The Premier League has witnessed some truly remarkable number 9s over the years; the likes of Shearer, Fowler, Cole and of course Fabio Borini.

Now, not every squad has the perfect no.9 in their line, and for some the pressure of the shirt is a bit too much to handle and the goals dry up, but we are currently in the midst of a great crop of fairly young and interesting prospect players donning the famous jersey each week.

We’ve decided to rank every current Premier League no.9 from 20-1. This list is based on opinion and some statistical support, but mainly opinion. Because all opinion-based lists are subjective and often rile up the reader to breaking point because they’d have Jordan Ayew at number 10 rather than our number 15 (spoiler alert), please do tweet any disagreement to @NextGoalWinBlog and we’d love to discuss your thoughts on the placement of Patrick Bamford on this list.

Enjoy!

Ranked…

20. N/A (Tottenham Hotspur)

19. N/A (Watford)

18. Marcus Forss (Brentford) – At just 22, and having to play second fiddle to one of the leagues’ most exciting strikers in Ivan Toney, Forss is sure to climb up the rankings if he can get a run of games, and arguably could feel hard done by in this list, however the argument can’t be made at this point to move him higher, as he has only managed 5 Premier League appearances at time of writing and failed to score in the league. That said, Brentford are only just finding their feet in the top-flight, and after netting 5 in 3 games in the EFL Cup, there is real talent here with the Finnish youngster (He’s not Finnish, he’s only 22).

17. Jordan Hugill (Norwich City) – Norwich struggle in the top-flight, so obviously their no.9 is low down in the list. However Hugill has performed at a decent level in the Championship on various loan moves. However, after leaving Norwich again on another loan move for the season, it shows he isn’t valued highly enough to make the jump to the top-flight I’m afraid and thus places low on this list.

16. Wesley (Aston Villa) – Wesley has some big competition for game time now with the arrival of their big summer signings. With injury preventing a run in the side last season, he has managed just 26 appearances for Villa over 3 seasons, netting 6 goals. This competition for places has led to a loan move to Brugge, where he has played just 4 games and is yet to score.

15. Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) – Jordan Ayew isn’t the most unbelievable goalscorer, and does plenty elsewhere on the pitch, however as a no.9, it is expected that you are the focal point for goals, and Ayew just isn’t that for Palace. With only 1 goal from 32 league appearances last campaign, Palace will be looking toward the likes of Zaha, Benteke, Eke and Édouard to get their goals.

14. Adam Armstrong (Southampton) – After a superb season with Blackburn Rovers last campaign, Armstrong has joined Southampton to replace the outgoing Ings. However, he hasn’t quite hit the ground running at St Mary’s and thus places only in 14th. I expect him to be another that could move higher soon, however with only 2 goals in 15 appearances, he is still adapting to life in the top-flight.

13. Chris Wood (Burnley) – I like Chris Wood, and have rated him since his impressive days at Leeds. However, Burnley just don’t score many goals, and therefore like many low down on this list, he can’t be ranked any higher. Having scored 53 in 162 appearances for Burnley, he has been consistent at around 10-15 goals a season, but until breaking past that 15 goal mark, he can’t move any higher unfortunately.

12. Anthony Martial (Manchester United) – Martial has been solid in a bad squad for his time at Old Trafford, and having been Manchester United’s consistent scorer, however his style of play has not suited the Premier League, with fans so quick to turn on the Frenchman’s passive attitude to much of the game. With reports coming out that he is set to leave in January, this could spell a rebirth of his career, and I thoroughly expect him to reach a great level once again outside of England.

11. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) – In a similar vein to Anthony Martial, Lacazette just hasn’t quite reached what he could have at Arsenal, and there are many off-field managerial and general issues that have contributed, however at this level he should still be netting 15+ minimum a season. He hasn’t managed that in the league since his last season in France, and with the Aubameyang issues cropping up, and Arsenal beginning to gel, he could take this chance to becoming the leading man for the Gunners.

10. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) – Calvert-Lewin has been on the verge of becoming a real talent in the Premier League for around 4/5 years now, however he has struggled to step up consistently to the level expected and make Everton challengers for Europe and break through permanently into the England setup. Although last season was solid from the striker, netting 21 in 39 for the season, it still feels like there is more to come, so hopefully in a few years he will have risen significantly in this list.

