5 players who have scored the most goals from outside the box since 2018-19
The 2022-23 campaign has been underway for a couple of months now and there have already been some cracking goals. Although cleverly executed goals are always a delight to watch, nothing beats the excitement when a player scores from outside the box.
While some attackers are penalty box poachers, there are some who enjoy scoring spectacularly from outside the box season-after-season. However, there are only a few players who manage to do so consistently.
On that note, let's take a look at the five players who have scored the most goals from outside the box since 2018-19.
Note: Only the top five leagues in Europe have been considered.
#5 James Ward-Prowse (15)
James Ward-Prowse may just make England's squad for the 2022 World Cup, and the reasons are pretty evident.
The Englishman is a great leader and has plenty of energy in midfield. However, his strengths lie in his goal-scoring ability from outside the box through open-play situations as well as dead-ball scenarios.
Ward-Prowse is a great striker of the ball and is often found on the edge of the box to strike home from distance. Although he may not always find the target, he is one of the very few English midfielders capable of taking a good shot 30 yards from goal.
To put it into perspective, Ward Prowse has scored 15 Premier League goals from outside the box since the 2018-19 season. An incredible midfielder on his day, the Saints' academy graduate is only likely to add to this tally in the coming months.
#4 Dries Mertens (15)
Dries Mertens joined Galatasaray from Napoli this summer but the forward enjoyed a stellar time during his nine years in Naples.
The Belgium international scored 148 times and provided 90 assists in 397 appearances across all competitions for Napoli, including 113 Serie A goals in 295 appearances. Hence, the winger certainly knows where the back of the net lies, but not all of his goals came from inside the penalty box.
Mertens, who was excellent at set-pieces, also often tried to curl the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box. The Belgian would sometimes also go for glory from several yards away from the box and managed to beat the goalkeeper.
Mertens has scored 15 goals from outside the box since the 2018-19 campaign. But he is unlikely to add to this tally anytime soon after recently joining Galatasaray, a club outside of Europe's top five leagues.
#3 Ruslan Malinovskyi (15)
Ruslan Malinovskyi has been one of the most underrated players in Serie A since joining Atalanta from KRC Genk in 2019.
Under Gian Piero Gasperini, Malinovskyi has hit new highs in his game by producing high levels of ball progression and innate creativity in the final third of the pitch. But his best asset is taking set-pieces and scoring from distance, which he has done quite often since his time in Italy. The Ukrainian excels at assuming great positions in and around the box and always find time & pace to shoot on target.
Malinovskyi's long shots are often accurate, as the left-footed attacking midfielder often tries to squeeze the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the goalkeeper. An incredibly handy player, the midfielder has scored 15 goals from outside the box since the 2018-19 season.
Atalanta might consider handing him a new deal if he continues his ability to score from long distances, especially since his contract runs out next summer.
#2 James Maddison (18)
James Maddison has hit good form at the right moment as Leicester City try to change their fortunes around after a poor 12 months.
The England international, who will be aiming to make the World Cup squad next month, has five goals and two assists in just seven league appearances this season. In fact, since joining the Foxes in 2018, Maddison has scored 38 goals and provided 27 assists in 140 Premier League games. However, it is worth noting that many goals have come from outside the box, an area the midfielder clearly thrives in.
If his recent performance against Nottingham Forest was any evidence, Maddison comes to the fore when the ball lands to his feet outside the penalty box. The Englishman has a knack for curling the ball into the corner of the net from free-kicks, while his ability in open play situations is also underrated.
No English midfielder has more goal involvements than James Maddison since the start of last season 🐸☕️ https://t.co/wxxwYZtV61
Maddison has scored 18 goals from outside the box in the last four seasons, thereby making up nearly half of his Premier League goals. With the player in red hot form, it might not surprise Leicester fans if he continues to score spectacular goals in the coming weeks.
#1 Lionel Messi (29)
Lionel Messi, despite slightly slowing down last season, is back to his very best in the 2022-23 campaign and his statistics speak for themselves.
The Argentine has scored five goals & provided seven assists in just nine Ligue 1 games so far. His most recent strike was a delightful free-kick in Paris Saint-Germain's 2-1 victory against OGC Nice. In doing so, Messi has continued to prove that he is just as big a goal threat from outside the box as he is from the inside.
While the Barcelona legend is incredible from set-pieces, he has also always had the ability to take the ball in his stride and shoot from the edge of the box with sensational accuracy.
Their faces when Messi was about to take the free kick 😭 https://t.co/3T0Jkxog6K
This keeps the opposition goalkeeper on his toes as Messi excels at shooting on both sides of the goal, despite being outside the box. The Argentine, who is arguably the greatest player to ever grace the game, has scored 29 goals from outside the box since the 2018-19 campaign.
Given his current form, PSG fans will expect Messi to score many more dazzling goals from long distances this season.