Is James Ward-Prowse the best free-kick taker in Premier League history?
2127
James Ward-Prowse scored his first free-kick of the season in last week’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, reminding everyone of his unrivalled dead-ball ability.
The Southampton captain curled a stunning long-range strike past Jack Butland to net his eleventh direct free-kick in the Premier League.
Ward-Prowse is now level with Sebastian Larsson at the top of the Premier League’s all-time leaderboard, having scored a phenomenal 11 free-kicks.
Since Larsson is back in Sweden with AIK, Ward-Prowse needs just one more free-kick to become the out-and-out leader in Premier League history.
As you can see, Ward-Prowse finds himself above some illustrious names in the Premier League’s all-time free-kick charts.
- Sebastian Larsson – 11
- James Ward-Prowse – 11
- Cristiano Ronaldo – 9
- Christian Eriksen – 8
- Juan Mata – 8
- Morten Gamst Pedersen – 7
- Steven Gerrard – 7
- Wayne Rooney – 7
Not only has Ward-Prowse scored four free-kicks more than Premier League legends like Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, but he has also netted two more than Cristiano Ronaldo.
That tells you everything you need to know about his dead-ball quality.
Ronaldo has played 209 Premier League games, scoring 91 goals along the way. That means just over 10% of his Premier League goals are free-kicks.
As for Ward-Prowse, he has scored 33 goals in 284 Premier League appearances – meaning 33% of his goals have come from direct free-kicks.
The 27-year-old bagged four free kicks last season alone. He even managed to score two in a single game as Southampton beat Aston Villa 4-3.
Nine players scored a direct free-kick in the Premier League last term. Remarkably, Ward-Prowse netted three more than any other player.
Time and again, Ward-Prowse gets his team out of trouble. When Saints look down and out, their captain invariably stands up and delivers.
Southampton have made a below-par start to the season, winning just three of their opening 17 matches.
However, Ward-Prowse has remained a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy campaign for the south coast side.
If they carry on the way they’re going, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team could find themselves involved in a relegation battle.
But if Ward-Prowse continues to cement his status as the best free-kick taker in Premier League history, Southampton should be able to steer clear of the dreaded drop.
Home
Football 
Basketball
Hockey
American Football
Baseball
Rugby
Volleyball
Handball
Esoccer
