Erling Haaland & Darwin Nunez lead list of players with most shots on target this season

SINCE shots on target are worth a point each in Dream Team this season, gaffers should be aware of which players lead the way in the key metric.

One point may not seem like much in isolation but they really add up over the course of a season.

Plus, those keeping goalkeepers honest most often are also likely to be among the top goalscorers.

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Let’s analyse the current top ten…

MOST SHOTS ON TARGET THIS SEASON (ALL COMPETITIONS):

• 53 – Erling Haaland (£7.3m)
• 49 – Darwin Nunez (£4.5m)
• 42 – Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) & Julian Alvarez (£4.4m)
• 38 – Phil Foden (£5.3m)
• 37 – Matheus Cunha (£4.3m)
• 36 – Ollie Watkins (£4.3m)
• 33 – Cole Palmer (£4.4m) & Joao Pedro (£4.3m)
• 31 – Jarrod Bowen (£4.8m)

Such is the threat posed by Manchester City’s target man, he tops this list despite the fact he recently missed eight fixtures with a foot injury.

To put Haaland’s half-century into perspective, he’s earned the same number of points through shots on target alone as Marc Cucurella (£2.7m) and Emerson Royal (£2.2m) have mustered overall.

21 of the Norwegian poacher’s shots on target have resulted in goals.

It’s no surprise to see Liverpool’s No9 close behind as he’s taken more total shots than any other player in the Premier League this season.

Of course, the thing about Nunez is that, for all his impressive attributes, his finishing can be erratic.

Still, 49 shots on target underlines the barrage he unleashes on his opponents and perhaps indicates that he’s not too far away from a truly prolific run of form in front of goal.

Some gaffers may consider that wishful thinking but his almost freakish record of hitting woodwork suggests only a minor improvement would reap huge rewards.

One can’t help but notice Man City and Liverpool dominate this statistic once Salah, Alvarez and Foden complete the top five.

Like Haaland, the Egyptian superstar is particularly notable here because he’s been unavailable for the Reds’ last eight games and yet still he holds a lofty ranking.

As for Foden, he’s worthy of a special mention because he leads the way among midfielders, a reflection of his magnificent form this campaign.

The England international has scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists already in 2023/24.

Wolves’ forward has been one of the surprise packages of the Dream Team season – only five assets in his position have racked up more points at this stage and those individuals all have the added benefit of European fixtures.

However, Cunha’s viability has been thrown into question since he was prematurely substituted against Brentford on Saturday with a suspected injury.

Approximately 2% of Dream Team bosses have benefited from the Brazilian’s superb form of late – including a 25-point haul via his hat-trick against Chelsea – but they may have to find a replacement ahead of Gameweek 24.

As the second-ranked midfielder, Palmer is also worth flagging.

The 22-year-old has been Chelsea’s best player since he established himself as a regular starter and his tally of 12 goals and 11 assists speaks for itself.

Whether he plays as a centre-forward, No10 or from the right flank, Palmer rarely shies away from a shooting opportunity.

What’s clear (and hardly surprising) is that stocking up on City and Liverpool’s main goal threats is a strong, long-term strategy.

And perhaps this list indicates that Haaland, Nunez and Salah is the optimum front three when the latter is fully fit?

Dream Team managers should keep track of shots on target as the season progresses – it’s a very useful stat.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk