One-on-one with the goalkeeper, 12 yards away from the goal, and all the time in the world to pick the perfect spot — scoring a penalty seems like a cakewalk on TV. However, hitting the back of the net even from such proximity is far from straightforward, as the heaviness of the occasion can be crippling. Only the coolest heads prevail in this psychological warfare, and in the list below, we will check out who they are.
Continue reading to meet the five players with the best penalty conversion rate in Premier League history.
Special note: Only including players who have taken 10 or more penalties in the Premier League.
Data: Opta
#5 Callum Wilson (Newcastle United/Bournemouth): 94.1% Conversion rate
Kicking off the list is Newcastle United frontman Callum Wilson with an impressive 94.1% conversion rate. Between Bournemouth and Newcastle United, Wilson has taken 17 penalties, putting away 16 of them. Wilson took six penalties at Bournemouth, scoring five. Meanwhile, at Newcastle, the former England international has a spotless 100% record, converting 11 of 11.
Wilson’s only miss came in a 2-0 win over Cardiff City in August 2018. Neil Etheridge stood guard in front of the goal that day.
#4 Danny Murphy (Liverpool/Charlton Athletic/Fulham): 94.7% Conversion rate
Liverpool legend Danny Murphy attempted 19 penalties during his illustrious Premier League run, scoring 18 times and attaining a stellar 94.7% conversion rate. Murphy’s spot-kick prowess benefitted three Premier League clubs — Liverpool, Charlton Athletic, and Fulham. He scored 12 penalties for Fulham, one for Charlton, and five for Liverpool.
Murphy, who played as a central midfielder, missed his only penalty against then-Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart in April 2008. The miss, however, did not hurt Fulham, as they came away with a 3-2 victory over the Cityzens.
#3 Matthew Le Tissier (Southampton): 96.2% Conversion rate
Considered the greatest penalty taker in the history of the Premier League, Southampton icon Matthew Le Tissier took 26 penalties in the competition, finding the back of the net on 25 occasions. His 96.2% conversion rate is spectacular considering the number of penalties he took.
According to Opta, Le Tissier missed his only penalty kick in March 1993. Taking his third penalty in the Premier League, the Englishman failed to beat Nottingham Forest’s Mark Crossley from the spot.
Throughout his career, Le Tissier took 48 penalties for club and country, converting all but one.
#2 Cole Palmer (Chelsea): 100% Conversion rate
Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer is statistically the best penalty-kick taker in the Premier League right now. Since his high-profile switch from Manchester City last season, the England international has taken 10 penalty kicks, not even missing a single one. Nine of his penalty kicks came in the 2023-24 season and the other one earlier in this campaign, in Chelsea’s 4-2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on September 28.
Palmer’s penalties have been a good omen for the Pensioners, as they have not yet lost a match in which he has scored a penalty.
#1 Yaya Toure (Manchester City): 100% Conversion rate
Manchester City legend Yaya Toure sits at the summit, having converted all of his penalties in the Premier League. The former Ivory Coast man took 11 Premier League penalties at City between 2010 and 2018, finding the back of the net on all occasions.
Overall, Toure took 16 penalties during his illustrious career — including international soccer — scoring 15 and missing just one. The three-time Premier League winner missed his only penalty in KSK Beveren’s 1-0 defeat to KSC Lokeren in the Jupiler League on September 14, 2002.
