The Premier League’s most regular shot-takers.
All good strikers shoot often, because as Wayne Gretzky said, “you miss every shot you don’t take”, but a missed shot is still a waste, especially when you’ve got team-mates in better positions.
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Some of the players on the list can justify the number of efforts they have every game while some of them have no excuse for going for glory…
10) Lukas Jutkiewicz – Burnley
The new signing has fired in an average of 3 shots a game but hasn’t yet found the net.
9) Edin Dzeko – Manchester City
The Bosnian striker has fought off competition for his place and started 5 Premier League games this year, scoring twice. He’s taken an average of 3 shots per game.
8) Diego Costa – Chelsea
Chelsea’s deadly Diego has 9 goals in 7 games, and takes 3.1 shots per game. He was known in Spain as a striker who occasionally missed easy chances, but his finishing has been razor sharp in England so far, with the exception of one he blazed over the top against Arsenal on Sunday, when he was offside anyway.
7) Wayne Rooney – Manchester United
Wayne has been slightly more wayward, taking 3.2 shots a game for a return of 3 goals in 6 matches. Since Falcao joined, Rooney has been playing slightly deeper, behind the Colombian and Robin Van Persie. Naturally he will get fewer opportunities to shoot here, and will often have to force himself to look for a pass to one of the two big-guns up front.
6) Charlie Austin – QPR
The Englishman has also taken 3.2 shots a game, and has only scored twice. He must start getting more of his efforts on target if he wants to prove that he is up to the standard required of a Premier League striker.
5) Niko Kranjcar – QPR
Another QPR player sitting near the top of the table on 3.3 shots per game. The Croatian is known for his flair and his spectacular long range goals, so one can’t blame him too much for having a go, especially with QPR often trailing by several goals.
4) Danny Welbeck – Arsenal
Welbeck has started strongly for Arsenal, and has seen plenty of the ball in good areas, taking 3.3 shots a game. He’s only scored once in the league however, and will need to improve his shots-to-goals ratio if he is to shake the reputation he gained at Manchester United for being unreliable in front of goal.
3) Graziano Pelle – Southampton
The Italian was a goal machine in Holland and has kept up his feats in England, scoring four times in six appearances for Southampton since his move. His goals more than justify the 3.3 occasions a game that he has a go.
2) Sergio Aguero – Manchester City
Another striker who is getting rewarded for shooting often, Aguero’s 3.6 shots per game have brought him 5 goals in 5 games. With movement and finishing like Aguero’s every shot is a dangerous one, and he doesn’t hesitate to have a go.
1) Mario Balotelli – Liverpool
Mario’s struggled since his move to Liverpool, and nowhere is this better reflected than in the number of unsuccessful shots he takes. Balotelli has yet to score in the Premier League despite taking an impressive 4.6 shots per game. It’s good to know he’s still confident enough to have a go, but unless he starts finding the net with some of those efforts, he’s going to stay behind Rickie Lambert in the pecking order for the foreseeable future.
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