We’ve been blessed to see some of the greatest strikers of all time grace the Premier League over the years. To look at the list of top goalscorers in England’s top flight is to see a plethora of world-class strikers from multiple different eras, who combined their wiliness in front of goal with an unparalleled ability for finishing.
It’s these players who made the act of scoring look so easy, that make up our list of the Premier League’s best finishers. Whether it’s slotting home coolly in a one-on-one situation, heading home powerfully from a cross, or rifling home a strike from distance, these are the players we feel are the best finishers of the Premier League era. Read on to discover who made the list.
Sergio Agüero
Manchester City’s Sergio Agüero has established himself as one of the best strikers of the modern Premier League era, having scored 180 goals in the competition. The Argentine’s ability to finish from the most unlikely of positions has made him one of the most revered forwards in the history of the division. His imperious form is one of the main reasons why City are so highly fancied each year in the odds on the Premier League title winners.
Whenever you watch Agüero, you know he has the ability to make magic moments happen at the drop of a hat, and this is emphasised by the range of finishing he demonstrates. Whether it’s a piledriver from outside the box, a pinpoint finish from a tight angle, or a perfectly placed header, Agüero has just about every tool in his locker.
Michael Owen
While injuries ultimately took their toll on Michael Owen, there is no doubting the fact that he remains one of the best one-on-one finishers the English top flight has ever seen. He burst onto the scene with Liverpool in 1997 and his electric pace meant he would often find himself face-to-face with the goalkeeper.
His composure in front of goal was something to marvel at, and the Englishman’s total of 150 Premier League goals speaks for itself.
Harry Kane
Another great of the modern game, Harry Kane’s rise to prominence is a remarkable story, and one that for so long looked highly unlikely. He had been a relative also-ran at Spurs, being shifted from loan to loan, before bursting onto the Premier League scene in the 2014-15 campaign, where he began to show the full range of his finishing ability.
Kane’s talent in being able to find the net with such supreme accuracy has helped him rack up a mountain of goals, and many believe he will eventually overtake Alan Shearer at the top of the Premier League goalscoring list. Few players have shown such consistent accuracy in finding the corner, and this has helped Tottenham Hotspur ascend to a new level over the last five years or so.
Alan Shearer
You can’t leave out the Premier League’s greatest goalscorer of all time from a list like this. Shearer was a barnstorming striker, who loved nothing more than crashing the ball into the roof of the net, or powering home a driven header. Watch some compilations of his best goals, and you will marvel at the sheer power he gets behind the ball, and the laser-like accuracy that goes along with it.
The Newcastle legend may be getting nervous that Kane could one day break his record, but there’s no doubting Shearer’s position among the sport’s greats.
Thierry Henry
Without question, Thierry Henry is the coolest and silkiest finisher the Premier League has ever seen. Close your eyes and imagine an Henry goal in your head, and you’ll no doubt picture his trademark finish as he curls the ball sweetly around the goalkeeper and into the corner of the net. Where Shearer was a powerful, blood-and-thunder type of striker, Henry was an artist at work, guiding the ball where he wanted it, when he wanted it.
Arsenal fans still pine for the days they had a striker as reliable as Henry, and the Frenchman’s impact on the Premier League was huge. The sheer accuracy of his finishing is the reason why he takes top spot on our list.
