Who Takes Penalties for Every Premier League Club in 2026?
Penalty duty can transform the appeal of a Fantasy Premier League asset and influence goalscorer bets. For punters comparing scorer markets or the latest free bets, knowing who has first claim from 12 yards can be more useful than simply backing the biggest name.
This guide has been checked ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League opener between Arsenal and Coventry City on Friday 21 August 2026. Coventry, Hull City and Ipswich Town are the three promoted clubs, replacing Burnley, West Ham United and Wolves.
Premier League penalty takers 2026/27: quick table
The table uses the latest official FPL hierarchy as its starting point, while also considering pre-season evidence and availability. Bournemouth is a good example: Eli Junior Kroupi leads the long-term list, but his injury puts Justin Kluivert first in line for the opening weeks.
| Club | Current penalty call | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Bukayo Saka | 🟠 Medium |
| Aston Villa | Emiliano Buendía | 🟠 Medium |
| Bournemouth | Justin Kluivert* | 🟠 Medium |
| Brentford | Igor Thiago | 🟢 High |
| Brighton | Pascal Groß | 🟢 High |
| Chelsea | Cole Palmer | 🟢 High |
| Coventry City | Matt Grimes* | 🔴 Low |
| Crystal Palace | Jean-Philippe Mateta | 🟢 High |
| Everton | Iliman Ndiaye | 🟢 High |
| Fulham | Gonzalo García | 🟠 Medium |
| Hull City | Oli McBurnie | 🟢 High |
| Ipswich Town | Jack Clarke | 🟠 Medium |
| Leeds United | Dominic Calvert-Lewin | 🟢 High |
| Liverpool | Alexander Isak | 🟠 Medium |
| Manchester City | Erling Haaland | 🟢 High |
| Manchester United | Bruno Fernandes | 🟢 High |
| Newcastle United | Nick Woltemade | 🟠 Medium |
| Nottingham Forest | Chris Wood | 🟢 High |
| Sunderland | Habib Diarra | 🔴 Low |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Dominic Solanke | 🟢 High |
*Coventry City: Haji Wright would normally be the leading penalty candidate, but he is expected to miss up to 12 weeks with a serious quad injury. The opening Gameweeks should provide stronger evidence at clubs where the hierarchy changed over the summer.
The four safest penalty takers
Four clubs stand out: Brentford, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.
Igor Thiago scored eight of nine Premier League penalties last season. Cole Palmer took six of Chelsea’s eight league spot-kicks, Erling Haaland handled all six of City’s penalties across all competitions and Bruno Fernandes took all six of United’s league penalties.
Penalty takers in the 2026/27 Golden Boot market
Penalty duty should never decide an outright bet on its own, but a secure role can materially increase a striker’s scoring ceiling.
BetVictor prices checked 19 August 2026. Decimal odds shown below and subject to change. BetVictor had Haaland at 4/6, Isak at 8/1, Thiago at 12/1 and Gyökeres at 16/1.
| 2026/27 bet | Penalty angle | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland – Top Goalscorer | Clear first-choice taker | 1.67 | |
| Alexander Isak – Top Goalscorer | Current Liverpool No.1 | 9.00 | |
| Igor Thiago – Top Goalscorer | Eight successful league penalties last season | 13.00 | |
| Viktor Gyökeres – Top Goalscorer | Penalty upside, but not assured ahead of Saka | 17.00 |
Bet now!The penalty angle: Haaland combines elite goalscoring potential with a secure spot-kick role. Thiago offers similarly clear responsibility at a much bigger price, while Gyökeres carries greater uncertainty because Saka remains Arsenal’s current No.1. Odds can change. Betting should form only one part of the analysis and should always be approached responsibly.
For more detail on the bookmaker and its football markets, see our full BetVictor review.
Why penalty takers matter in FPL
Penalties provide another route to attacking returns, making them useful when choosing between similarly priced FPL assets.
The practical approach is simple:
- Start with minutes. Regular starters have more opportunities to be on the pitch when a penalty is awarded.
- Check whether the role is exclusive. Manchester United’s hierarchy is much clearer than Sunderland’s.
- Look beyond penalties. Open-play chances, set pieces and positioning remain more important over 38 matches.
- React to competitive evidence. An unexpected taker in the opening weeks can quickly change the hierarchy.
Players whose penalty role boosts their FPL appeal
Bruno Fernandes benefits because penalties complement his free-kick and dead-ball involvement, while Cole Palmer remains Chelsea’s obvious first choice when available.
Igor Thiago has a different profile, but nine league penalties last season show how much the role can raise a striker’s scoring ceiling.
Pascal Groß is an early differential to monitor because his penalty potential combines with broader set-piece responsibility.
When should the penalty hierarchy be updated?
Three moments are particularly important:
- After the opening two or three Gameweeks: competitive penalties outweigh most pre-season assumptions.
- After the summer transfer window closes: late signings can immediately alter the order.
- After a missed penalty: the next spot-kick often reveals whether the manager has changed taker.
The safest approach is to treat the hierarchy as a live 2026/27 tracker rather than a prediction fixed in August.
