Premier League Clubs Ranked by Shots on Target per Game
Five seasons and 1,900 matches of shots on target, club by club: who tests goalkeepers most, who barely does, and what that means for shot and goal markets.
Shots on target are the cleanest volume signal I have for how often a side genuinely threatens a goalkeeper. I wanted a simple ranking: across 1,900 Premier League matches from 2021/22–2025/26, which clubs put the most efforts on target per game, and which put the fewest? The average team managed 4.5.
The headline answer is a clear split. Manchester City sit top on 6.2 per game, Burnley bottom on 3.4, a gap of 2.8 across the 21 clubs with at least 57 matches. These team-level baselines are the starting point for the match models behind today's over/under predictions, so it matters that they are measured properly.
Section AManchester City and Liverpool lead the Premier League shots ranking
The top of the table is a two-club race. Manchester City average 6.2 shots on target per game over 190 matches, with Liverpool almost level on 6.1. There is then a noticeable drop to Arsenal on 5.3, followed by Manchester United on 5.2 and Chelsea on 5.1.
The more useful detail for me is where the chart thins out. Below the top five, the clubs are bunched closely together, and Aston Villa and Brentford already sit slightly below the league average of 4.5. Being an established club does not automatically mean high shot volume.
League average per team per game: 4.5 SOT.
View the data: most shots on target per game, premier league
| 2021/22–2025/26, top 11 of 21 clubs with 57+ matches | |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | 6.2 |
| Liverpool | 6.1 |
| Arsenal | 5.3 |
| Manchester United | 5.2 |
| Chelsea | 5.1 |
| Brighton | 5 |
| Tottenham | 5 |
| Newcastle | 4.8 |
| Bournemouth | 4.6 |
| Aston Villa | 4.4 |
| Brentford | 4.3 |
For anyone pricing team shots-on-target lines, City and Liverpool are the only sides here that sit clearly above everyone else. Everyone below them is close enough together that the opponent and the match context will usually matter more than the badge.
Section BBurnley, Wolves and Southampton create the fewest Premier League shots
At the other end, Burnley average 3.4 shots on target per game across 114 top-flight matches in the window. Wolves and Southampton follow on 3.7, then Leicester on 3.8, with Nottingham Forest, Everton, West Ham and Leeds all on 3.9.
This is where I am most cautious. Burnley, Southampton, Leicester and Leeds were not ever-present in the window, so their figures only cover Premier League seasons, often with squads that differ from the current ones. A club that came straight back up may look nothing like its relegation side.
View the data: fewest shots on target per game, premier league
| 2021/22–2025/26, the other 10 clubs, lowest first | |
|---|---|
| Burnley | 3.4 |
| Wolves | 3.7 |
| Southampton | 3.7 |
| Leicester | 3.8 |
| Nottingham Forest | 3.9 |
| Everton | 3.9 |
| West Ham | 3.9 |
| Leeds | 3.9 |
| Crystal Palace | 4.1 |
| Fulham | 4.2 |
Even so, the cluster between 3.7 and 3.9 is tight, and it includes ever-presents such as Wolves, Everton and West Ham. Those clubs have consistently struggled to test goalkeepers, and that is a far more reliable finding than any single relegated club's average.
Section CManchester City dominate shots on target taken and conceded
Volume in attack is only half the picture, so this chart sets shots on target taken against shots on target conceded for the 14 clubs present in every season. Manchester City lead on both measures, taking 6.2 and conceding just 2.9 per game, which gives them an SOT share of 67.9%. Arsenal are second on 63.3%, conceding only 3.1.
Liverpool shoot almost as often as City but concede 3.8, so their share drops to 61.7%. At the bottom, Wolves take 3.7 and concede 4.8, giving them the lowest share at 43.3%, with West Ham just above on 43.4%. Crystal Palace sit exactly balanced on 50.0%, with 4.1 each way.
