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Last season, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were awarded the Golden Boot after finishing the campaign with 22 goals each. It was the first time in Premier League history where three players shared the award.
At the start of the season, Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane were among the early favourites for the award. However, with both players now on the sidelines, it is unlikely that they will recover in time to challenge for the accolade.
As things stand, Aubameyang and Jamie Vardy have scored the most goals (17) but their competitors such as Salah and Sergio Aguero are not far behind in the race. On that note, here is a look at the top five contenders of the award this season.
Also Read: 5 players that could win the PFA Young Player of the Year award | Premier League 2019-20
#5 Danny Ings
Danny Ings is a surprise contender for this season's Premier League Golden Boot award. The 27-year-old has netted his personal best of 15 goals in 27 league games and at the moment, he is among one of the top scorers in the English top-flight.
The Saints have scored 34 goals so far this season and Ings is responsible for almost half of them. His incredible goalscoring form from November to mid-January has propelled Southampton to 12th place in the points table and helped the side secure victories over the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.
Formerly from Liverpool, Ings joined Southampton at the beginning of the season for £20 million and the move has since paid off. At Anfield, the striker largely failed to impress and Jurgen Klopp did not give him many chances to play. Throughout his three years with the Reds' first team, Ings made only 25 appearances in all competitions.
In the last five games this season, the forward has only scored one goal and this is a sign that he might be falling out of the race for the Golden Boot. However, even if he fails to win the award, Ings and everyone else on the team have to acknowledge that it has been one of the best performing seasons of his career.
Also Read: Ranking the top 5 contenders for the La Liga Golden Boot this season | La Liga 2019-20
#4 Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah was one of the three Golden Boot recipients last season and he might just get his hands on the award this season too. The Egyptian tallied his 15th league goal of the campaign as he helped Liverpool overcome West Ham United by a scoreline of 3-2 on Monday.
Since joining Klopp's side in 2017, the 27-year-old has bagged 90 goals in 140 appearances for the club and among the 90 goals, 69 of them were scored in the Premier League. Salah's regular contribution in front of goal is helping his team become one of the best in England and Europe.
The Reds have drawn only one match so far this season and have won the remaining 26 games in the Premier League. This has also given them a comfortable 22-point lead over current title holders, Manchester City, at the top of the table.
If Liverpool finish their season unbeaten, Salah will definitely get plenty of credit for all the hard work he has put in for the team.
#3 Sergio Aguero
In the previous season, Sergio Aguero narrowly missed out on the Golden Boot after finishing with 21 goals. The Argentine will surely be determined to make up for his losses and fight hard for the award this term.
The 31-year-old won his only Premier League Golden Boot award in the 2014-15 season with 26 goals from 33 games. At the time, Diego Costa was still playing for Chelsea and Mikel Arteta was the captain of Arsenal. Four seasons have passed since the forward lifted the individual trophy but he remains a strong contender this season.
Judging by his consistent performances in recent years, the Manchester City striker is expected to exceed 20 Premier League goals this season and many will be betting on him to win the Golden Boot this May.
#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the other recipient of the Golden Boot last season. The Gabon international is currently Arsenal's top scorer of the season with 19 goals in all competitions.
Before his move to London, Aubameyang played for Borussia Dortmund where he was recognised as the top scorer in the 2016-17 campaign. Since signing for the Gunners, his goalscoring threat has not diminished and he has now tallied 60 goals in 95 games.
The striker is one of Arsenal's most reliable and consistent performers this season, impressing under both Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta. If not for his vital goals, the north London club might have been in the bottom half of the table standings.
The 30-year-old's contract will come to an end next summer and Arsenal are keen to tie him down to a new deal. With fortunes at the club seemingly changing after the winter break, the club might just be able to convince Aubameyang to commit his future to the club.
#1 Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy and Aubameyang are both leading the race for the Golden Boot with 17 goals each. However, after a strong headstart to the race, the English international is struggling to rediscover his goalscoring form.
The last time Vardy netted a goal in the Premier League was back in December 2019 when Leicester City lost to Manchester City. Since that match, the 33-year-old had only laid one assist for his club and in the last five games, there no was goal contribution from him.
Even though the striker has not scored in the last two months, Brendan Rodgers is backing him to get onto the scoresheet soon. The manager explained,
“After his injury he didn’t play in a few games and it has taken a little bit of time to get back, but he’s back to that ability of his running and his penetrating in behind."
“This is as fit as he’s looked since that injury. If he keeps doing that, he’ll get his chances. I’ve no doubts about him and he was very unlucky not to score."
Vardy will certainly be eager to challenge for the Golden Boot, an accolade that he has never won in his Premier League career.
