Top 20 Premier League Penalty Takers – Ranked
The penalty spot is football’s great equaliser, a lonely patch of grass where reputations are made, minds unravel, and matches shift on a single kick. It’s a paradoxical space: just 12 yards from goal, yet psychologically vast.
In the Premier League, with its relentless pace and unforgiving spotlight, penalties carry enormous weight. From title-deciders and relegation scraps to injury-time dramas, a spot-kick can swing a season or crush a career.
And yet, for all the practice, pressure still proves fatal. Some players thrive under its glare, ice-veined finishers who turn chaos into calm. Others falter, their technique wilting under expectation, their misses etched into fans’ memories long after final whistles fade.
So who are the Premier League’s true masters from the spot? Who approached penalties with surgical precision, and who crumbled when the moment came?
This definitive list ranks the most and least reliable penalty takers in Premier League history, from the statistically worst to the coldest, calmest finishers the league has ever seen.
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To qualify, each player had to take at least 10 penalties in the competition. And while numbers don’t tell every story, they rarely lie from 12 yards. Let’s begin, at the bottom of the barrel.
20. Juan Pablo Ángel – 50.0% (5/10)
The Colombian striker’s penalty record is the worst in Premier League history for players with 10 or more attempts. Despite a decent start, scoring four of his first five, Ángel’s form completely collapsed in his later years at Aston Villa. His most infamous outing came in February 2005, when Fulham’s Edwin van der Sar saved not one, but two of his penalties in the same match, within just under six minutes.
Ángel had already given Villa the lead earlier in the game, but those misses proved costly as Fulham equalised in injury time. From a psychological standpoint, it was a brutal fall. Once considered dependable, Ángel quickly became synonymous with missed opportunities from 12 yards.
19. Dwight Yorke – 60.0% (6/10)
A treble winner with Manchester United and one of the league’s most lethal finishers, Dwight Yorke was surprisingly unreliable from the spot.
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He converted just six of his ten Premier League penalties, far below expectations for a forward of his quality. Yorke often gave the impression of effortlessness in open play, but that same calm demeanour didn’t translate to the pressure of penalties.
There was a certain unpredictability to his technique, occasionally rushed, sometimes too casual. In a league that rewards ruthlessness from the spot, Yorke’s middling record puts a slight dent in his otherwise glittering legacy.
18. Steed Malbranque – 60.0% (6/10)
Malbranque was a clever, technical midfielder for Fulham, Tottenham, and Sunderland, known for his agility and creativity, but not for his penalties. He scored six and missed four of his ten Premier League attempts, often showing hesitancy or overcomplicating his approach.
Despite being a regular starter for years, he was never a fan favorite from the spot. His run-ups lacked conviction, and his placement was inconsistent. For a player with such skill in open play, his struggles from the spot were a stark contrast to his overall footballing intelligence.
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17. Aleksandar Mitrović – 61.5% (8/13)
Mitrović’s brute-force style helped him bully defenders, but that same aggression didn’t make him a great penalty taker. His 2022–23 campaign was particularly painful, missing four out of eight penalties, the worst single-season penalty record in Premier League history.
Though he initially seemed comfortable with the responsibility, his confidence appeared to wane with each miss. His poor technique and mental approach were often exposed, with weak efforts and predictable placement. For a player with such a powerful shot, his inconsistency from the spot remains baffling.
16. Kevin Phillips – 61.1% (11/18)
Kevin Phillips, a Golden Boot winner and goal poacher par excellence, was oddly shaky from the penalty spot. He scored 11 of his 18 attempts in the Premier League, leaving him with a subpar 61.1% success rate.
His penalties lacked the calmness you might expect from someone who scored in such volume. Too often, he relied on power without precision, which made his shots easier to read for goalkeepers. It’s a curious legacy for one of England’s most instinctive finishers, brilliant in the box, but far less convincing when standing over a stationary ball.
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15. Paul Pogba – 63.6% (7/11)
A player who divided opinion for much of his time at Manchester United, Pogba’s penalty-taking style drew just as much attention, often for the wrong reasons. His signature stutter-step run-up was memorable, but his results were far from efficient.
With four misses in just 11 attempts, Pogba’s success rate barely cleared 60%. His casual approach often appeared overly performative, and when it didn’t work, it looked worse than a standard miss. Given the talent at his disposal, United fans expected more, especially in clutch moments from the spot.
14. Wilfried Zaha – 63.6% (7/11)
Zaha has long been one of the Premier League’s most fouled players, drawing countless penalties with his blistering pace and trickery. Yet, when stepping up to take them himself, he didn’t always inspire confidence.
Converting just seven of 11 penalties, Zaha showed inconsistency in both placement and decision-making. At times, he appeared unsure of whether to go for power or finesse. His penalty record reinforces the idea that winning a foul and converting it are two very different skill sets, Zaha excelled at one, but struggled with the other.
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13. Riyad Mahrez – 68.4% (13/19)
Mahrez’s silky first touch and deadly left foot have made him a standout talent, but penalties have always been a weak spot. He missed six of his 19 Premier League spot-kicks, often in high-pressure moments.
His casual style, which works so well in open play, didn’t always translate from the spot. He seemed to lack a consistent strategy, mixing placement and power in ways that sometimes backfired. At Manchester City especially, his misses were costly in title races, leading Pep Guardiola to eventually delegate the responsibility elsewhere.
12. Michael Owen – 66.7% (14/21)
One of the youngest Ballon d’Or winners in history, Owen was a clinical finisher in open play, but surprisingly erratic from the spot. His 66.7% conversion rate (14/21) is the worst among all Premier League players who’ve taken 20+ penalties.
