Premier League’s best finishers 23/24: Haaland way out of the picture in 85th

Erling Haaland might have scored 13 Premier League goals this season but xG calculates that he really should have scored 13 goals.

We’ve had a good laugh at the players who are being most conspicuously owned by their xG stats, so it’s only right and fair that we acknowledge those at the other end of the scale who are making a mockery of the boffins’ projections.

1) Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves): +3.4
Expected goals: 2.6
Actual goals: 6

“Channy knows to arrive at the goal,” says Wolves boss Gary O’Neil. Let’s take a second to enjoy that incredibly English nickname alongside that unexpected goalscoring form. Dan Burn is still sliding.

2) Son Heung-min (Tottenham): +3.4
Expected goals: 4.6
Actual goals: 8

Scored a hat-trick at Burnley from an overall xG of 1.4 and then added a couple more v Arsenal before netting the opener against Liverpool and Fulham, then ultimately the winner at Palace. The armband definitely suits him.

3) Jarrod Bowen (West Ham): +3.2
Expected goals: 4.8
Actual goals: 8

After a season of underscoring on his xG, Bowen is back with a bang for the Hammers.

4) Mathias Jensen (Brentford): +2.5
Expected goals: 0.5
Actual goals: 3

Three goals from seven shots this season. You have to like those odds.

5) Evan Ferguson (Brighton): +2.3
Expected goals: 2.7
Actual goals: 5

Scored a hat-trick from an xG of 0.8 v Newcastle United. We mostly like how chuffed he looks every time he scores.

6) Bernardo Silva (Manchester City): +2.1
Expected goals: 0.9
Actual goals: 3

One of the Premier League’s most creative players also happens to be an efficient finisher. And a ludicrous footballer.

7) Leandro Trossard (Arsenal): +2.1
Expected goals: 0.9
Actual goals: 3

Arsenal’s most natural finisher is finally playing up front for the Gunners and showing Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus how it’s done.

8) Scott McTominay (Manchester United): +2.0
Expected goals: 1.0
Actual goals: 3

Three goals from 10 shots this season. You have to like those odds slightly less.

9) Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal): +1.9
Expected goals: 3.1
Actual goals: 5

A first Premier League hat-trick will do that to you, Nketiah even passing up the option of doing an Andrei Arshavin by giving Fabio Vieira that late penalty against Sheffield United. He and Arsenal would have killed for the opportunity against Newcastle.

10) Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham): +1.8
Expected goals: 1.2
Actual goals: 3

The Swede has already passed his Premier League goal total from last season. It’s a shame that nobody will remember his strike from that batsh*t game at Tottenham.