The Premier League's most wasteful finishers miss big chances — but that's not the full story

Premier League forwards who miss the most big chances in 2026/27 are also those receiving the most opportunities, according to analysis published by PremierLeagueNow. Missing chances is an unavoidable part of being an attacking player, and the most dangerous forwards frequently appear near the top of the missed-chances rankings.

  • Story: The most wasteful finishers in the Premier League in 2026/27
  • Key insight: The most dangerous forwards appear near the top of the missed-chances rankings because they receive more opportunities
  • Example given: A striker who misses 15 big chances but scores 25 goals may still be considerably more effective than a player who...
  • Source: PremierLeagueNow
  • Season: 2026/27 Premier League

The numbers

  • 15 big chances missed — the example figure for one striker in the source article
  • 25 goals scored — the example figure for the same striker
  • Key point: Big-chance volume and goal return must be read together

Why missed chances don't tell the whole story

The source makes a direct, commonsense point: the Premier League's most dangerous forwards frequently appear near the top of the missed-chances rankings because they receive more opportunities than everyone else. In other words, the raw number of big chances missed is a volume metric as much as a finishing metric.

The example in the article is a striker who misses 15 big chances but scores 25 goals. That player, the source argues, may still be considerably more effective than a player who takes fewer chances — the sentence is cut off in the excerpt, but the logic is clear: the striker with 25 goals has already converted enough to justify the misses.

No player names, clubs or match details are provided in the source excerpt. The analysis is general: missing chances is an unavoidable part of being an attacking player, and judging a forward purely on the missed-chances column ignores the chances they create and convert.

Talking points

  • Is a striker with 15 big chances missed and 25 goals genuinely wasteful, or is the missed-chances table simply a proxy for being heavily involved? The answer changes how we judge forwards.
  • Should pundits stop quoting missed-chances totals without also quoting goals scored and expected goals? The source suggests the two must be read together.
  • Does the most wasteful finisher label hurt a player's reputation more than it should, given the same player is often his team's main attacking outlet?
  • If a forward receives more opportunities than everyone else, is the real problem the finishing or the supply line that keeps creating for him?

What happens next

The 2026/27 Premier League season continues, and the missed-chances table will keep updating. The next round of fixtures gives every forward in the conversation a chance to change the narrative — or reinforce it. For now, the source's core point stands: judge finishers on goals as well as misses.

Frequently asked questions

Who are the most wasteful finishers in the Premier League in 2026/27?

The source article does not name specific players. It analyses the category generally, noting that the most dangerous forwards often top the missed-chances rankings because they receive more opportunities.

Why do the best forwards miss so many big chances?

Because they receive more opportunities than everyone else. The source states that the Premier League's most dangerous forwards frequently appear near the top of the missed-chances rankings for exactly that reason.

Can a striker who misses 15 big chances still be effective?

Yes. The source gives the example of a striker who misses 15 big chances but scores 25 goals, arguing he may be considerably more effective than a player who takes fewer chances.

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