Best Premier League wingers: Goalscorers, creators & dribblers
Who are the best wingers in the Premier League right now?
We’ve used the Twenty3 Sport Discovery Tool to find the best players in each position. For the top 10 wingers, the Discovery Tool rates a player’s per 90 output in the following 14 stats to produce a percentage score. We have also weighted each stat from 1 to 5 to highlight the most important aspects of a winger’s play style. This is the Squawka Score.
SQUAWKA SCORE (WINGERS) |
||
| Metric | Weighting | |
| Goals Scored | 5 | |
| Assists | 5 | |
| Non-penalty Expected Goals | 5 | |
| Open-play Expected Assists | 5 | |
| Shots Attempted | 4 | |
| Chances Created | 4 | |
| Take-ons Attempted | 4 | |
| Touches in the Opposition Box | 3 | |
| Penalty Area Entries | 3 | |
| Fouls Won | 2 | |
| Possession Won in the Final Third | 2 | |
| Through-balls | 1 | |
| Big Chances Created | 1 | |
| Final Third Passes | 1 | |
Each player’s stats are compared to the average output of wingers across the past three seasons of big-five European league football based on an automatically calculated minutes threshold. The more they rank in the 95th percentile and above for each metric, the higher the Squawka Score.
Ahead of the 2023/24 season, here are the best wingers in the Premier League ranked by their 2022/23 Squawka Score. Only players with 1350+ minutes in the Premier League have been included. We’ll highlight some exciting new signings at the end.
10. Jadon Sancho
Club: Manchester United
Squawka Score: 64%
It’s easy to forget that Jadon Sancho was directly involved in 79 goals in 99 Bundesliga appearances for Borussia Dortmund. The Englishman has failed to match that output since his £73m move to Manchester but the glimpses of his talent we have seen have secured him a top 10 spot in the wingers rankings ahead of the new season. Sancho ranks between the 80th-95th percentile for chances created, expected assists from open-play, touches in the opposition box and possession won in the final third (all per 90) when compared to the other wingers
9. Raheem Sterling
Club: Chelsea
Squawka Score: 65%
Much-maligned last season – as were most Chelsea players – Raheem Sterling’s underlying output has always been strong. In 2022/23, however, rather than standing out in any particular metric, it is his consistency across the 14 selected metrics that perhaps contributes to his surprising entry into the top 10.
8. Kaoru Mitoma
Club: Brighton
Squawka Score: 68%
Doctor dribble caused Premier League defences all sorts of problems in 2022/23. The Japanese international ranked in the 95th percentile and above for touches in the opposition box per 90 (7.66) and between the 80th and 95th percentile for take-ons attempted (4.43) and non-penalty xG (0.31). A terrifying combination for anyone facing the Brighton man.
7. Solly March
Club: Brighton
Squawka Score: 69%
Solly March was probably the Brighton player that gained the most from Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment last term. He took like a duck to water to the Italian’s playing style, excelling out wide and finishing the campaign with seven goals and seven assists. The Englishman ranked in the 80th-95th percentile for chances created per 90 (2.21), big chances created per 90 (0.56) and passes into the box (6.44), making him a constant threat in the Seagulls’ attack.
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=4. Gabriel Martinelli
Club: Arsenal
Squawka Score: 73%
Martinelli equaled Roberto Firmino’s record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League season by a Brazilian in 2022/23 (15), whilst also providing five assists as the Gunners pushed City all the way for the title. Ranking high for non-penalty xG, final third passes and expected assists from open play, the Arsenal man is set for another big season this term and may take the record all for himself.
=4. Leandro Trossard
Club: Arsenal
Squawka Score: 73%
Another shrewd Arsenal signing.
The Belgian provided more assists than any other Premier League player in 2023 and is the only player to reach double figures for assists during this calendar year (10). This coupled with his ability to win possession back high up the pitch (1.24 per 90) makes him the perfect man for Mikel Arteta’s young, high-pressing side. This is without mentioning his impressive through ball numbers of 0.6 per 90, which see’s him rank above the 95th percentile for that metric.
=4. Jack Grealish
Club: Man City
Squawka Score: 73%
By his own admission, Jack Grealish struggled during the start of his Man City career, but soon put that behind him with more consistent impressive performances in 2022/23, helping his side win a historic treble. Jack ranked in the 95th percentile and above for expected assists from open play (0.28 per 90) and fouls won (3.4) last term and between the 80th-95th percentile for possession won in the final third, big chances created and touches inside the opposition box, playing more like the forward Pep Guardiola invested £100m in.
