The 2025–26 Premier League season has showcased elite striking talent, with Erling Haaland leading the scoring charts, followed by Igor Thiago and João Pedro. Emerging stars like Hugo Ekitiké and consistent performers such as Danny Welbeck and Jean-Philippe Mateta have added depth. Intense title battles and relegation struggles have further highlighted the importance of clinical forwards in shaping this highly competitive campaign.
Best Premier League Strikers: Top 10 EPL Strikers in 2026

Summary
In the 2025-26 season of the English Premier League, fans have been witnessing goal galores courtesy of the best Premier League strikers. As always, this season is highly competitive, with Arsenal, and Manchester City putting up a fight for the domestic title, while the bottom 3 teams include North-London giants Tottenham Hotspur, is being struggling to make their way out of the relegation zone. Amid all the hustle and bustle, the English Premier League have shone as the best strikers in Premier League with their striking prowess.
The strikers in one of the most-watched football leagues in the world, also forced the opponents to put extra effort into stopping them. In the second half of the season, players like Igor Thiago, Jean Phillipe-Mateta, and Danny Welbeck showed their goal-scoring prowess and made the league even more interesting towards the business end of the season. Forwards like Hugo Ekitike and Joao Pedro have both made an immediate impact after joining their respective clubs in the league and proved their mettle as one of the best Premier League strikers 2026 with their overall gameplay.
Best Strikers in Premier League: Top 10 List
The Table below consists of the best Premier League strikers, which are carefully chosen after analysing their attacking stats. These players have outscored others to make their place in our list for the 2025-26 season.
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals | Avg. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Jean-Philippe Mateta | Crystal Palace | 10 | 6.91 |
| 9 | Junior Kroupi | AFC Bournemouth | 10 | 7.10 |
| 8 | Dominic Calvert-Lewin | Leeds United | 11 | 7.02 |
| 7 | Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa | 11 | 7.08 |
| 6 | Hugo Ekitiké | Liverpool | 11 | 7.07 |
| 5 | Viktor Gyökeres | Arsenal | 12 | 7.29 |
| 4 | Danny Welbeck | Brighton & Hove Albion | 12 | 6.93 |
| 3 | João Pedro | Chelsea | 14 | 7.18 |
| 2 | Igor Thiago | Brentford | 21 | 6.98 |
| 1 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 23 | 7.60 |
Who is the Best Striker in EPL Right Now?
The table below contains a detailed list of best striker in EPL, to be explained briefly about their recent performances in the English top division. Hence, this segment focuses on providing a brief explanation for why a particular player deserves a specific ranking.
10. Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace & France)

The French star Jean-Philippe Mateta has been a discovery on the other side of London with Crystal Palace. He has been the standout performer for the side since the emergence of Palace striker Wilfried Zaha. Mateta has come out of nowhere, emerging as one of the best striker in Premier League in the last few seasons, while stepping up like a true hero for the Eagles.
Interestingly, he brings a lot to the table from chance creation to progressive ball carries, apart from netting goals. Mateta also scored a bunch of important goals for Crystal Palace, which has put him on the radar of other big clubs in Europe, signifying his class. The former FSV Mainz striker finished his 2024-25 Premier League campaign with a G/A of 16, extending his form in this season as well.
| Age | Appearances | Goals | Expected Goals (xG) | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 26 | 10 | 13.16 | 0 |
9. Eli Kroupi (AFC Bournemouth & France)

The 22-year-old French striker Eli Junior Kroupi has been going through his breakout campaign in the EPL with AFC Bournemouth. He has bagged 10 goals in a total of 28 outings, notably in only 16 of those, the talented forward made the start. Fulfilling Cherries's need for a reliable goal scorer, the amount of potential Andoni Iraola has shown is huge faith in his shoulders.
His performance last season with FC Lorient, where the striker scored 22 goals in 30 games, attracted huge attention. He made his switch to the English side AFC Bournemouth. From no prior experience to one of the best strikers in Premier League, the young sensation has come a long way and has a lot more to offer to his club and country.
| Age | Appearances | Goals | Expected Goals (xG) | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 28 | 10 | 6.71 | 0 |
8. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United & England)

The Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been playing a vital role in the keeping the Peacocks alive in the top flight, above the relegation zone. He has significant experience in playing in the Premier League, having spent considerable time at Everton. The Englishman has found his form back in the 2025-26 campaign, netting 11 times in 30 league appearances.
Calvert Lewin started the campaign on a high note, scoring regularly and showing consistency in front of goals. His impressive league form, combined with his current stats for Leeds United, earns him a well-deserved spot on our list of best striker in Premier League.
| Age | Appearances | Goals | Expected Goals (xG) | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 30 | 11 | 13.99 | 1 |
7. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa & England)

The Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins has been a regular name on the list of best Premier League strikers for quite some time now. He has been stepping up for a few seasons and cemented himself as their main man since the departures of Jack Grealish and John Duran. He is again playing a pivotal role in the ongoing 2025-26 season, showing great form by already reaching a double-figure goal tally in 32 appearances.
The ex-Brentford has been scoring crucial goals for the Villains in the UEFA Europa League, managing 5 goal contributions. Additionally, he has also become a regular for the England national football team owing to his good performances for Villa. Unai Emery even rejected a 60 million euro bid for him, which reflects his reputable consistency throughout the 2025-26 season.
| Age | Appearances | Goals | Expected Goals (xG) | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 32 | 11 | 11.83 | 2 |
6. Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool & France)

