When you think about some of the most anxious moments in a football match, there is nothing more nerve-shredding than when it comes to a penalty. Whether you support the team who have been awarded the spot-kick or the one defending it, the whole experience is horrible up until the ball has either hit the back of the net or been kept out.
However, there are those players who have shown over time that they have nerves of steel, and are as cool as ice when it comes to stepping up from 12 yards. There are some gifted penalty takers in the Premier League, with some notable names who you would have faith in to make the most of the opportunity.
We have delved into the statistics of the current crop of Premier League players to see who boasts the best penalty success rate.
READ MORE:
-
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and the fastest hat-tricks scored in major competitions
-
Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 11: Gabriel Martinelli is still a bargain
Mohamed Salah - 90.1%
Liverpool’s Egyptian superstar has a great record for converting from the spot in the Premier League. Salah has scored 18 of the 20 he has taken for the Reds.
James Milner - 90%
Liverpool’s veteran midfielder has been a Premier League player for just shy of two decades and has had the responsibility of taking penalties with some regularity in his impressive career. The Englishman has scored 17 out of 19 efforts, meaning Jurgen Klopp has two reliable penalty takers at his disposal.
Harry Kane - 89%
Tottenham Hotspur have one of the best in the world from 12 yards in Kane, with an uncanny ability to put the ball in the inside of the net and well out of the goalkeeper's reach. Of the 33 spot-kicks he’s taken in the Premier League, he has been successful 29 times.
Luka Milivojevic - 89%
He might be a sporadic player for Crystal Palace now, but in his heyday the Serbian midfielder was a dependable penalty taker for the Eagles. He has scored 22 out of the 25 chances he’s had from the spot in the top-flight.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 89%
The Manchester United forward made headlines last week for scoring his 700th club goal in United’s win at Everton. Mocked by some as 'Penaldo', the Portuguese has been successful with 15 of his 17 attempts in the Premier League.
Jorginho - 88%
We have become very accustomed to seeing the Italian take penalties for Chelsea, mainly for his peculiar run-up, but it largely works. He has put away 18 of the 21 spot-kicks he has taken for the Blues in the league.
Jamie Vardy - 86%
The Leicester City veteran’s tactics from 12 yards mostly involve hitting the ball as hard as he can, and they’re unstoppable most of the time. Vardy has scored 26 of the 31 he has been tasked with for the Foxes in the top flight.
Bruno Fernandes - 84%
The Portuguese midfielder has a good record for spot-kicks at Manchester United in the Premier League. Fernandes has tucked away 13 of the 16 he has been charged with.
James Ward-Prowse - 82%
Penalties, free-kicks, where can’t this man score from? Southampton’s classy midfielder is the definition of a set-piece specialist. Of the 14 penalties he has stepped up to take for the Saints in the Premier League, he has been successful on 11 occasions.
Riyad Mahrez - 78%
Forgetting his blazed effort over the bar against Liverpool at Anfield a few years back, the Manchester City winger has a respectable record in the top flight for spot-kicks. The Algerian has scored 12 out of 18 from 12 yards.
