20 Players You Can't Believe Haven't Scored Yet in the EPL This Year

The English Premier League might only be five weeks old, but already, players are making their presence known in the league with wonderful goals and fantastic finishes.

According to WhoScored.com, 77 players have scored goals so far this year—some expected, whilst others a little more unexpected. 

We assume the likes of Robin van Persie, Carlos Tevez and Demba Ba will find the back of the net time and time again this year, but several big names are yet to get the goal scoring underway in the English Premier League this season.

Read on to find 20 players you can't believe haven't scored a Premier League goal so far this year.

Juan Mata, Chelsea

Career goals: 71 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 13 goals

Juan Mata showed last season that he can certainly be an attacking force in the Premier League—he just hasn't carried that form across to 2012.

The Spanish international has to deal with the arrival of Eden Hazard and Oscar into the Blues' midfield, and whilst he will still keep his starting spot, he is yet to find the back of the net so far this year.

Papiss Cisse, Newcastle United

Career goals: 103 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 25 goals

After making a successful mid-year move to Newcastle United last season and picking up plenty of goals in the back half of the year, Cisse is yet to find the back of the net this year—leaving Demba Ba to carry much of the attacking work.

Cisse had an excellent opportunity last week to find his maiden goal this year, taking a penalty against Norwich City. Unfortunately, like much of his five appearances so far, he missed the mark by a mile.

David Silva, Manchester City

Career goals: 67 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 14 goals

Silva features in a star-studded Manchester City squad including Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli, Yaya Toure and Edin Dzeko—so it's understandable that Silva might not have found the back of the net so far this year.

But with Aguero out and Balotelli misfiring, Silva could well have found a goal through any of the five appearances he's made for the Citizens this season.

Fabio Borini, Liverpool

Career goals: 40 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 12 goals

The Italian international was one of Brendan Rodgers' big signings over the summer transfer window, and was brought to Liverpool to complement and assist Luis Suarez in the Reds' attack—and score goals himself.

That second part hasn't quite yet happened for the 21-year-old, who has played significant minutes in all five of Liverpool's matches so far this year.

Olivier Giroud, Arsenal

Career goals: 78 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 26 goals

After making a big move to Arsenal over the summer transfer window, French international Olivier Giroud was expected to bring with him the plethora of goals that he netted throughout his time at Montpellier in Ligue 1 last year.

Yet, as is well known by now, Giroud hasn't found the back of the net for the Gunners in the Premier League so far this year. He recently scored in their 6-1 victory over Coventry in the Capital One Cup; could that be the spark to ignite Giroud's goal scoring this year?

Mario Balotelli, Manchester City

Career goals: 61 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 21 goals

The enigmatic Italian Mario Balotelli was provided with an excellent opportunity to showcase his attacking talent when Sergio Aguero went down with injury earlier in the year.

Not only did Super Mario struggle to find the back of the net, he struggled to offer any real attacking presence, and didn't look close to the form that he displayed for Italy at the recent European Championships.

With Tevez and Aguero both healthy and firing, it could be some time before Balotelli grabs himself a goal in the Premier League this year.

Clint Dempsey, Tottenham Hotspur

Career goals: 108 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 29 goals

Despite only making one starting appearance and one appearance off the bench so far this year, few would have predicted that Clint Dempsey would be held scoreless through the first five games of the Premier League season.

Dempsey was arguably the breakout star of the Premier League at Fulham last year, and with better attacking talent around him at his new club, Tottenham Hotspur, surely it won't be long before the American finds the back of the net for Andre Villas-Boas?

Antonio Valencia, Manchester United

Career goals: 25 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 6 goals

Antonio Valencia didn't score a great deal of goals for Manchester United last season, but he was named their best player of the year and did pick up 14 assists during the season, as well as the Goal of the Year for the club against Blackburn Rovers.

And with plenty of starting opportunities and the attacking talent that the Red Devils have on hand, it's not unreasonable to suggest that Valencia could have scored so far this year.

Only thing is, he hasn't.

John Terry, Chelsea

Career goals: 48 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 7 goals

Despite being a central defender for Chelsea, John Terry has certainly found a way to get his name on the scoresheet over the years, and thus it comes as somewhat of a surprise that the England international hasn't done so yet this season.

With the depth of talent that the Blues have in midfield, however, maybe it's a good thing that Terry isn't taking up the goal scoring for the London club. After all, they haven't been defeated this year and sit on top of the table—so they must be doing something right.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, Tottenham Hotspur

Career goals: 49 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 7 goals

Gylfi Sigurdsson was excellent for Swansea City last season, and after making a big move to Tottenham Hotspur over the summer transfer window, it was expected that the goals would follow the 23-year-old to his new club.

