The Analyst: Burnley head the headers charts, while Benteke is head and shoulders above his rivals
- Cameron Loftus
- 3 December 2021
The Clarets are only two short of their headed goal output for the whole of last season, while Benteke has the most headed goals in the Premier League.
That makes it all the more crucial to spot when and where they might occur and from who. Planet Sport crunches the stats.
Which team has scored the most headers?
Burnley have scored the most headed goals this season with six and are only two shy of their tally for the whole of last season.
Captain Ben Mee leads the way with goals from headers against Everton and Crystal Palace. Maxwel Cornet, Matthew Lowton, James Tarkowski and Chris Wood complete the six.
Which current players have scored the most headers?
Christian Benteke has a seven-goal advantage over second-placed Harry Kane in the standings, highlighting just how clinical the Belgium international is in the air.
Just one of his four this season has come from this source and he missed a clear-cut chance against Leeds to put Crystal Palace 1-0 up last time out. It proved pivotal as a late Raphinha penalty won the game for the visitors.
Benteke's aerial ability has been there for all to see for almost ten years in England. He finished the 2013/14 season with the most headed goals while at Aston Villa. Of his 10 league goal scored that campaign, seven were scored with his head.
Kane (26), Romelu Lukaku (23) and Michail Antonio (20) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (18) are the next best and it is Lukaku and Antonio who represent a betting opportunity in the coming weeks.
Lukaku has been used from the bench in Chelsea's last two games but could start for the first time since matchday eight when the Blues travel to West Ham on Saturday.
The Hammers have a number of aerial threats with Craig Dawson and Tomas Soucek in addition to Antonio and this was illustrated again on Wednesday night when Soucek nodded them in front against Brighton. It was his sixth headed goal since arriving at the club in January 2019.
Which player has scored the most headers this season?
Newcastle's Callum Wilson leads the way with headers making up three of his five goals. His headed goals have come against West Ham, Southampton and Tottenham.
However, with new boss Eddie Howe looking to play a more expansive form of soccer, this is likely to dip.
Of the other Premier League players to have scored more than one headed goal, two, Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane, play for Liverpool. Chelsea's Kai Havertz and the aforementioned Mee are the other players to have notched two with their head.
