Whether it’s the thousands of opposition fans screaming from behind the goal, or because your team really needs a goal in a crucial game, penalty kicks always come with a lot of pressure.
As such, picking the right player to take them is an important task for any manager.
Get it right, and they can give their team a strong chance of picking up extra points each season. Get it wrong, however, and they’ll instead find themselves having to explain to the press why they are persisting with a Colombian striker who finds scoring from 12 yards a near impossibility. (We are looking at you, Martin O’Neill.)
For different reasons, picking good penalty-takers is also key for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players. Scoring a penalty earns players either four, five, or six points depending on their position, while missing a penalty will see them deducted two.
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To help you decide who to put in your team, here is who every Premier League club is trusting from the spot this season.
Arsenal
Bukayo Saka
For much of last season, Arsenal rotated their penalty takers, with Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Fabio Vieira all scoring spot-kicks in the first half of the campaign.
Saka, however, has taken each of the Gunners’ last four, suggesting he’s now the main man when it comes to scoring from 12 yards. To date, the Englishman has taken 11 Premier League penalties for Arsenal, scoring 10 and missing just one.
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Aston Villa
Ollie Watkins
Last season, Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz was Aston Villa’s penalty-taker. Since leaving for Juventus in the summer, the responsibility has now fallen to striker Ollie Watkins.
Though he’s yet to take a spot-kick for Villa this term, Watkins has previously taken five for the club, scoring three and missing two. His penalty record for his former club Brentford was equally shaky, with the England international missing three of four.
Bournemouth
Evanilson, Justin Kluivert
Bournemouth’s regular penalty taker for the last few years, Dominic Solanke, left the club to join Tottenham Hotspur in the summer. In his absence, two players – Evanilson and Justin Kluivert – have since stepped up to the mark.
Both have taken a spot kick each, with Evanilson missing his and Kluivert scoring.
Brentford
Bryan Mbeumo
Brentford lost arguably one of the world’s best penalty-takers in Ivan Toney this summer, with the Englishman completing a shock move to Saudi Arabia.
Luckily for the Bees, they have another stellar spot kicker on their books in the form of Bryan Mbeumo. Since joining Brentford in 2019, the Cameroon forward has taken seven Premier League penalties and scored them all, including two this season against Wolves and Ipswich Town.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Joao Pedro
Brighton have two penalty-takers in the form of Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck, though the former is clearly the main man from 12 yards.
Joao Pedro boasts an impressive record, having scored four of his five Premier League spot-kicks for the Seagulls. The Brazilian otherwise has a 100% record from the spot, including in Europe and for ex-club Watford.
Chelsea
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer is Chelsea’s first-choice penalty taker, and it’s easy to see why. Since joining the Blues last summer from Manchester City, the England international has taken 10 top-flight spot-kicks, scoring them all.
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Crystal Palace
Jean-Philippe Mateta
Crystal Palace had no less than three players on penalties last season, with Jean-Philippe Mateta, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze scoring from the spot.
This term, Mateta has taken, and scored, the Eagles’ only penalty, which came in a 2-2 draw with Leicester City back in September. Given that the Frenchman has never missed a penalty in his career (he’s scored nine of nine), he’ll most likely be taking them for Palace for some time.
Everton
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been Everton’s regular top-flight penalty-taker for four seasons. He’s scored five out of six, with his only miss coming back in January 2022 against Brighton.
He’s yet to get a chance from the spot this season.
Fulham
Raul Jimenez
Willian was Fulham’s first-choice penalty taker last season before he left to join Greek club Olympiacos in the summer.
This term, the Cottagers have had just two spot-kicks in the top flight, with Raul Jimenez successful from 12 yards against Nottingham Forest in September. The Mexican striker has taken 38 penalties throughout his career and missed just two.
Andreas Pereira stepped up in the west Londoners’ defeat to Aston Villa, but his miss means Jimenez will probably be trusted from here on in.
