Cole Palmer breaks Premier League penalty record
Cole Palmer has rewritten Premier League history, becoming the most reliable penalty-taker in the competition’s history.
In Chelsea’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, Palmer coolly converted two penalties, taking his perfect record to 12 penalties scored from 12 attempts.
This feat surpasses the legendary Yaya Toure, who scored all 11 penalties he took for Manchester City during his illustrious career.
Palmer, reflecting on his achievement, said, “It’s a privilege to contribute to this team, and to break a record held by someone like Yaya Toure is surreal. But for me, it’s about staying focused and doing my job for Chelsea.”
Toure’s record had remained unbeaten since his Premier League debut in 2010. Even Ivan Toney, who came close to matching it in April 2023, fell short when Nick Pope saved his 11th penalty attempt.
This is according to a release on the EPL website on Monday.
Ironically, Toney redeemed himself by scoring a penalty later in the same match, but the elusive record stayed intact—until Palmer’s extraordinary form.
Palmer’s closest challengers currently include Fulham’s Raul Jimenez, who has converted all eight of his Premier League penalties, and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood, who have both maintained perfect records with seven goals each.
Others are ex-EPL players: Dimitar Berbatov is on 9 and Ruben Neves on 8.
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Beyond his penalty exploits, Palmer’s contributions to Chelsea are nothing short of remarkable.
His two goals against Spurs took his tally to 50 combined goals and assists (33 goals, 17 assists) in just 48 Premier League matches for the Blues.
Only Erling Haaland (39 matches), Andrew Cole (43 matches), and Mohamed Salah (46 matches) have reached this milestone faster for a single club in the competition.
Premier League Penalty Royalty
Palmer’s achievement ignites debate about whether he could be the best penalty-taker in Premier League history.
While Palmer’s 100% conversion rate is unmatched, legends like Matt Le Tissier (25/26, 96.2%) and Danny Murphy (18/19, 94.7%) boast exceptional records.
Even current stars like Erling Haaland, Bukayo Saka, and Alexis Mac Allister have missed only once, underscoring the elite company Palmer now keeps.
Best Penalty Conversion Rates in Premier League History (Minimum 10 Attempts)
Cole Palmer: 12 taken, 12 scored (100%)
Yaya Toure: 11 taken, 11 scored (100%)
Matt Le Tissier: 26 taken, 25 scored (96.2%)
Danny Murphy: 19 taken, 18 scored (94.7%)
Callum Wilson: 17 taken, 16 scored (94.1%)
James Beattie: 17 taken, 16 scored (94.1%)
Julian Dicks: 16 taken, 15 scored (93.8%)
Erling Haaland: 16 taken, 15 scored (93.8%)
Thierry Henry: 25 taken, 23 scored (92.0%)
Ivan Toney: 12 taken, 11 scored (91.7%)
Bukayo Saka: 12 taken, 11 scored (91.7%)
Leighton Baines: 22 taken, 20 scored (90.9%)
Danny Ings: 11 taken, 10 scored (90.9%)
Gary Speed: 11 taken, 10 scored (90.9%)
Frank Leboeuf: 11 taken, 10 scored (90.9%)
Peter Beardsley: 20 taken, 18 scored (90.0%)
Alexis Mac Allister: 10 taken, 9 scored (90.0%)
The league’s all-time penalty leader, Alan Shearer, converted 56 out of 67 attempts, while names like Frank Lampard (43 goals), Harry Kane (33), and Steven Gerrard (32) feature prominently in the penalty scoring charts.
On the flip side, players like Juan Pablo Angel (50%), Dwight Yorke (60%), and Wayne Rooney (68%) struggled to find consistent success from the spot.
Worst Penalty Conversion Rates in Premier League History (Minimum 10 Attempts)
Juan Pablo Angel: 10 taken, 5 scored (50%)
Dwight Yorke: 10 taken, 6 scored (60%)
Steed Malbranque: 10 taken, 6 scored (60%)
Kevin Phillips: 18 taken, 11 scored (61%)
Aleksandar Mitrović: 13 taken, 8 scored (62%)
Paul Pogba: 11 taken, 7 scored (64%)
Wilfried Zaha: 11 taken, 7 scored (64%)
Michael Owen: 21 taken, 14 scored (67%)
Christian Benteke: 15 taken, 10 scored (67%)
Wayne Rooney: 34 taken, 23 scored (68%)
Teddy Sheringham: 31 taken, 21 scored (68%)
Riyad Mahrez: 19 taken, 13 scored (68%)
