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The 2022-23 Premier League season is upon us and that means there will be a new Golden boot winner. It is the most prestigious award an attacker in the league can win, and it has seen some very notable recipients, including Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Robin van Persie, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Harry Kane.
Most recently, Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah shared the prize in the 2021-22 season, scoring 23 goals in the Premier League.
However, as the new season approaches, a new goalscorer must be crowned. These are my top five predictions for the 2022-23 Golden Boot.
Honorable mention 1: Mason Mount (Chelsea)
The first of two honorable mentions, who I believe will come close but not close enough to win, is Chelsea's Mason Mount. The English attacking midfielder had an exceptional season with the Blues in the 2021-22 season, topping the club's stats for goals and assists (11 goals and 10 assists in 32 Premier League games). He truly brought out his inner Frank Lampard.
But with the signing of Raheem Sterling and rumors circulating that Chelsea have an interest in signing a striker to fill Lukaku's boots, he won't be needed for goals. He will, however, in addition to creating chances for Sterling, score a fair amount of goals.
Not enough to get him in the top five but enough for an attacking midfielder.
Honorable mention 2: Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)
Initially, I had no plans to add Darwin Nunez to this list, but after his heavyweight performance in the community shield, I saw the light. The former Benfica striker moved to Anfield this summer for a club-record £85 million and has high expectations to meet.
But if his Community Shield performance is anything to go by then Liverpool will have their Sadio Mane replacement. Salah will overshadow him and it's unlikely that he will the Golden Boot, however, it's not far from him.
5: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
After watching his teammate Son Heung-min win the Golden Boot last season, Harry Kane is one of the favorites to win it this time around. The Spurs talisman has he has won the coveted prize three times, the last one coming in the 2020-21 season, when he also won the Playmaker award.
With the signing of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and the presence of Son, Kane cannot be ruled out.
4: Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)
Moving from one end of North London to another. A player forced to play second fiddle to Sergio Aguero, Jesus refused to do the same with Erling Haaland and moved to Arsenal.
The Brazilian has proven what he can do with the limited game time he got at City. Now that he is guaranteed game time, there is zero doubt he will perform. His pre-season performances show that. Not to mention the support he'll receive from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe.
3: Raheem Sterling (Chelsea)
From one Man City departure to another. Raheem Sterling has been one of the best wingers in the league in the past few years. He shone at both his previous clubs and Chelsea won't be an exception. With Mason Mount creating chances for fun, Jorginho's sublime passes and Ben Chilwell and Reece James on the wings, Sterling is sure to be one of the top players in the Golden Boot race.
The English forward scored 13 goals and assisted six more in 30 Premier League games for City last season.
2: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
For anyone familiar with football over the past few years, Erling Haaland's inclusion requires no explanation. From the moment this Norwegian goal machine made his Borussia Dortmund debut, his potential was clear for all to see. His goalscoring exploits have since made him one of Europe's top young talents.
Manchester City won the lottery and got him at a discounted price. With Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden as the supporting cast, Manchester City and Haaland will have little competition this season
But not zero competition...
Predicted Golden Boot winner: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Sometimes the safest bet is the smartest bet and in this case, this is a fact. Mohamed Salah ended last season with his third golden boot award. The Egyptian king has been delivering since he landed on Merseyside from Roma and that's unlikely to change. Salah scored 23 goals and provided 14 assists last season, winning both the Golden Boot and the Playmaker awards.
A fourth Golden Boot will surely cement him as a Premier League legend on par with Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer.
