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The Premier League is often hailed as the best football league in the world. The amount of publicity and exposure that the top flight of English football gets on a weekly basis is unparalleled.
The biggest reason behind this is the neck-to-neck competition between rivals within the league, which produces many unexpected results often. While the competition between the teams is getting tougher each season, the competition for personal accolades is also ever-increasing.
The Premier League Golden Boot is one such individual award that every attacker dreams of winning at some point in his career. Last season the triumvirate of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Pirerre-Emerick Aubameyang shared the award after scoring 22 goals apiece.
Here are eight of the strongest contenders for the Golden Boot award this season.
#8 Jamie Vardy- Leicester City
The Foxes have been in good form this season and are one of the favourites to finish in the top four. With the other top Premier League sides struggling to find form and consistency, Brendan Rodgers’ side could capitalize on the situation and secure a spot in Europe.
Jamie Vardy is one of the in-form players in the league and has registered ten goals and a solitary assist so far this season.
The ex-England international is one of the leading contenders for the Golden Boot this term and he'll be hoping to sustain his goalscoring exploits over the coming weeks.
Rodgers' side will be hoping for more positive results in the upcoming fixtures, as they aim to restore European football to the King Power Stadium for the first time since the 2016/17 season.
Vardy spearheaded Leicester to the title in the 2015/16 season and has been one of the most reliable goalscorers in the country since joining. Leicester will need their talisman to be at their best in the coming weeks as they aim to continue their solid start to the season.
#7 Mohamed Salah- Liverpool
Mohamed Salah has scored five goals so far and is slowly gaining momentum with each game. He was the joint Golden Boot winner last year, alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and team-mate Sadio Mane. Salah has been in top form in the recent seasons and is a serious contender for this prize once again.
Though his creative play was far better than his competitors last term, Salah will want to score more goals this season and win the award outright. He has recently struggled with his fitness, but returned to form. Salah also scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 2-1 comeback win against Spurs two weeks ago,
The goal would have given him more confidence that he can push for yet another personal accolade, though consistency will be a key. The Merseyside outfit is focused on winning the league title this season and Salah will once again be expected to be a top contributor for Jurgen Klopp's side.
#6 Raheem Sterling- Manchester City
The 24-year-old England international has managed to score seven goals so far, with a single assist to his name. There were some concerns about his form in recent weeks but Sterling continued his blistering start to the season with a hattrick against to silence his critics.
He also bagged a goal against Aston Villa in the league to add to his tally. The Englishman will play a key role in Manchester City's challenge for the league title. Liverpool dropped a couple of points against Manchester United at Old Trafford, though still have an advantage at the top after their comeback victories against Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa.
Manchester City will want to retain their title this season and Sterling will once again play a key role as he sets his sights on the Golden Boot.
#5 Sadio Mane - Liverpool
Last season, the Liverpool winger shared the Golden Boot award with his team-mate Mohamed Salah and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, after a tight finish. The Senegal international looks to have a decent shout for the Golden Boot this season as well.
The Merseyside outfit are on top of the league table at present and they are surely keen to win it. With that being said, Mane already has six Premier League goals to his name, with an assist too. At present, he looks to be the most lethal finisher among the Reds' front three.
With Salah still struggling to find his goal-scoring form, the burden of scoring goals is on his shoulders. The Reds need to keep scoring goals to maintain their lead at the top and Mane's contribution will be crucial.
#4 Harry Kane - Tottenham Hotspur
The two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner is also on six goals at present. The England international won the Golden Boot back in 2015-16 and 2016-17 for two successive seasons but has been left far behind in recent times.
The 26-year-old attacker has been a consistent scorer for an inconsistent Spurs' side this season. He is certainly one of the candidates for finishing as the top scorer if Mauricio Pochettino's side can turn things around in the upcoming game-weeks.
The team is looking for inspiration and who better to inspire, than the skipper. They have been really poor in the current campaign and look like a shadow of their former selves. Pochettino will be trying his best to turn things around with the resources that he has and Kane will have a key role to play in making it happen.
#3 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Arsenal
It was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's first full season with Arsenal last time out and he made quite a name for himself. The Gabon international showed why he has been one of the most feared strikers in the world in recent years and won the Golden Boot, alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. He led the Arsenal front-line for most of the season and was rewarded for his hard work.
However, this season he looks capable of winning the accolade all on his own, with eight goals to his name already. The Gunners recently lost to Sheffield United and drew with Crystal Palace and Wolves, where the Gabon international failed to impress.
Unai Emery would have been disappointed with the way the team played and even Aubameyang will want to improve on his overall performance.
The former Borussia Dortmund star needs regular service into the box and if chances are created by Arsenal, the attacker will surely be right there at the top in terms of total goals.
#2 Tammy Abraham - Chelsea
What a season the young Chelsea forward is having! The 22-year-old was gracing the Championship last season on loan at Aston Villa and this is now one of the leading goalscorers for the Blues with nine goals to his name in the English top flight.
Frank Lampard seems to have immense faith in the youngster and the player is certainly responding to the manager's faith. It will be a fairy-tale story if Abraham can keep up his scoring spree and win the Golden Boot this season.
The Blues’ form will also have an impact on how things go for him. If the west Londoners can keep performing like they are at present and score more goals, the England international will be right there at the top. However, if the Europa League holders fail to showcase consistency, things could go haywire for Abraham as well.
#1 Sergio Aguero- Manchester City
It is indeed a surprise that a gifted forward like Sergio Aguero has won the Premier League Golden Boot just once in his career in England. He has spent almost a decade in the Premier League, with multiple League titles already. However, with his injury problems taking a toll on him, it is rather understandable that he has not won the coveted prize often.
The Argentine superstar is tied with Chelsea's Tammy Abraham on nine goals this season, just one shy of top scorer Jamie Vardy and could eventually win the accolade if he can stay fit. However, the Manchester-based side has seen some ups and downs, with regards to their form late.
If they fail to maintain their challenge for the league title, Aguero may yet again fail to challenge for the Golden Boot. However, if City can shine from here on, the striker will surely be one of the top contenders for this individual title as well.
