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The race for the 2018/19 European Golden Shoe has already kicked into motion following the commencement of the various leagues. It’s still early days, but it looks like we will have another keenly contested race.
A couple of new faces have stolen an early march, as the perennial winners, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, are yet to get into their groove. Last season, Messi won the coveted award after scoring 34 goals in La Liga.
Ronaldo, despite scoring over 20 goals in the Serie A, was further behind the Argentine in the race for the European Golden Shoe. Both players are certain to be challenging for the award once again this season, but are currently not among the top contenders.
As we begin the month of September, let’s take a look at the top 10 contenders for the 2018/2019 European Golden Shoe award:
(Note: This ranking is based on goals scored by players in only Europe’s top five leagues and, should players have the same number of goals, their assists will be used to decide who stays top of the other).
#10 Tammy Abraham (4 goals – 8 points)
Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has been a revelation this season and it is not surprising that he is among the top scorers in Europe currently. The 21-year-old is proving with each game that he has what it takes to thrive at Stamford Bridge.
Abraham has four goals to his name in the Premier League, having netted doubles in his last two games. The England international scored twice in Chelsea’s 3-2 win over Norwich and netted another double as the Blues drew with Sheffield United on Saturday.
It’s still early days yet, but with performances like these, Abraham could soon find himself competing for the European Golden Shoe.
#9 Ashley Barnes (4 goals – 8 points)
As far as surprises go, Ashley Barnes’ appearance on the list of top contenders of the European Golden Shoe has left many football fans really shocked.
However, the Burnley forward is just reaping the benefits of his potency in front of goal. The 29-year-old has been one of the best performing players in the opening month of the Premier League, having netted four goals in four games thus far.
Barnes scored in each of the first three games of the season, registering goals against Southampton (double), Arsenal and Wolves. He might currently be a minnow but, at 29, the Burnley striker is finally getting the recognition he deserves.
#8 Victor Osimhen (4 goals – 8 points)
The latest wonderkid in the Ligue 1 is Lille’s Victor Osimhen. The young Nigerian forward has made a flying start to life in the French top flight. The 20-year-old was signed as a direct replacement for Nicolas Pepe and he hasn’t disappointed at all.
Osimhen has so far scored four goals in the Ligue 1 and he looks like a player who will improve further with more games under his belt. He scored twice on the opening day of the season against Nantes and recorded another double against St. Etienne last week.
This is a player so much promise, having demonstrated his potential during the 2015 U-17 FIFA World Cup. He emerged top scorer in that competition and was also voted the player of the tournament. Osimhem is definitely destined for the top.
#7 Paco Alcacer (4 goals – 8 points)
Also on four goals in the race for the European Golden Shoe is Paco Alcacer. The Borussia Dortmund forward is enjoying his time in the Bundesliga, having joined from Barcelona in the summer of 2018.
Alcacer was Dortmund’s top scorer last season and he is continuing from where he left off. The Spain international has scored in all three Bundesliga games this season and also has an assist to his name. He scored twice against Augsburg and also netted against Koln and Union Berlin.
The 27-year-old, however, has more room for improvement and can only get better.
#6 Memphis Depay (4 goals – 8 points)
Memphis Depay’s resurgence at Lyon has extended to the current season, where he has netted four goals in the Ligue 1. The Dutchman struggled during his time at Manchester United, but he has been a different animal since joining Lyon.
With goals against Monaco, Angers and Bordeaux, Depay leads the top scorers’ chart in the Ligue 1.
The 25-year-old is currently outscoring Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani is the French league and it’s only a matter of time before he challenges the rest of Europe in the race for the European Golden Shoe.
#5 Timo Werner (5 goals – 10 points)
In 5th position in the race for the European Golden Shoe is Timo Werner. The German forward was a target of some of Europe’s elite clubs but decided to stay at RB Leipzig and he is proving his worth.
Werner has been a livewire in the attack of RB Leipzig, scoring a hat-trick against Borussia Monchengladbach last week. In the weeks before, the 23-year-old netted against both Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt.
He is also just a goal short of moving to the top of the European Golden Shoe race. A few more goals in the coming weeks and the young striker could make himself a real contender.
#4 Raheem Sterling (5 goals – 10 points)
Manchester City star Raheem Sterling is 4th in the race for this season’s European Golden Shoe. The England international scored lots of goals last season and he is continuing exactly where he left off.
The 24-year-old is Man City’s second highest scorer in the Premier League this season, only behind Sergio Aguero.
Sterling netted a sensational hat-trick against West Ham United on the opening day of the season. He was also on the score sheet against Tottenham and Bournemouth and has undoubtedly been one of the best players in the opening weeks of the Premier League.
#3 Teemu Pukki (5 goals – 10 points)
No one envisaged a player like Teemu Pukki outscoring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the early weeks of the season. However, the Norwich striker has won over a lot of fans in recent years with his goal scoring exploits.
The 29-year-old has scored in each of Norwich’s opening three Premier League games, including a sensational hat-trick against Newcastle United.
Pukki’s potency in front of goal is undoubted but his big-game presence is more impressive. The striker has so far scored against both Liverpool and Chelsea and has proven to be the real deal.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (6 goals – 12 points)
Perhaps the biggest name in the top 10 based on reputation, Robert Lewandowski is up and running among the goals.
The Bayern Munich striker was not at his best last season, but he has made a bright start to the current campaign and he is currently on a free-scoring run.
Lewandowski has scored six goals in just three games this season. The Poland international netted a double against Herta Belin, a hat-trick against Schalke and another goal against Mainz. He looks unstoppable at the moment.
#1 Sergio Aguero (6 goals – 12 points)
Sergio Aguero is also on six goals but occupies the no.1 spot due to his superior number of assists. (Aguero has one assist while Lewandowski, who is also on six goals, has none).
The Manchester City striker is currently the top scorer in the Premier League, having scored in every game this season. Aguero is a proven scorer by all standards and this might just be the season where he finally wins the European Golden Shoe.
The 30-year-old is currently in the form on his life and, with Man City’s imperious form, he should be able to score more goals as the season progresses.
