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The introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Premier League has led to a steep rise in the number of penalties awarded.
A total of 118 penalties have been awarded in the ongoing 2020-21 season, the most in any Premier League campaign. A record number of 96 penalties have been converted, which is nine more than the previous high of 87 recorded in the 2006-07 edition of the competition
Soon-to-be relegated West Bromwich Albion have conceded the most penalties this season (10). They are surprisingly followed by Manchester City (9).
Thanks to more penalties being awarded, the role of a penalty taker has become more important than ever before. While teams like Brighton have suffered due to missed penalties, the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea’s flurry of goals from the spot have propelled them to successful campaigns.
On that note, let’s take a look at the five best penalty takers in the Premier League.
#5 Harry Kane
A hot contender for the Premier League Golden Boot award this season, Harry Kane has converted seven spot-kicks across all competitions for club and country in 2020-21.
Kane is one of Tottenham Hotspur and England’s premier strikers and has continued his stellar form this season. In 48 appearances across all competitions, the 27-year has been directly involved in 48 goals (32 goals, 16 assists).
Spurs have endured one of their worst seasons in recent memory, but the duo of Kane and Son-Heung Min have given the team a fighting chance of qualifying for Europe next season.
Kane, a lethal striker, has scored 44 penalties in his professional career and has only missed seven. He has had a 100% penalty conversion ratio in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign.
The England international is currently leading the Premier League goalscoring charts, with 22 goals from 34 appearances, a tally that includes four from penalties. With a calm head on his shoulders, it is no surprise that Kane is one of the best penalty-takers in English football.
#4 Jorginho
The Brazilian-born Italy international Jorginho is Chelsea’s highest goalscorer in the 2020-21 Premier League season, scoring all his seven goals from the spot. Jorginho recorded a brace of penalties against Crystal Palace earlier in the season.
In 41 appearances across all competitions this season, Jorginho has been involved in ten goals, doing so at an xG (expected goals) of 8.5 and xA (expected assists) of 2.8.
While the 29-year old will be proud of his goalscoring exploits this season, he will be disappointed with his penalty conversion rate of just above 70%. Jorginho has missed three penalties this season, twice in the Premier League and once in the Champions League group stage.
The holding midfielder missed penalties against Alisson and Bernd Leno, which resulted in 0-2 and 1-3 defeats, respectively, for Chelsea. However, Jorginho occupies second place in the list of most penalties scored in the 2020-21 Premier League season.
#3 Jamie Vardy
Leicester City’s star striker Jamie Vardy has been one of the most lethal finishers in the Premier League over the past few years. He is also exceptionally adept from the spot.
Vardy has scored seven goals (six in the Premier League) from the spot this season, doing so at an impressive conversion rate of 87.5%. He is joint-third in the list of most penalties scored in the 2020-21 Premier League.
Leicester City have emerged victorious every time Vardy has successfully converted a penalty. The striker has only been denied by Wolves’ Rui Patricio in the league this campaign.
The 34-year old has now recorded a career tally of 26 goals from the spot. He has missed just five since taking over penalty duties for the Foxes in the 2015-16 campaign.
Vardy has not managed to live up to the elite standards he sets for himself this season. But he remains one of the Premier League and European football’s most consistent strikers. In 41 appearances across all competitions this season, Vardy has scored 15 goals and provided nine assists.
#2 Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah is having another outstanding season in front of goal and is the joint-highest goalscorer (22 goals) in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign.
The Egyptian has registered an impressive tally of 31 goals and five assists in 50 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool this season.
The 28-year old has scored seven penalties in 2020-21, including six in the Premier League and has been perfect from the spot. Salah scored a memorable hat-trick against Leeds United earlier in the season to help Liverpool secure a 4-3 win, scoring a brace of spot-kicks.
The two-time Golden Boot winner will look to outscore Harry Kane in the final match of the Premier League to secure his third Golden Boot award in four years.
#1 Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes has been one of the game's best finishers from the spot this season, converting a whopping 13 of the 14 penalties he has taken.
Manchester United have only lost twice when Fernandes has converted a penalty. The Portuguese is accurate with his spot-kicks. With a penalty conversion rate of 92.8%, the Portuguese has beaten 12 different goalkeepers this season in all competitions, including Keylor Navas, Ederson, Emiliano Martinez and Illan Meslier.
Newcastle United’s Karl Darlow is the only goalkeeper to have saved a Fernandes penalty this season. But the Portuguese had his revenge in the return fixture, beating Darlow from the spot to help his team to a 3-1 win. The 26-year old has scored the most penalties (9) in the Premier League this season.
Bruno Fernandes is the second-best penalty taker in Premier League history, in terms of conversion rate (13 of 14; 92.9%), ranking only behind Matt Le Tissier (24 off 25; 96%).
In his brief stint at the club, Fernandes has scored 21 penalties for United in all competitions.
