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Four games in and the battle for the Premier League’s Golden Boot is already looking too close to call.
The number of potential 20+ goalscorers has increased following the completion of transfer activities. Due to the evolution of modern football, that list of potential Golden Boot winners is not limited to strikers as wingers are now seen as important goal outlets (thanks in no part to the trailblazers; Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi).
It is also not just limited to the big teams only. For instance, it can be argued that West Ham's frontline is almost as good as that of Manchester United. Everton's frontline minus Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Cenk Tosun & Omar Niasse looks like it could also match/exceed the output of the attackers at Tottenham Hotspur.
Last season, the contest for the Golden Boot was fierce. Three players; Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane (Liverpool) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all finished as joint top scorers with 22 goals each.
This feat could be repeated this season going by the goalscoring tallies already racked up. Here is a look at 5 of the leading candidates for the prestigious title this season:
#5 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling's evolution under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola has been one of the most fascinating in recent times.
He has gone from precocious and inconsistent to one of the best wingers in the world and a leader for both club and country.
Despite Guardiola's well-known desire to always keep his team fresh by rotating, Sterling is one of the few players to have earned the Spaniard's confidence to start every match (alongside the likes of Aymeric Laporte, Ederson, Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker).
The England international's pace, directness, dribbling ability and intelligence in getting into goalscoring positions has helped him increase his goal tally season on season since the Catalan manager showed up in Manchester.
He has already hit 5 goals this season in just 4 matches and looks set to play a starring role in Manchester City's desire to three-peat the Premier League title.
#4 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
England captain and guaranteed getter of goals, Harry Kane has not featured in the Golden Boot discussion for the last two seasons thanks to a succession of serious injuries (and the stupendous form of Mo Salah in the 2017-2018 season).
Fully fit, the native Londoner is one of the best strikers not just in the Premier League but in world football. Precise in his finishing, strong, intelligent and great with both feet (as well as aerially), he is the archetypal complete striker.
The only recognized senior striker in the Spurs team, this guarantees that Kane will start as all the Premier League games which he is fully fit to play in.
With the new stadium and the management finally bringing in new players, the 26-year-old will play a huge role in determining how well the club performs this season will play a huge role.
His poaching, hold-up play, and other attributes make him the best option for Mauricio Pochettino’s style. The reward of personal glory should be extra motivation for the man who has already scored 3 goals this season.
#3 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
One of the most recognizable players in the Premier League, the Gabonese international has been a sensation since he arrived in England in January 2017.
His smiling, playful demeanour has won fans over as has his magnificent goalscoring credentials. His presence has lifted the team as his finishing and unselfish play gave the team a new attacking dimension.
Playing out wide on the left to accommodate Alexandre Lacazette has not dulled Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's goalscoring instincts and predatory finishing. Playing in a style that is reminiscent of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, Auba's speed, intelligence, technique and supreme poaching has seen him score goals from all over the frontline
He has already hit three goals including a brilliantly-taken equalizer in the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur. Nobody will be betting against him being in the conversation for the Golden Boot by the time the season ends.
#2 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
One of the best players in the world at the moment, Mohamed Salah’s performances have converged with what has been an upswing for Liverpool.
Since he arrived, he has brought quality and fortune to Liverpool, this has seen them go from also-rans in the Premier League to competing for the biggest trophies available; the league and the UEFA Champions League (they are defending champions).
Blessed with pace, an ability to play almost anywhere across the frontline and an intelligence that is possessed by only the best players in the world, the Egyptian international has added a prodigious work rate, strength and the ability to finish to his skillset.
This has seen him win the Golden Boot for the last two seasons and it seems he is only going to get better and better. In just 78 games in England's top flight, he has hit 57 goals already.
The Egyptian has already scored 3 times this season and is surely on everyone's top three list of potential Golden Boot winners.
#1 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
When he finally calls time on his career, Sergio Aguero would definitely feature in the list of all-time greats for the Premier League.
Kun has been plundering goals for fun since he joined the Cityzens in 2012. Deadly in and around the box, with the close control, razor-sharp finishing and deadly runs that all world-class strikers possess, Aguero looks primed for another 20+ goals season.
While it’s expected that Pep Guardiola will rotate game time between him and Gabriel Jesus, Aguero should still get enough games to plunder his fair share of goals.
This is because the creativity and inventive nature of the Manchester City midfield (and fullbacks) are still unmatched by any other team in the league.
He has had fewer injury worries in the last couple of seasons and is already topping the charts with 6 goals in three games. It would be a huge surprise if someone else were to win the award.
