Hitting the woodwork is a forward’s worst nightmare, as it draws all the resources of scoring a goal but does not give the satisfaction in return. It is especially gut-wrenching in a competition such as the Premier League, where goalscoring opportunities arrive few and far between.
Today, we will meet a few forwards who are far too familiar with the bitter feeling of being denied by the woodwork. Here are five players who have hit the post or bar a record number of times since the 2009-10 Premier League season.
#5 Luis Suarez (Liverpool): 9 Times
In fifth place, we have former Liverpool sharpshooter Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan, who is currently plying his trade at Inter Miami, hit the woodwork nine times in 33 games in 2013-14. Suarez still managed to win the Golden Boot that season, finding the back of the net a whopping 31 times.
Suarez’s Premier League stay was not too long, but it was undoubtedly memorable. He played 110 matches for the Merseysiders in the English top flight, scoring 69 times and providing 23 assists. In addition to the Golden Boot, Suarez was also awarded the Player of the Season award at the end of the 2013-14 season.
#4 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City): 9 Times
The only non-striker to make the list, Manchester City maestro Kevin De Bruyne was denied by the woodwork nine times in the 2016-17 season. As a result, the Belgian maestro ended the campaign with six goals in 36 appearances. He, however, claimed a league-high 18 assists throughout the campaign.
Two-time Player of the Season (2019-20, 2021-22), De Bruyne is arguably the best midfielder England has ever seen. He has played 248 matches in the English top flight, scoring 65 times and providing 106 assists. He has won five titles (2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23) with reigning champions Manchester City.
#3 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur): 9 Times
Former Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane has claimed the third spot, having hit the woodwork nine times in 35 Premier League matches in the 2020-21 season. The Englishman still won the Golden Boot in 2020-21, with him scoring 23 times throughout the campaign. Kane had similar misfortune in the 2015-16 campaign, as he found the post/bar seven times in 38 games.
Kane is one of the finest strikers the league has ever seen. Before leaving for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, the three-time Golden Boot winner (2015-16, 2016-17, 2020-21) scored 213 goals in 320 games, emerging as the division’s second-highest scorer of all time.
#2 Darwin Nunez* (Liverpool): 9 Times
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has had abysmal luck in front of goal in the 2023-24 season, hitting the woodwork a whopping nine times in 24 Premier League matches. If he keeps this up, he will easily claim the top spot by the end of the season.
Nunez, who joined the Reds for a €85 million ($92.2 million) fee from Benfica in July 2022, has faced criticism for not being clinical in front of goal. He has played 53 league matches for Liverpool so far, scoring 18 times.
#1 Robin van Persie (Arsenal): 10 Times
Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie hit the woodwork a whopping 10 times in the 2011-12 Premier League season. Despite being so unlucky in front of goal, the former Dutch ace ended the season with a league-high 30 goals in 38 appearances. Had it not been for the bar and post, Van Persie would have set the record for most goals scored in a single Premier League campaign.
The ex-Netherlands international spent eight seasons at Arsenal before switching to rivals Manchester United in 2012-13. He played a total of 280 Premier League matches, scoring 144 times and providing 53 assists. The two-time Golden Boot winner (2011-12, 2012-13) lifted his sole Premier League title at the end of the 2012-13 season.
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