View the data: shots on target for and against per game
| SOT conceded | SOT taken | |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester City (190 matches, SOT share 67.9%) | 2.9 | 6.2 |
| Arsenal (190 matches, SOT share 63.3%) | 3.1 | 5.3 |
| Liverpool (190 matches, SOT share 61.7%) | 3.8 | 6.1 |
| Brighton (190 matches, SOT share 56.1%) | 3.9 | 5 |
| Chelsea (190 matches, SOT share 55.1%) | 4.1 | 5.1 |
| Manchester United (190 matches, SOT share 54.2%) | 4.4 | 5.2 |
| Tottenham (190 matches, SOT share 53.4%) | 4.4 | 5 |
| Newcastle (190 matches, SOT share 52.0%) | 4.4 | 4.8 |
| Aston Villa (190 matches, SOT share 50.5%) | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| Crystal Palace (190 matches, SOT share 50.0%) | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Brentford (190 matches, SOT share 46.4%) | 5 | 4.3 |
| Everton (190 matches, SOT share 45.5%) | 4.7 | 3.9 |
| West Ham (190 matches, SOT share 43.4%) | 5.1 | 3.9 |
| Wolves (190 matches, SOT share 43.3%) | 4.8 | 3.7 |
For a bettor, the gap between the two dots tells you about the likely flow of a match, while either dot on its own tells you less. Arsenal's attack is not the league's busiest, but their low concession rate makes their games more one-sided than their attacking output alone suggests.
Section DLeague shots on target held steady while City and Liverpool dipped
The trend chart runs from 2016/17 only, because the way English shots on target were recorded changed in 2013/14 and I don't mix those two eras. The league average was 4.3 in 2016/17 and 4.2 in 2025/26, with a single high of 4.9 in 2023/24. Overall, the league has been remarkably flat.
The top two tell a different story. Both City and Liverpool peaked at 7.3 in 2023/24. By 2025/26, City were down to 5.4 and Liverpool to 4.6, the latter barely above the five-year league average.
View the data: sot per game by season: league v the top two
| League average | Manchester City | Liverpool | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 6.2 |
| 2017/18 | 4.2 | 6.9 | 6.1 |
| 2018/19 | 4.4 | 6.8 | 5.9 |
| 2019/20 | 4.3 | 6.9 | 6.1 |
| 2020/21 | 4.3 | 5.8 | 5.6 |
| 2021/22 | 4.4 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| 2022/23 | 4.4 | 5.8 | 5.6 |
| 2023/24 | 4.9 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| 2024/25 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 6.1 |
| 2025/26 | 4.2 | 5.4 | 4.6 |
The main caveat is that shots on target measure volume, not chance quality: a tap-in and a speculative 30-yard effort count the same. A drop in on-target shots can reflect fewer chances or simply a shift in shot selection, which is why I always check these numbers against expected goals before acting on them.
Club verdict
What this file means before you bet.
- Weight recent seasons heavily. Five-year averages flatter Liverpool on 6.1, given their 4.6 in 2025/26. Start from the latest season and treat the long-run figure as a ceiling, not a forecast.
- Use share, not volume. Manchester City's 67.9% SOT share and Arsenal's 63.3% say more about how one-sided their matches are than raw shot counts do. Wolves on 43.3% and West Ham on 43.4% point the other way.
- Discount promoted-club averages. Burnley's 3.4 comes from only 114 matches, and club samples like this are small and tied to specific squads. Check the current team before leaning on any relegated or promoted side's figure.
Frequently asked
Which Premier League team has the most shots on target per game?
Manchester City, with 6.2 per game across 190 matches from 2021/22–2025/26. Liverpool are almost level on 6.1, and Arsenal are third on 5.3.
What is the average number of shots on target per team in a Premier League game?
Across 1,900 matches from 2021/22–2025/26, the average team had 4.5 shots on target per game. Season by season, the figure ranged up to a high of 4.9, and it was 4.2 in 2025/26.
Which Premier League teams have the fewest shots on target?
Burnley were lowest at 3.4 per game over 114 top-flight matches, followed by Wolves and Southampton on 3.7. Among ever-present clubs, Wolves also had the lowest SOT share, at 43.3%.
I'm Nathan Pierce, Senior Data Analyst at BettingTips2. I build the statistical models behind our predictions and stress-test the picks our writers send my way.
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