Data: 'Improved' Ekitiké is Premier League's best striker not named Haaland this season

The Frenchman is undoubtedly Liverpool's leading number nine at the moment

Among the six new outfield signings made in the summer, only Hugo Ekitiké hit the ground running for Liverpool and has probably been the second-best player in the team throughout the first phase of the season so far (Dominik Szoboszlai being the obvious best).

The Frenchman, who was signed a few weeks before the club broke their transfer record for the second time to sign Alexander Isak, is without doubt the leading number nine in the XI and is probably the second-best striker in the Premier League behind Erling Haaland.

Ekitiké has 10 goals and one assist in 23 appearances across all competitions, averaging 0.65 goals per 90 minutes. In the league, he has seven non-penalty goals (second to Haaland) and one assist in 868 minutes of game time, which equates to 0.83 goal contributions per 90. This is a healthy return for a striker in a team undergoing transition this season, with plenty of changes and off-field issues.

The 23-year-old has missed only three big chances this season, averaging 0.31 per 90. For reference, Haaland has missed 15 big chances at a rate of 0.98 per 90. While this does not make the latter any worse than he currently is, it highlights the efficiency with which the former is performing in front of goal. He has remained as clinical as possible.

Context is important here. Most of Manchester City’s 51 big chances fall to Haaland, so he is bound to miss a few while still scoring in bucket loads. Ekitiké, despite his quality, has not yet had as much game time when compared to City’s number nine, and the big chance share at Liverpool (45) is spread more evenly across the squad.

Premier League Forwards data: 2025/26 season

Below are a series of data visuals examining Premier League forwards and wingers, showing how they compare across key metrics related to goal scoring, shot volume, quality of chance conversion, and chance creation.

Ekitiké ranks second only to Haaland for non-penalty goals and third for non-penalty xG. Although the Frenchman has not played as many minutes as the likes of Haaland or Jean-Philippe Mateta, the data suggests that the more he stays on the pitch or starts matches for Liverpool, the more goals he is likely to score and the more often he will get on the end of chances of good quality.

Once again, the Frenchman is only second to Haaland in shot attempts per 90. Although lower than a few strikers, he is still getting at the end of above-average quality of chances (non-penalty xG/shot) in general. It goes back to the previous paragraph that the more he plays, the better his teammates would be in finding him dangerous positions.

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