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The Premier League has its fair share of world-class strikers. With so many top managers around, English top-flight clubs have adopted varying philosophies and styles of play. But certain things remain the same.
The Premier League has a number of dynamic forwards
The high-octane, end-to-end action in the Premier League requires forwards to be athletic and technically proficient in order to succeed. With more and more teams taking to an expansive brand of football and holding a high backline, certain patterns of play tend to get repeated.
That's why we have so many forwards looking to run in behind defenses. Running off the shoulder of the last defender can be the most effective way to bypass a backline. But it has to be executed well. If the timing of the run is off, then the player will be flagged offside and a good opportunity will be squandered.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five Premier League players who have been flagged offside the most number of times in the 2021-22 season.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) - 11 offside calls
Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United in the summer sparked off plenty of debate. The common argument seemed to be that the Red Devils weren't exactly in need of a veteran striker when they already had Edinson Cavani in their ranks.
But due to the Uruguayan international's injury problems and the rest of the side turning in underwhelming performances in the early phase, Ronaldo has been a blessing. He has come up clutch on multiple occasions this season.
Sometimes it is even hard to believe that Ronaldo wasn't a striker all his life. His positioning and ability to find the back of the net from difficult angles make him a threat like no other in the Premier League. He has scored seven goals and provided two assists in 13 appearances in the league so far this term.
However, Ronaldo has a propensity to mistime his runs in behind the defence. This could be due to the fact that he is still getting used to his new Manchester United teammates. Ronaldo has been flagged offside 11 times so far this Premier League season.
#4 Ivan Toney (Brentford) - 12 offside calls
Freshly promoted Brentford have surprised everyone with their courageous and enterprising brand of football. They've been able to take the game to the best teams in the land and striker Ivan Toney's form has been crucial to their exploits.
The 25-year-old has scored four goals and provided two assists in 14 Premier League appearances so far. But Toney has shown a tendency to stray offside a bit too much for manager Thomas Frank's liking.
He has been flagged offside 12 times already this season.
#3 Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton Wanderers) - 13 offside calls
Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez missed the majority of the 2020-21 season due to injuries. He fractured his skull and struggled with fitness as he recovered from it. Wolves missed their striker a lot last term and their form dipped in his absence.
Jimenez returned for the 2021-22 season but has been nowhere near his best in the first half of the season. He has lacked sharpness and has scored just three goals and provided two assists in 16 Premier League appearances so far this term.
With a pacy partner in attack like Adama Traore and technically gifted playmakers behind him, one of the things that Jimenez has to do is to pop up in good areas where he can be found easily. However, the Mexican international has mistimed his runs one too many times this campaign.
He has already been flagged offside 13 times this season.
#2 Chris Wood (Burnley) - 14 offside calls
30-year-old New Zealand striker Chris Wood has been a rather reliable presence for Burnley in recent seasons. While not the most prolific strike around, he can be a tricky customer to handle for the opposition when he is in the mood.
But Burnley have been in horrendous form this season which sees them languish at 18th in the Premier League table. Wood has not been clinical in front of goal and has scored just three goals in 15 Premier League appearances so far this term.
Burnley ping quite a few long balls into their attackers and for that style of play to work, Sean Dyche needs his forwards to time their run to perfection. However, this is not something Wood has been able to do consistently and he has been flagged offside 14 times already this season.
#1 Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) - 17 offside calls
Jamie Vardy has etched his name into Premier League and Leicester City folklore in the span of the last seven seasons. The Englishman has become a cult figure and his rags-to-riches story is one for the ages.
Vardy is now 34 and although he hasn't slowed down a whole lot, his overall game has deteriorated slightly in recent times. Don't get us wrong, he still has those emphatic finishes and tenacity about him.
Vardy's pace has always been an important feature of his game. He loves running in behind the defence and once he turns on the afterburners, he is almost impossible to catch. But he has been timing those runs wrong a little too often these days.
Vardy has been flagged offside 17 times already this Premier League season.
