City locked in a three-way battle for the title.
Meanwhile, the race for the remaining Champions League spot also appears to be going down to the wire, with Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United all still in contention.
Clubs looking to gain an extra competitive advantage are diving deep into statistical analysis and a new report from Squawka and Opta has revealed the Premier League’s most powerful attackers.
The assessment used data on xG (expected goals) without penalties, goals, goals and assists, expected assists, big chances created, feints completed, possession won in the defensive quarter, shots, shots placed, accuracy of shots, percentage of shots scored ends in the goal and touches in the opponent’s area.
Erling Haaland failed to make the squad as new Opta stats reveal the Premier League’s best strikers
One Manchester United star made the squad after an impressive goalscoring season
Every striker in the top division was assessed and surprisingly the top five did not include Manchester City’s superstar Haaland, but did include players from Liverpool and Man United.
Reds forward Darwin Nunez claims the top accolade after receiving an overall score of 78 per cent when all factors are taken into account, despite his struggles in front of goal this season.
The Uruguayan was previously mocked by rival fans for his finishing skills this season but still scored 17 goals in all competitions for Liverpool.
The research shows that Nunez is the best in the Premier League, based on what each player statistically performs on average every 90 minutes.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins scored highest behind Nunez with 76 per cent during what was a stunning season for the 28-year-old, who scored 16 top-flight goals for Unai Emery’s side.
Liverpool’s Uruguayan star Darwin Nunez has been named the best striker in the Premier League, according to new statistics
Man United’s Rasmus Hojlund took third place with an overall score of 75 percent
Aston Villa and England star Ollie Watkins found themselves in second place after a brilliant season
Fulham’s Brazilian goalscorer Rodrigo Muniz was named as the fourth best striker
Man United’s Dutch forward Rasmus Hojlund took third spot in the rankings with an overall score of 75 percent, a reflection of his debut efforts in England.
The youngster moved to Old Trafford in a £72million summer deal from Atalanta and after waiting 15 games for a first league goal, he became the youngest player to score in six consecutive Premier League games.
Erik ten Hag’s decision to make Hojlund his main striker appears to be finally paying off, with the Dane starting to flourish alongside Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
Two Brazilians make up the final top five in the latest statistical report, with Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz scoring 71 percent and Tottenham star Richarlison a total of 69 percent.