Ipswich Town
George Hirst, Ali Al-Hamadi, Nathan Broadhead
Ipswich Town don’t have a clear first-choice penalty taker, but instead a number of players who are capable of scoring from 12 yards.
The Tractor Boys are yet to be awarded a Premier League penalty this season, but George Hirst, Ali Al-Hamadi and Nathan Broadhead have all taken – and scored – spot-kicks in the recent past.
Leicester City
Jamie Vardy
When it comes to the Premier League, Jamie Vardy is Leicester City’s clear first-choice penalty-taker.
He’s already scored one from the spot this term, but his overall record leaves a little to be desired. Since 2015, the veteran striker has taken 33 spot kicks in the top flight for the Foxes, scoring 27 and missing six.
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Liverpool
Mohamed Salah
Strangely, Mohamed Salah boasts the same Premier League penalty record as Jamie Vardy. To date, the Egyptian has taken 33 top-flight spot-kicks for Liverpool, scoring 27 and missing six.
In Salah’s absence, it’s Darwin Nunez that usually tries his luck from 12 yards.
Manchester City
Erling Haaland
Since joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022, Erling Haaland has been the main man from the spot for Pep Guardiola’s side.
His record from 12 yards is extremely impressive, having scored 15 of his 16 attempts, with his only miss coming against Sheffield United last season.
Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford
Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford split penalty duties at Manchester United, with the pair seemingly deciding on the day who will step up from the spot.
Fernandes has the slightly better record in the top flight, scoring 19 and missing four, while Rashford has scored eight and missed two. In 2020/21, Fernandes scored nine times from the spot as United were awarded a record 14 penalties in a single season.
Newcastle United
Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak
Over the past two seasons, Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak have taken Premier League penalties for Newcastle United, with the Swede scoring seven and the Englishman scoring five.
Anthony Gordon has emerged as a more recent penalty-taker, scoring against Manchester City earlier this season. However, his miss against Everton may have Eddie Howe tempted to rotate his chief kicker from 12 yards.
Nottingham Forest
Morgan Gibbs-White, Chris Wood
Midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White had been Nottingham Forest’s first-choice penalty taker for each of the last two seasons, the Englishman stepping up from 12 yards on three occasions and scoring each time.
Despite his perfect record, however, the torch now seems to have been passed to Chris Wood. He’s taken and scored Forest’s only top-flight penalty this term.
Southampton
Adam Armstrong, Cameron Archer
Adam Armstrong boasts a perfect record from the spot for Southampton, having scored all four of his penalties last season.
This term, however, the Scot has been in and out of Russell Martin’s team, which resulted in him not being on the pitch when the Saints picked up their only spot-kick of the Premier League campaign thus far against Manchester United in September.
In Armstrong’s absence, Cameron Archer stepped up and missed.
Tottenham Hotspur
Son Heung-min
Following the departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in 2022, Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou said last season that he’s happy for penalty responsibilities to be shared among his players.
“As long as they score mate, I don’t care,” said the Australian boss.
In the Premier League last year, Son Heung-min took Spurs’ only two penalty kicks, scoring both – though summer arrival Dominic Solanke could be a candidate once Spurs are given an opportunity from 12 yards.
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West Ham United
Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen
West Ham United have had two penalties awarded in the top flight this term.
The first was on the opening day against Aston Villa, which was taken and scored by midfielder Lucas Paqueta. The second came in the Hammers’ recent 2-1 win over Manchester United, which was fired home by Jarrod Bowen.
Paqueta was not on the pitch when Bowen stepped up against the Red Devils, so he is perhaps the current first-choice.
Wolves
Matheus Cunha, Hwang Hee-chan, Pablo Sarabia
Matheus Cunha, Hwang Hee-chan and Pablo Sarabia all scored penalties for Wolves last season.
Gary O’Neil’s side have yet to be awarded one this term, but it’ll likely be Cunha that takes it given he’s the club’s top scorer with four goals and Sarabia and Hee-Chan are barely playing, albeit the latter has been injured lately.
