Much has been made of Erling Haaland’s start to life in the Premier League, with the Norwegian bagging 18 goals in his first 13 appearances. However, what is not being highlighted by the media and fans, is Harry Kane’s electric start to the season.
Kane, who of course was chased by Manchester City last year, is not normally a quick starter with the striker previously receiving criticism for starting previous seasons slowly. However, this has not been the case this season, with Kane enjoying his best ever start to a Premier League season – scoring 12 goals in 15 appearances.
You could argue Haaland’s sheer volume of goals and the rate he is scoring them at, is overshadowing the fantastic season Kane is having.
So, I thought, it would be worth comparing the two strikers, to see who can be crowned as the Premier League’s best striker.
In terms of numbers of goals scored, Haaland beats Kane but a more modern way in assessing a forward’s ability is using xG (expected goals). Stats provided from FB Ref show us that Haaland currently has a non-Penalty xG of 0.76 per 90, which towers over Kane’s sum of 0.48.
When comes to hitting the target there is not many better than Kane and Haaland – but who hits the target more often. Haaland hits the target 51% of the time which tops Kane’s ratio – with the Spurs man hitting the target 46.2% of the time. However, you could argue that it is no surprise to see Haaland’s percentage higher than Kane’s, with the majority of Haaland’s chances coming from inside the box.
However, recent years have seen the role of a striker change, with number 9s now more frequently tasked with joining in build-up play and creating for their teammates.
Who is the better player?Erling HaalandHarry Kane |
When it comes to build up play the England skipper is far more influential, having created 28 chances so far in the league this season. Haaland on the other hand is much more of a penalty box striker, rarely leaving the number 9 position to link play, this is shown by the fact he has only created 14 chances for his side.
This trend continues in terms of key passes as well with Kane racking up 27 so far this season, compared to Haaland’s 11.
To draw the comparison to an end, in terms of pure goalscoring Erling Haaland is the man but when it comes down to who is a better all-round player, the answer has to be Harry Kane.