This week we are looking at the art of penalty taking in the Premier League.
Super Swansea in top spot
Swansea City may be in the bottom half of the Premier League table but they are top of the rankings when it comes to converting penalties.
Jordan Ayew’s successful spot-kick in the 4-1 home win over West Ham United on 3 March continued the club’s impressive strike-rate from 12 yards.
Swansea have been awarded 21 PL penalties and have scored from 20 of them, a success rate of 95 per cent.
Southampton have been similarly ruthless. They have found the net with 62 of their 69 spot-kicks, a rate of 90 per cent.
Watford are third. The Hornets have registered with 17 of their 19 attempts, or 89 per cent.
Huddersfield Town could soon find themselves high up the list. The Terriers have netted both of the two penalties they have been awarded in the competition.
Best penalty success of current PL clubs (min. five pens)
| Team | Pens taken | Pens scored | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swansea | 21 | 20 | 95% |
| Southampton | 69 | 62 | 90% |
| Watford | 19 | 17 | 89% |
| Burnley | 15 | 13 | 87% |
| Chelsea | 128 | 110 | 86% |
| West Ham | 83 | 67 | 81% |
| Newcastle | 115 | 92 | 80% |
| Brighton | 5 | 4 | 80% |
| Man City | 104 | 83 | 80% |
| Liverpool | 147 | 113 | 77% |
| Stoke | 43 | 33 | 77% |
| Everton | 120 | 92 | 77% |
| Man Utd | 129 | 97 | 75% |
| AFC Bournemouth | 16 | 12 | 75% |
| Arsenal | 136 | 101 | 74% |
| Spurs | 117 | 85 | 73% |
| Crystal Palace | 52 | 38 | 73% |
| Leicester | 54 | 38 | 70% |
| West Brom | 41 | 26 | 63% |
Nottingham Forest are one of five former PL clubs in the all-time top-10 rankings.
Their record of 89 per cent (16 out of 18) is narrowly better than fifth-placed Blackpool’s 88 per cent, while Birmingham City, Hull City and Reading have also scored more than 80 per cent of their PL spot-kicks.
Also in this series
Part 2: Milivojevic leads the way with penalty prowess
Part 3: Perfect Toure top from the penalty spot
Part 4: The best penalty savers in the Premier League
Part 5: Danny Murphy's masterclass on taking penalties
