Outside90's Top 10 Strikers in the English Premier League

Outside90’s Jackson Delmenico runs the rule over the best strikers in the English Premier League. 

1. Sergio Agüero

Clearly the best performer in the 2014-15 season, the Argentinian put away 26 Premier League goals to earn himself the Golden Boot. His goals came from a total of just 33 appearances due to a ligament injury midway through the season and he averaged a goal every 97 minutes.

In all competitions Agüero scored 32 goals from 42 appearances for Manchester City, all of the other six goals came in the Champions League. He also scored seven goals in seven games for his national team in 2015.

Brilliant on the ball and lethal inside the box, Agüero is undoubtedly the most dangerous striker in the Premier League going into the 2015-16 campaign.

2. Diego Costa

Despite being edged out by Harry Kane in the Golden Boot race, Costa finished a respectable third with 20 goals in the EPL. He did this, however, from just 26 appearances. Injuries and suspension saw the Spaniard miss 12 games throughout the 2014-15 season with it rumoured that many of the games that he did participate in he did so under a hamstring injury cloud.

When he wasn’t stamping on defenders, Costa was proving himself as an incredible poacher and took no time at all to adjust to life in England. Scoring on debut and reaching double figures in an incredible nine appearances, the Spaniard did not go more than two consecutive appearances without scoring all season.

Being on the receiving end of some of the play from Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas, who created the most and second most chances in the league respectively, certainly made life easier for the big striker but he was clinical often burying the ball with just one or two touches

3. Harry Kane

Probably the surprise package of the 2014-15 campaign, Harry Kane was a name that not many who did not directly follow Tottenham would have been too familiar with before this season. A consistent run in the first team at the back end of the 2013-14 season did a world of good for Kane, who demonstrated enough to manager Mauricio Pochettino to give hime the starting spot in front of the disappointing Roberto Soldado and the absentee Emmanuel Adebayor. 

Twenty-one in the league, seven in the Europa League and three in the League Cup for a total of 31 goals in 51 appearances, an impressive return on Pochettino’s gamble. The first Spurs player to pass the 30 goals in a season threshold since Gary Lineker, Kane has etched himself into Tottenham’s history books. The young striker managed to personally earn his side 24 points with his goals.

Tall, strong and proficient with either foot, Kane seems to be the complete package and the 22-years-old is now one of the most exciting prospects in English football.

4. Christian Benteke

Coming back from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Benteke started his season with four scoreless games before earning himself a three week ban after an ugly shove on Tottenham’s Ryan Mason. After returning he managed to get his tally to just two goals before the New Year and then took until March to get his first Premier League goal of 2015.

After grabbing that first goal Benteke finished the season one of the most proficient centre-forwards in the league with 11 goals in his last 10 games and can be largely thanked for lifting Aston Villa out of the relegation zone.

Far from the big, hulking forward who can only score by out muscling defenders and winning a header, the Belgian is skilful and powerful enough to be a danger with the ball at either of his feet. With a £32.5 million price tag now attached to him expectations are high for Liverpool’s new man.

Benteke’s 1st ever goal for #LFC https://t.co/bPXjg0J7jh

— Ash_LFC (@zodman100) August 2, 2015

5. Olivier Giroud

Perhaps somewhat forgotten about, in terms of his position amongst the league’s top strikers due to his quiet finish to the season, Giroud still managed a respectable 14 goals in his side’s EPL season and 19 in all competitions.

Fracturing his foot after scoring his first goal of the season in Arsenal’s second round fixture, the French striker missed nine Premier League games and most of the Gunners’ UCL stint. The 28-year-old often had his thunder stolen in the front third despite his contributions to Arsenal’s third place finish.

Though a consistent scorer for his side during his three years many fans bemoan his often lackadaisical approach to the game and his seeming apathetic attitude in some matches. That said the former Montpellier man is tall, powerful and clinical and has proven himself the best option to lead the line for Arsène Wenger

6. Saido Berahino

At just 21-years-old Saido Berahino is the youngest player on this list but is already beginning to establish a reputation as an influential striker. One of only two players on this list to feature in every EPL fixture for his team, Berahino had a few quiet periods throughout the season scoring in only 11 of his 38 appearances.

That said he cracked the twenty goals in a season mark for West Brom in all competitions and featured in every one of his team’s FA Cup and League Cup matches.

Scoring 14 of West Brom’s 38 goals in the 2014-15 EPL season, Berahino personally popped in over a third of his team’s tally, the second highest percentage of any player in this top 10 (behind Harry Kane). This statistic alone would make the young English striker appear to be perhaps the most important player to his side, if he remains at West Brom.

7. Mame Biram Diouf

The Senegalese import had a successful first season with Stoke notching up 12 goals from 34 league appearances and is another smart signing in the gradual overall and improvement of the Potters’ squad.

Instantly making himself a cult hero after scoring the solitary goal in Stoke’s win against Manchester City at the Etihad, the 27-year-old operates effectively anywhere across the front three.

The former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United man was fairly consistent throughout the season, aside from an eight game scoreless streak between the start of September and end of December 2014. Mark Hughes is sure to see the 2014-15 club top scorer as an important part of kicking on from the ninth placed finish last term.

8. Graziano Pellè

Very much a striker that had two halves to his season, Pellè had scored eight goals in 2014 before going 14 matches without a goal. The four month drought possibly sounds a bit worse than it was with the Italian registering several good performances during the spell but ultimately centre-forwards are in the team to score goals.

That said, when in form the 30-year-old can finish up there on par with the rest of them. In a Southampton team that saw its best attacking play come from out wide, the 6’4 man was tasked with getting into the box and finishing. The solo striker in his side’s formation, Pellè dealt with the attentions of many an established centre-half with skill that may be somewhat unexpected when looking at his frame.

With the Saints looking forward to a Europa league campaign on top of maintaining a high Premier League finish, it appears that the Italian journeyman will once again be first choice leading the line in 2015-16.

9. Papiss Cisse

Discipline is the only real thing anchoring this Senegalese striker to this low position on our Top 10 list, as he managed to score 11 times in just 22 appearances for Newcastle. Poor performances in the 2013-14 and 2012-13 campaigns after scoring 13 goals in 14 appearances in his debut year seemed to have been put behind the number nine as he returned to the squad with a brace against Hull City.

Nine goals by the end of 2014, including a further two braces, had many believing that Cisse had recaptured his 2011-12 form. Unfortunately, an elbow into the face of Séamus Coleman in Newcastle’s game against Everton in December saw a two match ban. Further,  a spitting incident with Manchester United’s Jonny Evans in March saw a further seven matches on the sidelines.

At 30 years of age Cisse undoubtedly has shown that he still has the ability to score goals and play well in the Premier League. He just has to hold that form and demonstrate a better temperament.

10. Romelu Lukaku

Only just managing to reach double figures in the league, of which three were penalties, many might question why he features on the list when the likes of Danny Ings (who scored 11 of which only one came from the spot) does not.

The answer lies more not with what he did last season but what he has the potential to do this season. Ten goals is certainly a number a lot lower than most were hoping for after a club record £28 million fee to secure his services but ultimately, even though just 22-years-old, Lukaku has proven that he has what it takes to cut it at this level.

Finishing the season with 20 goals in all competitions, including a noteworthy run of eight goals in five UEL games, seventeen at West Brom in 2012-13 and 15 in his first season at Everton on loan, the statistics bode well for the Belgian to come back strong in 2015-16.