9. Neal Maupay (Brighton & Hove Albion) – Maupay is another striker that is heavily underrated on this list. Capable of some important goals for Brighton, he often goes about his business with little fanfare or attention (that Arsenal game aside). With 25 goals from 90 appearances for Brighton since his move down from Brentford, he has been a key factor in Brighton staying in the league and for that, Brighton fans will be grateful.

8. Callum Wilson (Newcastle United) – Wilson is a Football Manager nightmare, however unfortunately that’s not what this list is based on. Instead we must focus on real life performances, and unfortunately for Wilson he has been stuck in mediocre sides for the majority of his Premier League career, meaning the goals don’t come as freely as he would have liked. Having said that, he was prolific for Bournemouth despite the relegation, and has been solid for Newcastle, netting 18 from 39 games. Just under 1 in 2 for a struggling side is superb form and arguably could be higher up the list. With Newcastle set to spend and bolster, he will feature heavily as they battle relegation and then try to climb the league.

7. Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton Wanderers) – What an unfortunate injury which of course we have to mention, as without this loss of playing time he easily could be a top 5 striker in the Premier League. Having netted 4 goals in 10 appearances last season before the unfortunate and horrific injury, he has returned to top class football which many wouldn’t have predicted. His scoring is taking a bit of time to get back up and running, but when the form hits, he will be back to his best for sure.

6. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) – Possibly one of the most underrated strikers in top European football, Jesus could have been long gone from City, especially when Guardiola opted to leave him on the bench and play without a striker, however his understanding of his role at the club has proved profitable for the Brazilian, particularly in his trophy cabinet. Having made 214 appearances for the club, he has struggled to maintain his place in the last 2 seasons, however with 87 goals in this time in England, his stats are still superb. I foresee a move away at some point, however with the trophies coming thick and fast, why should he leave.

5. Patrick Bamford (Leeds United) – “Bamford can’t do it in the Premier League” was the cry of many last season, before the English forward went on to net 17 league goals in the league, and earnt himself international call ups and secured Leeds’ place in the top-flight for another year. Although injury has featured heavily this season, he has scored 2 more in just 6 games he has featured in. Although Leeds are currently struggling, the return of Bamford will be the lift they need and I have no doubt he will re-find the form from last season and prior in the Championship.

4. Michail Antonio (West Ham United) – Antonio is a crucial part of West Ham’s impressive squad in the Moyes era. This season at time of writing he has managed 6 goals in 14 appearances in the league as West Ham fight for European places once again. Obviously, injuries and blips in form have perhaps prevented him reaching ‘superstar’ status, but he is a key cog in the West Ham machine, and deserved of his no.4 spot in this list.

3. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) – Bobby Firmino is rather fortunate to be so high on this list, however now a Premier League winner, and a Champions League winner and a crucial part of the fantastic Liverpool side, his talent cannot be questioned. He makes the top 3 primarily for his contributions not just by scoring, but also the extra features of his game that has ensure he kept in favour under Klopp even when the goals dried up a bit last season. With Jota hitting form and scoring in almost every appearance, he has a battle for his place, but the goals will continue to come for the Brazilian as he is a top striker.

2. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) – Jamie Vardy is literally the dream story in football, playing through the leagues to that infamous Premier League victory, and he has been a nightmare for defenders from the National League up to their run in the Champions League, and even now at 34, he is still chaos in attack, with still pace to allow him to play on the last defender, an eye for the goal when a chance arrives and that edge which often riles up opponents and makes his scoring and Leicester’s successes that much sweeter.

1. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea) – It had to be the big Belgian taking the top spot. Although only just arriving back in England, he has bene a proven scorer for West Brom, Everton, Manchester United and now Chelsea, with a break to storm the Italian league. His game has really developed, and with some incredible attacking, chance creators around him at Stamford Bridge, it will surely be a match made in heaven as he returns to the blues of London.

Drop us a tweet @NextGoalWinBlog if you agree or disagree with our ranking.