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Football's as much about goals scored and assists made as it is about missed chances. The 2021-22 Premier League season has been no different. While some players have been coming up with the goods, some have been struggling to put their chances to bed too.
In this article, we will look at the star players who have missed the most number of big chances in the Premier League so far. While some on this list have managed to make up for the missed opportunities, others have been left to rue the ones they have failed to put behind the goal-line.
Some star names feature on the list for most big chances missed in the Premier League
After 10 game weeks in the Premier League, one superstar has missed three big chances and three star players have missed four big chances each. On top is the leading goal-scorer in the Premier League so far, having missed five chances. Two of the five players on this list are from Liverpool.
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On that note, here are the five Premier League superstars who have missed the most big chances so far this season.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) - 3
Manchester United's star acquisition, Cristiano Ronaldo, has set the ball rolling since the first day, when he scored twice upon his return to the Premier League giants. Although United have faltered at times, Ronaldo has continued his goal-scoring form, bagging seven across competitions so far.
There has been criticism regarding Ronaldo's work-rate and his pressing, with calls to bench the Portuguese as well. But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put a rest to all such speculation, playing both Edinson Cavani and Ronaldo in a 5-3-2 against Tottenham Hotspur. Ronaldo responded by scoring a goal and assisting another.
However, the Portuguese has been guilty of missing big chances as well. He has missed three gilt-edged opportunities in the league so far, which places him fifth on this list.
#4 Paul Pogba (Manchester United) - 4
The Manchester United midfielder started the season in emphatic fashion, providing four assists in the first match of the season - a 5-1 win over Leeds United. However, Pogba's performances have taken a dip as the team's problems have deepened.
The Frenchman has been given the license to roam forward by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season. As such, Pogba has managed to get into more goal-scoring positions than we have seen from him in the last couple of seasons.
But Pogba has failed to convert any of the chances he has had, missing four big ones. He leads the Premier League assists chart, however, with seven. The midfielder will want to get the goal count ticking as well with Manchester United currently struggling to put together a string of positive results.
He was given marching orders in Manchester United's recent 5-0 defeat against Liverpool and will miss two more league games.
#3 Sadio Mane (Liverpoool) - 4
After a sub-par Premier League season by his standards, Sadio Mane has found form in the ongoing season. He scored 11 league goals last season, but has scored five this season already and is on course to overhaul 2020-21 season's tally.
But he could have been just one goal short of last season's numbers had he converted all four big chances that he has missed so far this season.
To be fair to Mane, the Senegalese has had a great season and is bound to miss a few chances while putting in five in nine matches. Fortunately for Liverpool, his misses haven't proved costly either.
#2 Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) - 4
Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min has been among the goals in the ongoing Premier League season, scoring four of them. But he has also been guilty of missing as many big chances, with the latest one coming in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester United.
Tottenham have also struggled to keep pace with the usual suspects, languishing in eighth spot after 10 matches.
Son is the current top-scorer for the club in the Premier League, and others will have to step up to the task now if Spurs are to improve their form. The pressure is mounting on their manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who has now lost half of their opening 10 Premier League games.
#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 5
The Premier League's top goal-scorer this season, Mohamed Salah, is also joint-top of the list of players who have missed the most big chances. But Jurgen Klopp wouldn't mind him missing a few chances if the Egyptian continues in a similar vein of form.
With 10 goals, Salah is three goals ahead of the second highest goal-scorer of the season so far, Jamie Vardy. Salah also has five assists to his name and has created seven big chances for his team-mates. His recent form has invited many claims that the Egyptian is currently the best player in the world.
“Mo Salah is the best player in the world right now. Would I have him over Messi and Ronaldo? Yes. Mbappe? Yes. Neymar? Yes. For me right now, if you are picking the team in the forward area, Mo Salah would be the first choice. So I would say, right now, Mo Salah is the best player in the world in terms of creativity, assist," Robbie Savage said earlier this month.
Salah has only gone on to raise his game another notch, scoring a hat-trick in a 5-0 demolition of Manchester United at Old Trafford on October 24. Notably, Christian Benteke of Crystal Palace is the other player with the same number of big chances missed as Salah.
