Who is the best striker in the Premier League? New No. 9s Gyokeres, Ekitike ranked alongside Haaland, Isak

The Premier League is often acclaimed as the most talented league in the world, and the striker position is no different.

Some of the most prolific goal-scorers from around the globe are contracted to Premier League clubs, but only the most exceptional can be considered as the best No. 9 in the world’s best league.

Three in particular stand out, including two established Premier League forwards and one new signee. Erling Haaland of Manchester City has broken records with abandon since joining in 2022, while Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak has risen to prominence over the last two years. Finally, Viktor Gyokeres joining Arsenal adds to the ranks of world-class forwards in the English top flight.

The Sporting News presents a top five from the division to decide who can be considered the best in the league.

MORE: Every Premier League club’s striker ranked ahead of the 2025/26 season

Who is the best striker in the Premier League?

5. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

Few Premier League players have been more consistent in front of goal over the last decade than Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, who has managed to become the most reliable EPL goal-scorer since joining the club from Brentford in 2020.

In his five seasons with Villa, Watkins has hit double figures in all of them, totaling 75 Premier League goals in 184 matches, which ranks fifth behind Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Son Heung-min in that span. With Watkins set to turn 30 in late December, a decline could theoretically be on the cards, but at this point he remains a fantastic player excelling at one of the most elusive traits a striker can possess — consistency.

4. Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool)

One of two new arrivals on this top strikers list, Ekitike immediately looks like being one of the best Premier League frontmen upon joining Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Based on last season’s performances, there’s no question about Ekitike’s talent or abilities — the biggest question around his move is whether his skills will translate to the Premier League. The 23-year-old’s explosion last season is the first real productive campaign of his entire career across spells at Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, and Frankfurt. Additionally, he finished at a rate significantly below expectations, scoring 15 league goals on 21.58 xG, which suggests future regression is possible.

MORE: Is Hugo Ekitike worth the sizable transfer fee Liverpool are paying?

Additionally, there is often a lot of air in the eye-popping stats of top Bundesliga attackers, and whether that is replicable in England remains to be seen. Was his one huge season in Germany a fluke, or can he remain a prolific force in the attacking third after the expensive move up?

3. Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal)

Arsenal’s complete lack of a striker last season cost them dearly, resulting in the addition of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP. It’s difficult to know how much of Gyokeres’ incredible campaign will translate to the Premier League, but clearly the Gunners believe he will solve many of their problems up front.

Now 27 years old, Gyokeres isn’t getting any younger, but boasting 68 goals in 66 Primeira Liga matches over the past two seasons, it’s clear that he is a fully developed finisher. He is exceptional from the penalty spot, something Arsenal have struggled with in terms of their current squad.

However, with so much still to prove, it’s hard to put Gyokeres above well-established strikers like Isak or Haaland. While his exorbitant tally in Portugal gives him a great chance to shine right away, how quickly he can adjust to the Premier League style will go a long way in determining whether he deserves to be amongst the best the league has to offer.

2. Alexander Isak (Newcastle)

Last season proved that Isak is a force to be reckoned with at Premier League level. With 23 goals in 34 games, Isak displayed not just a world-class ability to find the net, but also elite durability, something which Arsenal will know is highly valuable at the No. 9 position.

Amazingly, Isak didn’t even need to be an elite-level finisher to end up second in the Golden Boot race — he snatched those 23 goals on 20.42 xG, meaning while he did indeed finish at a high rate, he also excelled at racking up high-quality chances. Isak’s 0.21 xG per shot ranks him second amongst the top 50 goal-scorers in the league.

What makes Isak great is how much he does other than scoring goals, while still also finding the net at an incredible rate. According to FBref, Isak ranks in the 85th percentile or higher in progressive passes (87th), progressive carries (93rd), take-ons (92nd), penalty area touches (86th), and progressive passes received (88th). He is a boon for both himself and teammates, and whether he stays or leaves Newcastle, he should remain a world-class player.

1. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Haaland isn’t just the best striker in the Premier League, he’s quite possibly the best striker in the world. In an age where the true No. 9 is beginning to disappear, Haaland remains a cheat code at the front of the Man City attack.

Still just 24 years old, Haaland has scored 84 Premier League goals in his first three seasons in England across 97 games. At such a pace, he is already about one third of the way to Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goal-scoring mark.

While Haaland does little else, his incredible scoring record at the highest level makes him the best striker not just in the English top flight, but maybe the globe. His 0.20 xG-per-shot mark ranks amongst the top in the Premier League, and his shots-on-target percentage of 56 was first in the Premier League of anyone with 60 or more total shots. Haaland is the best pure goal-scorer in the world, and unquestionably the best striker in the Premier League.

Having already set the single-season Premier League goal record, Haaland is on track to break many more in his already glittering career.

Erling Haaland turns 25 today. Some of the records he’s already broken are insane:

– Only player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements in less than 100 games (94)
– Most goals in a 38-game Premier League season (36)
– Most goals in Norway’s national team history (42)
-… pic.twitter.com/hHTisNcFcE

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) July 21, 2025

Honorable Mentions

Having room for just five strikers means many others found themselves left out of the conversation. Especially considering Watkins is nearing 30 years old, a decline could see someone else take over his spot on the list, while Ekitike flopping in his first Liverpool season could also open up a free position.

One player who reasonably could find himself amongst the top tier is new Chelsea signing Joao Pedro, who was exceptional in his three Club World Cup appearances, displaying elite finishing, creativity, and off-ball movement.

Goal scoring stats for Top 5 strikers from 2024/25

Haaland and Isak were both highly prolific in the 2024/25 Premier League season, behind only Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot race.

They both finished at an expected rate given their xG, and were quite durable, logging over 2,700 league minutes. While both experienced a spell on the sidelines due to injury, it was minor in the end and both were able to produce for much of the campaign.

League stats for Haaland, Isak, Gyokeres, Ekitike, Watkins from 2024/25