The Liverpool sensation Hugo Ekitike has been doing a phenomenal job as a centre forward and enjoying a great life at Liverpool under Arne Slot. The Frenchman has already found the back of the net 11 times for the Reds in the 28 appearances in the English top flight in his debut season in England, making him one of the best Liverpool players currently.
In the 2024-25 season, Ekitike made a staggering 34 goal contributions for the Bundesliga club Frankfurt, enjoying a breakout individual campaign. As a result, Liverpool made him one of the most expensive Premier League transfers ever. Although the Frenchman is unfortunately out for 9 months due to the rupture of his Achilles tendon, the ex-PSG forward has been promising and will be a great asset for the English champions for years to come.
| Age | Appearances | Goals | Expected Goals (xG) | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 32 | 11 | 9.87 | 4 |
5. Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal & Sweden)

The amount of hype the Swedish international Viktor Gyokeres, earned upon his arrival at Arsenal to lead the Gunners' attack was remarkable. Despite initial criticisms and doubts over his signing, the ex-Sporting CP forward handled the situation and silenced his critics, who questioned his hefty transfer fee. He has cemented himself as a key figure for Mikel Arteta's side.
In the 2025-26 Premier League, Gyokeres has bagged a stunning 12 goals in 31 league appearances, leading the goals tally for the North-London giants Arsenal. Though he has not managed to score as many goals as he scored for Sporting CP, yet he has been an important difference maker. The 27-year-old has steadily developed into one of the best Premier League strikers.
| Age | Appearances | Goals | Expected Goals (xG) | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 31 | 12 | 10.37 | 0 |
4. Danny Welbeck (Brighton & England)

He stands among the oldest in our list of the oldest Premier League players. The English veteran Danny Welbeck has been showing the signs of greatness in the Seagulls shirt in the Premier League. He has scored 12 goals in the league, showing his experience, link-up play, and off-the-ball positioning make him one of the best striker in EPL.
In the 2025-26 season, Danny Welbeck has been playing a key role in keeping Brighton & Hove Albion in the hunt for the Europa League spot for next season. Currently, Welbeck is fourth on the list of goal scorers in the EPL, with 12 to his name. The England international Danny Welbeck has shown the potential he has and what he can do at 35, an age where footballers witness decline.
| Age | Appearances | Goals | Expected Goals (xG) | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 32 | 12 | 11.63 | 0 |
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3. Joao Pedro (Chelsea & Brazil)

The Chelsea striker Joao Pedro has been a revelation in the EPL and has certainly been one of the best additions to the Blues' attack in recent times. The Brazilian is having the season of his life reaching 20 goal contributions for Chelsea across all compeition in the 2025-26 season. Pedro has been one of the best striker in English Premier League.
The 24-year-old is currently one of the best Chelsea players after making instant impact in attack following his arrival. Pedro is a versatile striker, who is consistency in scoring goals and creating chances with his playmaking skills. Joined the Blues in the 2025 summer, the Brazilian helped Chelsea lift the FIFA Club World Cup beating PSG.
| Age | Appearances | Goals | Expected Goals (xG) | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 32 | 11 | 9.87 | 4 |
2. Igor Thiago (Brentford & Brazil)

For the Brazilian forward Igor Thiago, the 2024-25 season remained a quiet one but it was quite visible the potential he had in front of the goal. In the initial days at Brentford, Igor fought hard to make his way into the starting 11 under ex-Brentford coach Thomas Frank, but at last he was given the deserved spot in the team.
However, this season, the Brazil international has shown significant growth in their gameplay and a huge piece of credit goes to Igor Thoago, who took the opportunity from both feet and scored 21 goals so far in league. Without a doubt, the 24-year-old is one of the best striker in Premier League. He is closley contesting against the likes of Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo for the Golden Boot.
| Age | Appearances | Goals | Expected Goals (xG) | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 33 | 21 | 19.10 | 1 |
1. Erling Haaland (Manchester City & Norway)

While other strikers may be a surprise on this list of best striker in English Premier League, this player certainly isn’t. The Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has exemplified and added new dimensions to the definition of a modern striker. The Manchester City striker took the league by storm last season, smashing 22 goals despite not topping the charts this time.
He remained the undisputed best striker in EPL in this season as well, leading the goal scoring list with 23 Premier League goals. Nothing has changed in the 2025-26 season, for the Terminator, as he has been on a goal-scoring streak for almost the first 9 games of the English Premier League. Haaland is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, the Norweign striker has racked up 23 goals and 7 assist in 31 league games.
| Age | Appearances | Goals | Expected Goals (xG) | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 33 | 23 | 22.36 | 7 |
How did we rank the Best Striker in Premier League?
Below, we have explained all the ranking factors taken into consideration for ranking the best goal scorers in the Premier League, based on their performances in the 2025-26 season. To make things more transparent, we have also revealed the key metrics that we have used to rank the best strikers in Premier League.
- Goals Scored: The most important factor in ranking down the best strikers in EPL was goals scored by individual strikers. The higher the number of goals scored in the Premier League 2025-26 season, the higher the ranking.
- Consistency: The second parameter in ranking the finest striker in the English Premier League is consistency, which covers the average performance of a player throughout the season.
Note: Data for these ranking factors is fetched from various reputable football analysis sites like Transfermarkt, FOTMOB & Sportsdunia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the current best English Premier League striker?
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Who is the current best English Premier League striker?
Erling Haaland is the best EPL striker.
Is Erling Haaland the Best Premier League striker right now?
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Is Erling Haaland the Best Premier League striker right now?
Yes, Erling Haaland is the Best Premier League striker.
Is Hugo Ekitike among the best EPL strikers currently?
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Is Hugo Ekitike among the best EPL strikers currently?
Yes, Hugo Ekitike is among the best EPL strikers.
At which position does Victor Gyokeres ranks among the best EPL strikers?
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At which position does Victor Gyokeres ranks among the best EPL strikers?
Viktor Gyokeres is ranked 5th on the list.
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