3. Bukayo Saka
Club: Arsenal
Squawka Score: 74%
Lil’ Chilli was on fire last season, becoming the first player to register 10+ goals and 10+ assists in the Premier League, whilst also becoming the youngest Arsenal player to achieve that feat, breaking Cesc Fabregas’ record.
Bukayo Saka is the youngest Arsenal player to score 10+ goals and provide 10+ assists in a single Premier League season, breaking @cesc4official's record.
◉ Saka: 21 years old (2022/23)
◎ Cesc: 22 years old (2009/10)Starboys. ✨ pic.twitter.com/J5Ip5tagvI
— Squawka (@Squawka) March 19, 2023
He finished the campaign with 25 goal involvements, announcing himself as one of the best players in the division.
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2. Phil Foden
Club: Man City
Squawka Score: 79%
As well as having an incredible trophy cabinet at just 23-years old, Phil Foden also has the talent to match. Scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in just 1,843 minutes of Premier League football last term is impressive enough, but the Manchester City forward ranked in the top 20% for final third passes, possessions won, touches in the opposition box, goals, non-penalty xG and chances created last term.
1. Mohamed Salah
Club: Liverpool
Squawka Score: 80%
The 2022/23 season saw Mohamed Salah become Liverpool’s all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League, the player with the most left-footed goals in Premier League history and the first player in Liverpool’s history to score in nine consecutive games at Anfield. The Egyptian scored 19 goals, provided 12 assists, had more touches inside the opposition box than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues (331) and ranked above the 95th percentile for the following stats per 90: touches in the opposition box, shots and non-penalty xG.
Honorable Mentions
‘Where is Marcus Rashford?’ is probably the first question on your mind. Despite ending Man Utd’s 10-year wait for a 30-goal forward across all competitions, Rashford’s Premier League per 90 output earned him a Squawka Score of 60%. Sitting above the 95th percentile for shots attempted, Rashford is one of the Premier League’s biggest goal-threats from out wide but does not stack up quite as well in other metrics.
Unlike Julio Enciso. Winner of the Premier League Goal of the Season, the Paraguayan has a Squawka Score or 77% from his 802 minutes in 2022/23 – that would place him third in the above top 10. Enciso ranks above the 95th percentile (per 90) for shots (4.28) and take-ons attempted (6.3), as well as finding himself in the 80-95th percentile bracket for goals, non-penalty xG, touches in the opposition box and through balls attempted.
New arrivals Moussa Diaby (71%) and Christopher Nkunku (75%) would both make the top 10. Diaby’s winger status is unquestionable but we’re no closer to finding out where Pochettino will deploy Nkunku’s most often.
If all that wasn’t enough for you, here are the top five wingers for dribbling, goalscoring and creating last term:
Dribbling
Premier League 2022/23 |
||
| Player Name | Dribbles Completed | Dribble Success |
| 1. Bukayo Saka | 71 | 48% |
| 2. Solly March | 63 | 62% |
| 3. Gabriel Martinelli | 63 | 53% |
| 4. Said Benrahma | 60 | 50% |
| 5. Kaoru Mitoma | 60 | 49% |
Two Arsenal players and two Brighton players make up the top five for take-ons completed by Premier League wingers in 2022/23, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli both coming in the top three.
Goalscoring
Premier League 2022/23 |
||
| Player Name | Goals Scored | Mins Per Goal |
| 1. Mohamed Salah | 19 | 173 |
| 2. Marcus Rashford | 17 | 170 |
| 3. Gabriel Martinelli | 15 | 187 |
| 4. Bukayo Saka | 14 | 228 |
| 5. Harvey Barnes | 13 | 209 |
Mohamed Salah’s 19 goals last term was his joint worst goalscoring season for Liverpool, which shows just how incredible he has been during his time at Anfield. The Egyptian is currently the third favourite to win another Premier League Golden Boot in 2023/24.
Creativity
Premier League 2022/23 |
||
| Player Name | Chances Created | Big Chances Created |
| 1. Bukayo Saka | 75 | 8 |
| 2. Michael Olise | 72 | 11 |
| 3. Solly March | 67 | 17 |
| 4. Mohamed Salah | 65 | 15 |
| 5. Son Heung-min | 61 | 8 |
Bukayo Saka tops the charts for chances created in 2022/23, but Solly March’s 17 big chances creative is incredibly impressive in a standout season for the Brighton man.
