With the recent controversy surrounding Chelsea's latest spot-kick, we decided to take a look at the 10 most clinical penalty-takers in Premier League history!
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There has been a lot made of the bust-up that took place in the Blues' 6-0 victory over Everton on Monday. Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke seemed to have a never-ending argument about who should take the penalty for the west Londoners when they were up by four goals. Ultimately, it was the Manchester native who took the spot-kick as he continued his 100% conversion rate with his ninth penalty of the league campaign.
The situation had us wondering: Who are the most prolific players from the penalty spot that have played in the English top flight?
We will be looking at players that have taken at least 10 spot-kicks, so unfortunately for Palmer, he does not qualify for the time being. However, if he is to convert the next one he takes, he will maintain his flawless conversion rate and be level with the only other player who has scored all his EPL penalties, and that is Yaya Toure.
The Ivorian was able to keep his cool on all the occasions he stepped up to the spot for Manchester City, and even in big-pressure moments, he was able to calmly slot the ball passed each respective keeper. Seven of his 11 strikes were match-winners too.
The player with the next highest conversion percentage is Southampton icon Matt Le Tissier. The former England striker scored 24 of the 25 penalties he took. After scoring the first two of his league career, the next one was saved by then-Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Mark Crossley, but that would be the first and last time the set-piece master would fail to convert from the spot.
Here are the 10 most prolific penalty-takers in Premier League history, as per Opta Analyst:
Behind Le Tissier is another former Three Lions international in Danny Murphy. The ex-midfielder only ever missed once, having scored 18 of his 19 taken during his time in England's top flight, with then-City goalkeeper Joe Hart responsible for the save in 2008, when Murphy was playing for Fulham.
Of the three active players in the top 10, Newcastle United's Callum Wilson is the most prolific with his 16 out of 17 spot-kicks converted. His lone miss came during his Bournemouth days, when Cardiff City's Neil Etheridge saved the Coventry-born attacker's kick, but Wilson would have the last laugh as he scored past him in the 91st minute to ensure that the Cherries won 2-0 on the day.
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Wilson shares his conversion rate with another player who was prominent on England's south coast in James Beattie, who also scored 16 of his 17 penalties taken during his Premier League career. Beattie's only penalty miss was because of Thomas Myhre of Charlton Athletic, but instead of guiding it out for a corner, it fell right into the path of the five-time England international as he opened the scoring for his then-side Everton.
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