Owen rarely looked comfortable when standing still over a penalty. Unlike his confident finishes in motion, his spot-kicks lacked direction and conviction. It's an odd legacy for such a natural goal-scorer, lethal on the move, but vulnerable from 12 yards.
11. Wayne Rooney – 67.6% (23/34)
The Premier League’s second all-time top scorer had a more average penalty record than many realise. Rooney missed 11 of his 34 penalties, tied with Alan Shearer for most all-time misses.
His aggressive, no-nonsense style often translated to powerful, top-corner finishes, but when it went wrong, it really went wrong. While Rooney never shied away from big moments, his penalty record suggests a vulnerability under isolated pressure, one of the few areas where his otherwise complete game faltered.
10. Harry Kane – 89.2% (33/37)
Harry Kane blends volume with consistency like few others. With 33 penalties converted from 37 attempts, his 89.2% success rate is impressive given the pressure and frequency of his spot-kicks. Kane's method is mechanical in the best way, a controlled run-up, laser focus, and placement that often gives keepers no chance.
He’s third in all-time Premier League penalty goals behind Shearer and Lampard, and his record is all the more remarkable considering how many of his penalties have come in title races, derbies, or late-game situations. Kane has made pressure look ordinary, which is perhaps the ultimate compliment for any penalty taker.
9. Eden Hazard – 89.5% (17/19)
Hazard's penalty technique was pure elegance, short run-up, cool body language, and the ability to read the keeper every time. He netted 17 of 19 Premier League penalties for Chelsea, often in clutch moments.
His calmness under pressure was his signature. Hazard rarely blasted the ball; instead, he waited for the keeper to move and simply passed it the other way.
This composure made him Chelsea’s primary taker even when surrounded by stars. His penalty style wasn’t just effective, it was stylish and unique, much like his entire approach to the game.
8. Mikel Arteta – 89.5% (17/19)
Before becoming Arsenal’s manager, Arteta was one of the most dependable penalty takers in the league. His calm, composed approach resulted in 17 successful conversions out of 19 attempts.
He wasn’t flashy, but he was efficient. Arteta’s technique emphasized placement over power, and his ability to stay focused made him a regular taker for both Everton and Arsenal. Though often overshadowed by flashier midfielders of his era, his penalty stats reflect a calm leadership presence, a trait he’s clearly carried into management.
7. Leighton Baines – 90.9% (20/22)
Baines was a rarity, a left-back trusted to take the majority of his team’s penalties. And for good reason: he scored 20 out of 22, boasting a 90.9% conversion rate across his Everton career.
His precision and technique were superb, often placing the ball perfectly into the corners with minimal fuss. Few players in Premier League history had such a smooth combination of power and finesse. Baines didn’t just take penalties well for a defender, he took them as well as any forward.
6. Ivan Toney – 91.7% (11/12)
Toney’s reputation as one of the most composed penalty takers in world football is no exaggeration. With 11 goals from 12 attempts, he uses a unique technique, a delayed run-up where he watches the goalkeeper’s every move.
It’s a style that requires extreme confidence and timing, and Toney’s execution is almost always spot on. He missed once, against Newcastle, but bounced back by converting another later in that same game. His mind games with keepers have made him one of the most feared players from the spot.
5. Bukayo Saka – 91.7% (11/12)
After his high-profile miss in the Euro 2020 final, Saka responded by becoming one of the most reliable penalty takers in the Premier League. He’s scored 11 of 12 for Arsenal, with confident finishes and growing authority.
What makes Saka’s record so impressive is the psychological recovery behind it. He not only stepped back up, he thrived. Each penalty seems to come with more control and assurance, often taken under the weight of title ambitions or high-stakes London derbies. He’s become Arsenal’s go-to man for a reason.
4. Callum Wilson – 94.1% (16/17)
Quietly one of the Premier League’s best from the spot, Wilson has converted 16 of his 17 penalties. His only miss came way back in 2018, meaning he’s since rattled off a long streak of successful attempts.
Wilson’s penalties are driven by focus and technique, no elaborate run-ups, just sharp, clean finishes. His consistency has made him West Ham’s primary taker and one of the most dependable in the current era. Despite flying under the radar compared to bigger names, his numbers speak for themselves.
3. Danny Murphy – 94.7% (18/19)
Murphy doesn’t always get mentioned in “best of” lists, but when it comes to penalties, his record is astonishing. With 18 goals from 19 attempts, his 94.7% conversion rate is better than most legends.
His only miss came in 2008, when Joe Hart denied him, but that didn’t change his reputation for control and precision. Murphy was calm, technical, and unbothered by pressure. Whether for Liverpool, Charlton, or Fulham, he treated penalties like passing drills, delivering again and again.
2. Matt Le Tissier – 96.2% (25/26)
One of the Premier League’s most iconic penalty takers, Le Tissier missed only once in his entire top-flight career, back in 1993. From then on, he scored 23 in a row, many without even breaking a sweat.
Le Tissier’s technique was minimal: a short run-up, a glance at the keeper, and a side-footed shot into the corner. It was almost anti-climactic in its simplicity, but devastatingly effective. He made penalties look boring, and that was the genius of it. No theatrics, no stutters, just a perfect mix of nerve, skill, and execution.
1. Yaya Touré – 100% (11/11)
Touré stands alone at the top of the Premier League penalty pantheon. Eleven penalties taken, eleven scored, a perfect 100% record. Even more impressive: seven of those were match-winners, and five put City ahead.
Touré didn’t need a gimmick. His approach was straightforward, confident, and efficient. His penalties were often hit with pace and precision, leaving goalkeepers no real chance.
In a league full of stars, Touré was the one you wanted at the spot when it mattered most. Not a single miss. Not a single save. Just cold-blooded excellence from 12 yards.
