Missing chances is an unavoidable part of being an attacking player.
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. A striker who misses 15 big chances but scores 25 goals may still be considerably more effective than a player who rarely gets into scoring positions.
Wastefulness must therefore be judged carefully. Big chances missed provide a useful starting point, but shot conversion, goals compared with expected goals, shot accuracy and the quality of each opportunity also matter.
This ranking combines performances from the opening weeks of 2026/27 with evidence from the completed 2025/26 campaign. The term “wasteful” refers only to finishing efficiency and is not intended as an assessment of a player’s overall quality.
Statistics are correct as of 21 September 2026 and will change as the campaign develops.
The Most Wasteful Premier League Finishers in 2026/27
Evanilson, Bournemouth
Igor Thiago, Brentford
Thierno Barry, Everton
Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United
Charalampos Kostoulas, Brighton & Hove Albion
David Brooks, Bournemouth
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Leeds United
Eddie Nketiah, Crystal Palace
Oliver McBurnie, Hull City
Phil Foden, Manchester City
1. Evanilson, Bournemouth
Evanilson has the strongest overall claim to be considered the Premier League’s most wasteful finisher at the beginning of 2026/27.
The Bournemouth striker missed four big chances during the opening weeks without scoring. His early shot-conversion rate therefore stands at zero.
This continues a concerning pattern from the previous campaign. Evanilson scored six Premier League goals during 2025/26 despite accumulating approximately 10.6 expected goals. His underperformance of around 4.6 goals was among the largest in the division.
He also missed 13 big chances last season and converted fewer than nine per cent of his total attempts.
There is a positive side to those figures. Evanilson continues to reach good scoring positions, which is an essential skill for any centre-forward. Bournemouth’s…
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