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Dominic Calvert Lewin's finishing has been severely off this season.

The 10 worst finishers across Europe’s major leagues in 2023-24: Calvert-Lewin, Lewandowski, Nunez…

Nestor Watach •

It’s no wonder that top European sides spend serious money when it comes to signing top goalscorers – elite-level finishers are few and far between and can make all the difference. 

However, sometimes the scouting or previous form can mean little when a player’s confidence is gone. Some of the biggest names in football are among those struggling to convert chances in 2023-24 so far.

Here are the top 10 worst finishers across Europe this season, based on expected goals (xG) underperformance stats from FBref.

10. Enzo Fernandez

Fernandez moved to Chelsea last January for a hefty fee of over £100million as one of Todd Boehly’s main signings. Admittedly it’s unfair to judge the midfielder’s game on goals, although he’s racked up considerable xG – with an underperformance of -2.9.

The Argentinian World Cup winner has at least opened his Premier League account now after a long wait. He’s scored twice for the Blues this season.

9. Remy Cabella

The former Newcastle forward is currently plying his trade for Lille, where he’s enduring an immensely frustrating season.

Cabella has scored just once from 23 attempts in Ligue 1. He’s notched 4.3xG but is underperforming considerably.

8. Ludovic Ajorque

Another French forward struggling to convert, Mainz’s Ajorque currently boasts the biggest xG underperformance in the Bundesliga.

The 29-year-old has scored just one goal from 19 attempts this season, having registered an expected goals rate of 4.6.

On the opening weekend, he became the first player in Bundesliga history to miss two penalties in a single match – both attempts were saved by Union Berlin’s Fredrik Rønnow.

7. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Since leaving Arsenal, things have never been quite the same for Aubameyang. Moves to Barcelona and Chelsea were short-lived and now the Gabonese forward finds himself at Marseille with an xG underperformance of -3.5.

Aubameyang scored just once in his first 10 Ligue 1 appearances for Marseille, but things picked up considerably in December.

6. Nicolas Jackson

The Chelsea forward has a respectable(-ish) return of seven Premier League goals, so far, in his debut season at Stamford Bridge.

But Jackson’s name has become a bit of a punchline for some following a series of high-profile misses chances. And the data bears out that his finishing could certainly do with improvement – underperforming his xG by a rate of 3.6.

Only the Premier League’s three top scorers – Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Dominic Solanke – have notched a total higher xG than the Senegalese striker.

5. Darwin Nunez

The name you’d have banked the house on featuring in this top 10.

Nunez’s earned a reputation for fluffing big chances during his debut season on Merseyside, and while he’s shown improvement and been an important player for Jurgen Klopp’s table-topping Reds, missing chances undeniably remains a big part of his game.

58 shots. 24 on target. 8.6xG. Five goals scored. 18 big chances missed.

4. Iago Aspas

Iago Aspas has been fairly consistent at his two spells at Celta Vigo via an inauspicious move to Liverpool in between. Since returning back in 2015, Aspas has scored double figures in every season but has endured a strange and frustrating 2023-24 campaign to date.

The 36-year-old’s finishing may be a little errant this season, but (three goals from 6.7xG) but he remains a creative maestro for Rafael Benitez’s relegation-battling Celta – only Isco has notched more key passes across Europe’s major leagues.

READ: The top 10 chance creators in Europe in 2023-24: Saka, Isco, Fernandes…

3. Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona’s title defence isn’t quite going to plan – and nor is Lewandowski’s season.

The veteran has been one of European football’s most reliable goalscorers for well over a decade now, and last term was no exception as he ended up La Liga’s top scorer with 23 goals.

But things are just a bit off with Lewandowski this season. He’s notched 57 shots but only 36% (21) have been on target, and he’s mustered just eight goals from 11.8xG.

Only six players across Europe’s major leagues have registered a higher rate of expected goals, so he’s evidently still getting himself into dangerous areas.

2. Cyle Larin

Mallorca find themselves precariously sitting in the lower reaches of the La Liga table. Larin has an xG underperformance of -2.5 and he’s yet to find the same form he found in MLS with Orlando City.

The Canada international scored 43 times in 87 games for Orlando but so far has scored just twice in the Spanish top flight this season.

1. Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The Everton striker stands top for xG underperformance across Europe’s five major leagues this season. Calvert-Lewin has scored three Premier League goals from 34 shots (15 on target), totalling an expected goals (xG) tally of 7.6.

Not ideal when they’re already battling against a -10 point penalty, with another potentially brewing.

READ NEXT: A definitive list of 2023-24’s Puskas contenders: Szoboszlai, Bellingham, Kane…

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