Manchester United have issues at both ends of the pitch but finishing is clearly an issue, with two of the worst three finishers in the Premier League wearing red.
We use xG because that’s the most reliable measure over several games. And it’s not looking good for United.
10) Alejandro Garnacho (Man Utd)
Expected goals: 3.5
Actual goals: 2
Really poor v Chelsea and was lucky to stay on for 90 minutes in which he took four shots and under-hit at least three of them. Really, he should be dropped.
9) Cameron Archer (Southampton)
Expected goals: 3.5
Actual goals: 2
Scored in back-to-back Premier League games but still makes this list as his xG total for the season exceeds that of five-goal Liam Delap by a long way.
8) Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)
Expected goals: 1.5
Actual goals: 0
No longer starting each week after Arne Slot was very vocal about the Hungarian’s lack of attacking output; he’s now had 12 shots and has hit the target only three times.
7) Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
Expected goals: 3.6
Actual goals: 2
The worst finisher of 2023/24 is here again; he’s getting better chances than Jamie Vardy and scoring half the number of goals.
6) Marcus Tavernier (Bournemouth)
Expected goals: 2.6
Actual goals: 1
Loves a long-range shot. Doesn’t score from a long-range shot very often.
5) Joshua Zirkzee (Manchester United)
Expected goals: 2.6
Actual goals: 1
Finished ahead of his xG for Bologna last season but has looked a little out of his depth for Manchester United this season. Often banished to the bench with Rasmus Hojlund fit, with Paul Scholes left asking ‘exactly what is a Joshua Zirkzee?’. He looks a little like a competition winner.
4) Nikola Milenkovic (Nottingham Forest)
Expected goals: 1.6
Actual goals: 0
The City Ground is going to erupt when the brilliant Serb defender scores his first goal for Forest. Unless it’s away, obviously.
3) Adama Traore (Fulham)
Expected goals: 2.8
Actual goals: 1
Three shots with an xG of 1.3 v Manchester City and he could not score. It got him in the worst XI of that Premier League weekend but Pep Guardiola basically said he was unplayable. Up to the point he took the shot, obviously.
2) Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
Expected goals: 3.0
Actual goals: 1
Opta have clocked him missing five Big Chances this season, which has become a factor in Crystal Palace’s unexpectedly poor start to the season. Has taken more shots from free-kicks than any other Premier League player this season, while only two players (Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo) have taken more shots in total.
1) Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Expected goals: 3.8
Actual goals: 1
Only Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo and Eberechi Eze have taken more shots in the Premier League this season than Fernandes’ 31. He is level with Cole Palmer on that metric at least, though the Chelsea man has scored more than one penalty.
