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In the world of football, there exists a unique breed of attackers who may not boast a plethora of goals in their tally but possess an uncanny ability to influence games profoundly. These players often end up being unsung heroes, who make an impact with their dribbling, precise passing and intelligent movement.
They are more geared towards orchestrating attacks and creating opportunities for their teammates. As such, to gauge them on the basis of their goalscoring output would be reductive. Their excellent vision and footballing intelligence make them vital cogs in their team's machinery.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five high-profile forwards who don't score a lot of goals.
#5 Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle United)
Allan Saint-Maximin surely had a rather underwhelming campaign last time out. With Eddie Howe coming in and dismantling the pre-existing system at Newcastle United that relied on individual brilliance, Saint-Maximin found himself swept to the sidelines.
Prior to the Magpies' resurgence though, the French forward was the only bright spark in the team. His dazzling dribbling skills and directness made for exhilarating viewing and he is a great difference-maker in the final third.
The 26-year-old scored just a single goal and provided five assists in 31 appearances across all competitions for Newcastle United in the 2022-23 season.
#4 Ansu Fati (Barcelona)
Ansu Fati is tipped to do great things at Barcelona. However, the 20-year-old struggled to nail down a starting berth in the 2022-23 season, although he did impress on occasion for the Catalans.
Fati is a creative forward who does better when he is deployed down the left flank as opposed to playing down the centre. The Spain international does not score an awful lot of goals but is still quite effective in attacking areas thanks to his excellent technical qualities.
In 51 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona last term, Fati scored 10 goals and provided four assists.
#3 Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
Ousmane Dembele is a gifted footballer. He is an ambipedal winger. This means that he can dribble and shoot with both feet, making him a unique threat and a dynamic attacker who is unpredictable on the ball.
Dembele's dribbling and ability to pick a pass in the final third are his biggest qualities. As such, he is more of a playmaker than a goalscorer and this is reflected in his stats.
In 35 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona in the 2022-23 season, the Frenchman scored eight goals and provided nine assists.
#2 Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)
Even when Gabriel Jesus was leading the line for Manchester City, he wasn't exactly a prolific goalscorer. That's perhaps why Pep Guardiola decided to move him on and sign Erling Haaland at City. Jesus joined Arsenal last summer and immediately improved their attacking play.
However, he did that without drastically increasing his goalscoring output. The Brazilian striker is a technically proficient forward but he is not extremely reliable when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis.
The 26-year-old scored only 11 goals and provided eight assists in 33 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal in the 2022-23 season.
#1 Jack Grealish (Manchester City)
The 2022-23 season was arguably Jack Grealish's best ever since turning pro. The English forward was one of Manchester City's most influential players as they won the continental treble last term. However, if you were to quantify his impact by peeping at his stats, you'd be up for disappointment.
Grealish scored just five goals and provided 11 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions for Pep Guardiola's side in the 2022-23 season. His impact lies outside the goals and the assists. Grealish is one of the best ball carriers in the world.
He attracts multiple defenders at once, thereby opening up space for his teammates to exploit. Grealish is a menacing presence in the final third and can upend defences sometimes by just merely being there and moving around.
