Super Son proving the Premier League's most efficient finisher
With Expected Goals recently added to WhoScored.com, we thought we’d take a look at the Premier League players who are overperforming their underlying numbers the most - in other words, the division’s most clinical attackers - following on from yesterday’s look at the top 10 underperformers. To be considered, players must have taken 30 or more shots in the Premier League this season, with stars from Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool among those to feature.
10. Evan Ferguson (Brighton) - xG Overperformance of 2.27
In at joint-ninth on our list is 19-year-old Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, who has six Premier League goals so far this season from an expected goals tally of just 3.73. Ferguson has fired off a total of 30 shots, with the average xG for each of his attempts coming in at 0.12 - a fairly low figure for a striker, suggesting he often shoots from distance, sometimes with success. Indeed, no player has scored more goals than his three from outside of the box this season.
9. Declan Rice (Arsenal) - xG Overperformance of 2.27
Tied with Ferguson is Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, who has so far looked every penny worth the £105m the Gunners paid for him last summer. The England international has four league goals to his name this term from an xG of just 1.73, while his expected goals per shot sits at just 0.05.
8. Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham) - xG Overperformance of 2.30
One of two Tottenham attackers in our top 10, Dejan Kulusevski has found the net six times for Ange Postecoglou’s side so far this season, while he would have been expected to have scored fewer than four. Kulusevski generates 0.17 xG per 90, while his shots, on average, have a 9% chance of finding the net.
7. Simon Adingra (Brighton) - xG Overperformance of 2.72
22-year-old Brighton star Simon Adingra is another attacking player overperforming his expected goals under Roberto De Zerbi this season. Like Ferguson, Adingra has so far netted six league goals, though his expected tally sits at just 3.28.
6. Hwang Hee-Chan (Wolves) - xG Overperformance of 2.98
Wolves forward Hwang Hee-Chan currently has the best shot conversion rate (27.8%) in the Premier League this season of the players to have had 30 or more shots. So it should come as no surprise that the South Korea international is overperforming his xG by nearly three goals. Hwang has bagged a career-high 10 league goals so far this term in a Wolves side that are rejuvenated under Gary O’Neil.
5. Diogo Jota (Liverpool) - xG Overperformance of 3.23
Often labelled one of Liverpool’s - and the Premier League’s - best natural finishers, Diogo Jota comes in at fourth with an xG overperformance of 3.23. The Portugal international has nine goals to his name in just 13 league starts this term, while he generates 0.49 xG per 90, more than any other player in this top 10.
4. Mohammed Kudus (West Ham) - xG Overperformance of 3.38
Former Ajax winger Mohammed Kudus has proved one of the signings of the season for West Ham, and his impressive shooting technique will no doubt go some length to explaining his xG overperformance of 3.38. The Ghana international has six goals to his name thus far, when he may have been expected to have just under three.
3. Leon Bailey (Aston Villa) - xG Overperformance of 3.49
After two seasons where he perhaps struggled to find his feet, Leon Bailey has been one of the success stories of the season for Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa. Only three players can better Bailey’s minutes per goal involvement record of 83.9 in the Premier League this season. The 26-year-old has netted eight goals from an expected total of just 4.51.
2. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) - xG Overperformance of 3.57
Jarrod Bowen, currently third in the Premier League’s top scoring charts, has had a sensational season so far, made even better when he bagged his first-ever senior hat-trick in Monday’s 4-2 victory over Brentford. Of the division’s top five scorers, Mohamed Salah is the only one also overperforming his xG, but only by 0.88, which puts Bowen’s overperformance of 3.57 into some perspective, and highlights his impressive finishing ability.
1. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham) - xG Overperformance of 4.40
Topping the charts when it comes to finishing efficiency is Tottenham captain Son Heung-Min, who has scored an impressive 4.40 goals more than expected in the Premier League this season. The 31-year-old has 12 goals to his name so far this term, while he generates a total of 0.38 xG per 90 and 0.15 xG per shot.
