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Some of the best goals in the Premier League have been scored with either foot. Whether it's the wickedly clinical lob by David Beckham from the halfway line against Wimbledon, or any one of Tony Yeboah's mercurial screamers during his time with Leeds, goals can be a thing of incredible beauty.
However, headed goals tend to be rather underrated when discussing beautiful goals. Perhaps that's because most headers happen within the penalty area and the six-yard box.
There are some world-class, Puskas-nominated headers, though, like Robin van Persie's diving header against Spain during the 2014 World Cup. The brilliant striker flung his body into the ball, lobbing it over the confused goalkeeper and into the goal.
Scoring headers isn't an easy feat, not for many players in the Premier League. For most, it's a matter of luck and being in the right place at the right time. For a few players, though, it's a measured feat of accuracy, strength and consistency to do it season after season.
So, without further ado, let's take a look at five currently active players who took the Premier League by storm with the sheer number of brilliant headed goals they managed to churn out:
#5 Michail Antonio - 20 headed goals | West Ham United
Ever since he joined in 2015, Michail Antonio has been a key source of goals for West Ham United. His 1.8-meter frame might not be among the tallest for most forwards, but a solid high-jump and the speed to get there first has been vital to him scoring many headers. Notable in the Premier League as a utility player — as he has played in more than four positions in the past 7 seasons — his brilliance in front of goal is what the Hammers love about him.
Antonio is currently in his prime, having scored five goals in just five Premier League games this season, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down. The last two seasons have seen him hit double digits in the Premier League for the first time in his career, and this season might see him add a couple of numbers to his headed goals tally.
#4 Romelu Lukaku - 23 headed goals | Chelsea
He was in the Premier League and then he left, and now he's back in style. Romelu Lukaku is one of the best strikers in the world, combining the pace of a winger, the strength of a target man and the finishing skills of a poacher. He returned to Chelsea, whom he left in 2014. Expectations are high for the journeyman but he's set out to achieve them with ease.
Lukaku's three seasons leading the Everton frontline threw the star into the spotlight. He could score goals with both feet, and his 1.91-meter frame made him physically imposing and hard for defenders to deal with. Never one to shirk away from a six-yard box tussle, Lukaku has scored 23 headers in the Premier League. Now that he's at Stamford Bridge, the Blues will be looking to him to finish more of those crosses this season.
#3 Harry Kane - 26 headed goals | Tottenham
During the summer transfer window, Harry Kane was constantly in the headlines, and for good reason too. The star knows he has to leave Tottenham if he's to win a trophy before his career fizzles out into retirement. Kane is unhappy at White Hart Lane and it's showing in his appearances on the field. Six Premier League games without scoring a single goal is a new low for the star. In past seasons, it's been the opposite: Kane has consistently hit double-digit Premier League goals for Tottenham since 2014-15.
Few of those goals have come from his quality headers, and the star is currently the fourth-highest scorer of headed goals in the history of the Premier League with 26 to his name. Standing at 1.88 meters, headers are certainly made easier for Kane but his all-round skill and passing ability make him a world-class attacker. Spurs fans will continue to hope that Harry Kane's form returns for their benefit, even if he decides to leave Tottenham next summer.
#2 Olivier Giroud - 32 headed goals | AC Milan
Although the star has found a new challenge in the Serie A, Olivier Giroud was one of the most skilled headers of the ball during his nine-year stint in the Premier League. Playing for Arsenal and eventually making the switch to Chelsea, Giroud was the premium target-man. Capable of linking play and holding up the ball with his 1.93-meter frame, the 35-year-old currently has the joint-second-highest headed goals in Premier League history with 32, alongside Christian Benteke.
Now plying his trade at Milan, Olivier Giroud has continued his career in fine form, picking up two goals from three Serie A games for the Rossoneri. With physical strength on the ball as well as sublime accuracy to put his headers past any goalkeeper, Milan will certainly be looking forward to important goals courtesy of Giroud's head.
#1 Christian Benteke - 32 headed goals | Crystal Palace
Christian Benteke is above Giroud on this list because the latter has left the Premier League. Similar to Giroud, Benteke has been in the Premier League for nine seasons, having switched clubs twice so far. The Crystal Palace star has endured a few difficult seasons in front of goal, having surpassed 10 goals per season just twice since joining the Eagles in 2016.
However, his general difficulties in front of goal haven't stopped him from churning brilliantly headed goals often enough. With 32 such goals under his belt, he has the rest of the season to surpass Giroud and take a historic second place behind Peter Crouch, who had 40 headed goals to his name. That aside, things are looking gloomy for Benteke, with the star struggling to find the net so far this season. Regardless, Palace will remain hopeful for a change in his fortune.
