Premier League striker power rankings – £125m star’s undeniable inclusion, surprising stat behind Victor Gyokeres’ surge

The Premier League boasts some of the best strikers in world football, but which stars sit among the elite?

Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland has begun the campaign in blistering fashion, which has become an all-too-regular occurrence ever since his arrival in July 2022.

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Yet there have been a number of other marksmen who have impressed, some of which joined their respective clubs as recently as this summer.

Here, talkSPORT.com has their say on who the top ten strikers in the Premier League are in our power rankings.

It must be noted these rankings will update from week-to-week depending on how they perform, meaning a striker who is ranked second one week could easily fall a few spots should they play poorly in their next game.

These rankings were also based on a combination of five key metrics: goals scored, goals scored per 90 minutes, expected goals (xG), conversion rate as well as shots on target per 90.

Read on to see the latest update of talkSPORT’s Premier League striker power rankings.

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10th – Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

Granted, Ollie Watkins is yet to register a goal this term, which immediately rules him out of figuring in two of the metrics used to determine these rankings.

It doesn’t help that Aston Villa waited until their fifth league fixture to score their first goal and even then, it came via a goalkeeping error against Sunderland.

But Watkins, with an xG of 1.10 this term, has already proved himself in recent campaigns having netted 15 or more goals across the last three seasons.

Given this season is still in its infancy, it would be grossly unfair to discount all the good Watkins has done in the last few seasons for Villa, which is why he’s scraped into the rankings.

However, if his goalless streak continues, the argument for his inclusion will only grow weaker.

9th – Alexander Isak (Liverpool)

Isak only has 23 minutes of league action this term owing to his drawn-out transfer saga that ended in his £125million switch from Newcastle to Liverpool.

Yet the Swede cost the eye-watering fee for a reason and once he gets back up and running, defenders across the top flight will be worried.

Having scored 44 goals across the last two seasons, Isak remains one of the league’s most fearsome strikers, even if he has yet to see much action so far.

Similarly to Watkins, Isak warrants an inclusion in the power rankings based on his previous exploits.

Having got his dream move though, it’s all on Isak to prove he can take the step up to leading the line for the defending Premier League champions.

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8th – Joao Pedro (Chelsea)

Pedro has been an ever-present for Chelsea since he joined from Brighton in the summer and has started brightly with two goals, a figure which is higher than his xG of 1.50.

The Brazilian’s numbers could have been larger given he has played as both a striker and attacking midfielder for the Blues this term.

With fellow forward Liam Delap sidelined for several months with a hamstring injury, the starting striker role is Pedro’s so expect him to remain amongst the goals in the near future.

Pedro will also never get a better opportunity to hit double figures in the Premier League for just the second time in his career.

His best haul in a single season remains 11 and that was with Watford in the 2022/23 Championship season, but one would expect him to surpass that given his stellar supporting cast at Stamford Bridge.

7th – Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)

Another member of the two-goal club, Wood is Forest’s biggest threat at the top end of the pitch.

The Kiwi international is coming off his best ever season having netted 20 goals.

At present, he has registered more shots on target per 90 than the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Viktor Gyokeres.

It will be intriguing to see whether Wood flourishes under his fellow Trans-Tasman personality in Forest boss Ange Postecoglou’s style of play.

Wood is yet to find the back of the net since the Australian took over at the City Ground, but given his remarkable form in front of goal over the last two seasons, it would be silly to think the New Zealander cannot continue scoring.

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6th – Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)

Mateta has transformed into one of the league’s most feared strikers under Palace boss Oliver Glasner.

To put it into context, Mateta had scored 11 league goals in 80 appearances before Glasner’s arrival.

After the Austrian stepped through the door at Selhurst Park, the 28-year-old has netted 29 times in 55 league games.

His physicality and close control makes him an utter nightmare for defenders, so it’s no surprise he is second in the league for xG with 2.67.

The Frenchman also sits third for shots on target per 90 with 1.42.

It hasn’t quite translated into the goal haul Mateta’s efforts have perhaps deserved given he only has netted twice, but given both strikes have come in his last three games, the Palace star may have found his groove.

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5th – Wilson Isidor (Sunderland)

Undoubtedly the surprise package among the strikers to start the season.

Isidor has three goals to his name but, most impressively, is second for goals scored per 90 and shots on target per 90 with 1.15 and 1.91, with only Erling Haaland ahead of him.

The Frenchman’s three goals have already matched his tally from last season in the Championship.

However, it’s worth noting he is out-performing his xG of 1.02, a figure lower than Watkins who is yet to score a goal.

Isidor will certainly be one to keep an eye on to see if he can sustain his blistering start for Sunderland.

4th – Richarlison (Tottenham)

Having played across the front three during his time at Tottenham, Richarlison has taken advantage of his run up top under Thomas Frank.

With three goals in five matches, the Brazilian is firmly on track to net his highest league tally for Tottenham, which stands at 11.

Similarly to Isidor, Richarlison is outperforming his xG of 1.64.

But given he averages 1.29 shots on target per 90, Richarlison is ensuring he makes the most of his chances.

It’s evident Frank trusts Richarlison to lead the line and he’ll have to maintain his performances given Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke will desperately want to displace him when fit.

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3rd – Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool)

Isak is likely to become Liverpool’s leading man up top but for now, the mantle belongs to fellow summer signing Ekitike who has grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Ekitike has netted three times to start the season, an impressive feat considering he has managed 0.97 shots on target per 90.

But, in turn, that means he has a strong conversion rate (33.33 per cent), which is higher than Haaland.

So long as Isak is not at full fitness, the starting striker role at Liverpool is Ekitike’s to lose and his form proves he won’t give it up easily.

2nd – Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal)

Gyokeres has had his fair share of critics since joining Arsenal in the summer.

But the Swede was signed for his goals and he’s provided just that with three to his name.

What is intriguing about Gyokeres’ performance in the box is the fact he has just 0.68 shots on target per 90, which is lower than the likes of Wood, Mateta and Richarlison.

However, he does not waste his chances and that is evidenced by the fact he leads the league with a conversion rate of 42.86 per cent.

Whether it is a sustainable conversion rate remains to be seen and if it drops, the fact his shots on target per 90 is rather low will be cause for concern.

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1st – Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

There was no doubt Haaland would be sitting pretty at the top of the list.

The only metric we used to calculate these rankings where Haaland wasn’t at the top of the list was his conversion rate, where he was behind Gyokeres and Ekitike.

But those metrics ultimately matter little when the main currency is goals scored and it is one Haaland is perennially rich in.

So far the Norwegian has six goals from five games, which means he’s nearly a third of the way to matching his goal tally of 22 from last season, his joint-lowest haul from the last five years.

Given the way he’s started this season, there’s little reason to doubt he won’t surpass the 22-goal mark.