Which Premier League player has had the most shots in 2021/22 without scoring?

Andy Schooler
30 March 2022

We take a look at the English top-flight's not-so-sharp shooters.

All clubs have them - those players who like a shot but aren't actually very good at one of football's most important skills.

You know, the ones fans often ironically shout 'shooooooo-t' at when they get the ball 35 yards from goal, yet deep down know they have virtually no chance of finding the net.

Of course, some do - and my word, it's great when a 30-yarder rasps its way past a goalkeeper and into the old onion bag - but many don't.

It begs the question, which player has had the most shots in this season's Premier League without scoring?

Premier League data boffins Opta have provided the answer with five players having taken more than 20 shots so far in 2021/22 without registering a goal.

In traditional, reverse order, here's the countdown.

4=. Mohammed Salisu (Southampton) 21

Salisu doesn't fit the long-range shooter profile. He's the only defender on the list and most of his 'shots' at goal are actually headers - he one of the league's biggest threats from set-plays. Still, despite managing 12 efforts at goal in his last eight league games, that threat is yet to translate into a goal.

4=. Nathan Redmond (Southampton) 21

Remarkably, Salisu's Southampton team-mate Redmond is also on the list - Ralph Hasenhuttl may want to get some practice going on the training ground. Given he's three times hit the five-goal mark during a Premier League campaign, it's something of a surprise to see the one-cap England international without a goal at this stage of the season.

3. Pierre Lees-Melou (Norwich) 24

Given Melou's Ligue 1 goal tallies of 4-5-2-5-7, it's fair to assume Norwich expected the Frenchman to provide a few goals when they signed him in the summer. Despite all the shots, none have been forthcoming which is at least part of the reason the Canaries find themselves bottom of the table and deep in relegation trouble.

2. Jakub Moder (Brighton) 28

Brighton's Polish international is arguably the unluckiest player on this list. According to Infogol, his 28 shots have produced an expected goals (xG) figure of 3.12, the highest of the five players featured here.

1. Dwight McNeil (Burnley) 34

📐 Every angle of Dwight McNeil's aesthetically superb stunner at Goodison 🤌#PL pic.twitter.com/ZIeUsKidS2
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 21, 2022

Here's the answer to our original question - yes, Burnley's Dwight McNeil has had more shots (34) than any other Premier League player this season without scoring.

Clarets fans have seen rather too much of their winger, who has played in every game, cutting in and blazing a shot high and wide this season but how they'd crave him banging one in during the coming weeks as they fight for their top-flight lives.

Maybe it will come in April 6's huge relegation six-pointer with Everton. After all, McNeil's last Premier League goal - a curling shot into the top corner from outside the box - came against the Toffees in March 2021.