Five most complete forwards in the Premier League

In football, most forwards are very good at one or two things. Strikers with a complete skillset are very rare – today, we’ll be looking at five of the most complete forwards in the Premier League.

Let’s explain what we mean by this. To be considered for this piece, a striker must be able to thrive in any situation – they need to be strong finishers, good at interplay and must be able to provide some sort of aerial presence.

For example, a player such as Erling Haaland will not make a list such as this. His pace, power and natural finishing ability make him lethal in front of goal, but his hold up play is often lacking. Additionally, for such a physically imposing player, he doesn’t win as many headers as you may expect.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Dominic Calvert-Lewin had treading water for several years at Everton – he has looked like a rejuvenated player since his move to Leeds United.

The former Sheffield United man may not have hit the ground running immediately, but he is certainly up to speed now. His finishing had been a problem for him in the past – now, he is the fourth-top scorer in the Premier League this season.

Calvert-Lewin’s hold up play, work rate and ability to run the channels has never been an issue. Now that he has found his scoring boots again, there is little that he can’t do.

Igor Thiago

To say that Igor Thiago has burst onto the Premier League scene this season would be an understatement. The Brentford man has taken the league by storm – as things stand, only Erling Haaland has scored more goals in the league than him this season.

He is much more than just a poacher, too. He is very technically gifted, blending physical dominance with prowess on the ball.

He’s very difficult to knock off the ball, lending to his ability to hold the ball up – on top of this, Thiago’s passing is also severely underrated. In many ways, he resembles Harry Kane during his Tottenham heyday (not physically, of course).

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Jean-Philippe Mateta has been unfairly characterised as a ‘wrecking ball’ forward in the past. This couldn’t be further from the truth – the Crystal Palace star is very polished on a technical level.

Mateta’s technical ability is just one of many strong attributes that he possesses. At 6ft 4, he brings a massive physical presence with him – he’s also an adept goalscorer.

Mateta can score all kinds of goals – his excellent movement allows him to score tap-ins, but he can also find the back of the net from well outside the area if the opportunity presents itself.

Raul Jimenez

Raul Jimenez may not immediately spring to mind when you think of forwards with complete skillsets in the Premier League, but it’s very difficult to pick a hole in his game.

If we had to identify a weakness that the Mexican international has, we’d probably point to his lack of pace – outside of this, Jimenez excels in all departments.

He has a modest goalscoring record for Fulham in the league this season, having found the back of the net just five times, but he supplements this tally with an additional three assists.

Hugo Ekitike

Is there anything Hugo Ekitike cannot do? We’ll get the criticisms out of the way first and foremost – his hold up play isn’t as good as Calvert-Lewin’s or Thiago’s, but this is as far as we can go in terms of critques.

In many ways, playing with Ekitike feels like having two strikers in one. He’s fast, technical, hard-working and is happy to run the channels – additionally, he’s also physically strong and is lethal in front of goal.

The Liverpool ace was expected to play deputy to Alexander Isak, but this certainly hasn’t been the case in practice. Ekitike has a glittering career in football ahead of him, whether it takes place at Liverpool or elsewhere.