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The year 2021 has seen quite a few ups and downs in the football world. With plenty of matches being played the entire year, we have also witnessed some amazing performances.
Goals have come in galore throughout the year and a lot of credit goes to the attacking players. Courtesy of some delightful forward play, football has been a savior in the difficult times which has involved the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Top-quality attackers have given wonderful performances in 2021
Despite the congested schedule and so much at stake, some of the attacking players have lived up to their expectations and even at times surpassed them. It is only fair that these players rightfully get the appreciation they deserve. On that note, let's take a look at the best forwards in 2021.
Honorable mention: Gerard Moreno
#10 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
The England captain might not be in the best of form this season but he did have quite an impressive first half of 2021. Harry Kane has been a consistent goal-scorer in the Premier League and was the rightful winner of the Golden Boot last season.
Having scored 23 goals in the league last season, the English striker was amazing to watch for Tottenham Hotspur.
Harry Kane scored four goals in Euro 2020, playing an important role in helping England reach the final of the tournament. It is only about time before the Spurs superstar returns to form and is amongst the goals in 2022.
#9 Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan & Chelsea)
Romelu Lukaku is back with Chelsea, marking his return to the Premier League in the summer of 2021. His return came after an impressive and successful spell with Inter Milan in Serie A.
The Belgian was a massive player for the Italian giants as he helped them win the league after a gap of 11 years. Romelu Lukaku scored 24 goals in the 2020-21 season in just 36 Serie A appearances.
The left-footed striker did quite well at Euro 2020, scoring four goals for Belgium. His form at Chelsea, although it hasn't been the same, will not take time to pick up once Lukaku is fully fit and gets going.
#8 Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina)
The young Serbian has done amazingly well while playing for Fiorentina. Having scored 21 goals in Serie A last season, Dusan Vlahovic came into the new season with a lot of confidence.
The 21-year-old boasts a sweet left foot, height, strong physique and superb goal-scoring abilities. He has been a delight to watch in the 2021-22 campaign.
Vlahovic has already scored 16 goals in just 19 appearances in Serie A this season. There are surely a lot more to come from him for the remainder of the season. It is only about time that the Serbian striker earns a move to one of Europe's top clubs.
#7 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
Not many strikers in the world right now are as clinical as Erling Haaland. The Norwegian has been simply brilliant in front of goal for Borussia Dortmund. Last season, Erling Haaland scored 41 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions.
He has continued with the same form in the 2021-22 season, scoring 19 goals in 16 matches in all competitions. At the moment, there is no stopping him as the Norwegian striker remains one of the most wanted players come next summer.
#6 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
The Frenchman has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid after it failed in the summer of 2021. With Kylian Mbappe's talent and performances, it will be surprising if Madrid fail to acquire his signature.
The French forward has been outstanding for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ever since he joined them in 2017. Kylian Mbappe scored 42 goals in all competitions last season and has already scored 15 this season in just 24 appearances.
It will be interesting to see if he can take PSG all the way in the Champions League this season. They face Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
The year 2021 will always remain a special year for Manchester United fans as it marked the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford. The Portuguese will always have legendary status with the Red Devils courtesy of his stellar time during his first spell with them.
In the first half of 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo was associated with Juventus, where he ended the 2020-21 campaign with 29 Serie A goals. At United, the former Real Madrid man has done well too, scoring 13 goals in all competitions so far. With him in the team, winning silverware cannot be written off.
#4 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah at the moment is probably one of the best players in the world. The Egyptian has been very impressive for Liverpool since joining them in 2017 and has been in stellar form this year.
Having scored 31 goals last season, Salah has been deadly in the 2021-22 campaign. He already has 22 goals to his name in just 24 appearances across all competitions. With the form he is in, he can definitely help Liverpool strongly challenge for multiple trophies.
#3 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema has been one of the most consistent players for Real Madrid over the years. The Frenchman has been an asset on the pitch with his terrific goal-scoring abilities.
Having spent more than a decade with Los Blancos, Karim Benzema has scored 281 goals in 541 appearances across all competitions. Despite Real Madrid finishing second in La Liga last season, the French striker scored 23 goals.
Carlo Ancelotti arrived in the summer as Real Madrid's new manager. Since then, Karim Benzema has only got better, scoring 20 goals in 23 appearances across all competitions. The 34-year-old remains crucial to Real Madrid's ambition to win silverware this season.
#2 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
It was heartbreaking to see Lionel Messi leave Barcelona this summer. Not many expected this to happen given the relationship between the player and the club.
The Argentine will always be a legend at Barcelona after spending 17 seasons with them. Lionel Messi's last significant contribution to the club was in helping them win the Copa Del Rey in the 2020-21 season. This calendar year also saw him win the Copa America, an international trophy Messi has been longing for for a long time.
His year only got better when he won his seventh Ballon d'Or in November 2021. It is amazing how Lionel Messi has so effortlessly won so much in his career. Now at Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentine faces a new and unique challenge ahead of himself. It will be interesting to see how he fairs there.
#1 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
It is very difficult to be in Robert Lewandowski's shoes. This is considering that he has done so well on the pitch yet struggled to get a considerable acknowledgement for it. The Polishman has been superb in front of goal with Bayern Munich, scoring in almost every match.
In his eight seasons with the Bavarian club, Lewandowski has scored 222 goals in 236 Bundesliga matches. His form has been great across all competitions as he has been brutal in attack, capitalizing on the most difficult of chances to score.
Last season, Lewandowski scored 41 goals in just 29 league matches. This season, too, he has been on a superb run, scoring 19 goals in 17 Bundesliga appearances so far. With the number of goals he is scoring on a regular basis, it is only just that the Polish striker wins the Ballon d'Or at least once in his career.