Sigurdsson has played over 250 Premier League minutes so far this year for no goals, but with his debut goal for Spurs coming in the recent Capital One Cup, perhaps his goal drought at his new club is about to come to an end.

Carlton Cole, West Ham

Career goals: 71 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 15 goals

After netting 14 goals in the Championship last year for West Ham, Carlton Cole is yet to find the net in the top flight, despite appearing in all five of the Hammers' EPL matches so far this year.

The English striker is an exciting talent and a proven performer in the world football; can he end his goal scoring drought this week for West Ham?

Stephane Sessegnon, Sunderland

Career goals: 43 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 8 goals

Sunderland weren't the best attacking team in the Premier League last season, but when they did find the back of the net, much of it came through their Senegalese striker Stephane Sessegnon.

The Black Cats did bring in good attacking alternatives over the summer transfer window, however, in Stephen Fletcher, Adam Johnson and Louis Saha—which, combined, may explain some of the goal-scoring inabilities from Sessegnon so far this year.

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United

Career goals: 223 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 35 goals

I know, I know—Rooney was out injured for a month and so it's a little unfair to include him in a list of players that haven't scored this year, but prior to the start the season, nobody would have predicted that the Manchester United star would go scoreless through the first five games of the year.

The arrival of Robin van Persie will both help and hinder Rooney's quest for goals this year, but with the likes of Shinji Kagawa and Valencia behind him and the striker back to full health, it won't be long before Rooney gets his goal scoring going in the Premier League once again.

Junior Hoilett, Queens Park Rangers

Career goals: 27 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 7 goals

Junior Hoilett was close to Blackburn Rovers' best player last season, and with the club relegated at the end of the year from the competition, Hoilett made a summer move to Queens Park Rangers, where he would supposedly boost their attack.

As it stands, Hoilett hasn't scored a goal, and QPR hasn't won a game and sit dead last on the English Premier League table. Make of that what you will.

Theo Walcott, Arsenal

Career goals: 53 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 12 goals

With the arrival of Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud over the summer transfer window, Theo Walcott has been pushed aside to an extent at Arsenal, and is yet to net a Premier League goal because of it so far this year.

Contract issues have been speculated as a reason for his poor form, but with a recent brace in Arsenal's big win over Coventry in the Capital One Cup and the subsequent praise from manager Arsene Wenger, the England international could be close to opening his account this season.

Bryan Ruiz, Fulham

Career goals: 80 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 6 goals

Now that Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey have left Craven Cottage for White Hart Lane, there aren't too many reasons why Bryan Ruiz hasn't netted a Premier League goal so far this year.

One of them is the arrival of former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, who has already scored for the Cottagers—something that Ruiz cannot claim this season.

Sebastian Larsson, Sunderland

Career goals: 38 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 11 goals

Along with Segnesson, Sebastian Larsson is yet to find a goal for the Black Cats this season—leaving all the goal scoring up to new arrival Steven Fletcher.

Larsson showed last season that he can net big goals against even bigger opponents, with goals against Liverpool and a brace against Manchester City at the Etihad, but is yet to prove himself as a goal-scoring threat n the Premier League this year.

Danny Welbeck, Manchester United

Career goals: 33 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 14 goals

The England international striker currently sits third in line at Manchester United, with both Van Persie and Rooney ahead of him in the pecking order, so it's understandable that he might not have found a goal for the club this year.

Having said that, Welbeck has played over 250 minutes for the Red Devils so far this year courtesy of the injury to Rooney—playing all five matches—but hasn't scored a goal. I mean, really— if Javier Hernandez can score, Welbeck should be able to score.

Grant Holt, Norwich City

Career goals: 76 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 17 goals

The Norwich City captain scored many goals for the Canaries last season, but is yet to do so this season, despite playing nearly 350 Premier League minutes so far this year.

The 31-year-old is a good leader for the club, but needs to start scoring if Norwich are to be anything but cellar-dwellars this season—currently sitting just outside the relegation zone on the Premier League table.

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City

Career goals: 151 goals

Goals in 2011/12: 32 goals

Like Rooney, Sergio Aguero has missed matches for Manchester City so far this season, but as the club's leading goal scorer last year and third top goal scorer in the Premier League also, few would have expected him to not score through the first five games of the year.

Aguero came awfully close to scoring the game-winner against Arsenal last week, so City fans will hold no fear that their go-to guy hasn't found the back of the net yet this season.

It seems it will only be a matter of time.

All statistics courtesy of transfermarkt.com