In a moment that encapsulated both the pressure and precision of elite football, Raul Jimenez calmly stepped up to the penalty spot for Fulham against Nottingham Forest. As he has done on eleven previous occasions in the Premier League, the Mexican striker sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and found the net, sealing a 1-0 victory for his team and etching his name into the history books.
With that conversion, Jimenez equalled an extraordinary record, joining Manchester City icon Yaya Toure as the only players to have taken and scored 11 Premier League penalties without a single miss.
The significance of this achievement is magnified by the rarity of such consistency. While other celebrated marksmen like Alan Shearer and Harry Kane have scored more penalties in total, the relentless pressure of maintaining a flawless record over more than a decade of attempts is a distinct challenge.
Fulham manager Marco Silva, who watched the decisive penalty from the touchline, was quick to praise the unique qualities required. “The calmness, the quality, the braveness to go until the last moment… he’s a great taker and very reliable,” Silva stated in a post-match news conference, acknowledging the mental fortitude behind the technical skill.
For Jimenez, the record-breaking moment carried an added layer of personal importance. His career trajectory has been one of resilience following a severe head injury suffered while playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, an event that cast doubt over his future at the highest level.
Silva openly acknowledged that the striker “needed a goal” to bolster his confidence. The successful penalty, which proved to be the match-winner, served a dual purpose: it secured three crucial points for Fulham and marked another step in Jimenez’s inspiring journey back to prominence.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Jimenez revealed the simple philosophy behind his success. “It’s always what I do,” he said of his technique. “I do it well, so it’s something I have been training my whole career. I like to have this pressure with these penalties. I’m happy to score”.
The record Jimenez now shares places him in an exclusive club where perfection is the only standard. Yaya Toure, the Ivorian midfield powerhouse whose 11-for-11 record had stood alone, is a Premier League legend known for his decisive contributions in Manchester City’s rise.
Others have come tantalisingly close to this perfect mark only to fall short at the final hurdle. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer recently saw his own perfect run end at 12 successful penalties.
Similarly, Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo both reached 10 from 10 before missing their eleventh attempts. This context underscores how Jimenez’s achievement is as much about longevity and sustained composure as it is about spot-kick prowess.
Beyond the flawless records, the pantheon of Premier League penalty takers is filled with specialists who came breathtakingly close to perfection. The name most synonymous with spot-kick excellence remains Southampton’s Matt Le Tissier, who converted an incredible 25 of his 26 attempts, with his only miss coming early in his career.
Other notable figures with near-perfect records include Danny Murphy (18 from 19) and current West Ham striker Callum Wilson (16 from 17). These statistics highlight a fascinating hierarchy where volume scorers like Shearer, with a competition-leading 56 penalties scored, coexist with artists of near-flawless accuracy like Jimenez and Toure.
As Fulham continues its campaign, the immediate question now is whether Jimenez can break the record he currently shares. He requires just one more successful penalty to stand alone as the player with the most Premier League penalties scored before a first miss.
Given his proven mentality and the faith of his manager, the opportunity seems inevitable. “More penalties to come, I’ll be there,” Jimenez affirmed with characteristic confidence after the match.