After 7 games of the return of the Barclays Premier League, its fair to say, we fans have not been disappointed. The Premier League table is already showing us a minor glimpse of how it could shape up come April and May. Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City are fairly running away with it, but there’s still a long way to go yet. Although, that hasn’t stopped some pundits and fans debating who could win the Barclays Premier League come May, with the names of both Manchester clubs ringing on a most fans lips.
But the debate for the Premier League title isn’t the only most talked about topic of the Premier League so far, but rather who could end winning the Golden Boot come May. With three players on six goals, the race for the Premier League’s golden boot looks set to be hotly contested. Blessed with an abundance of top quality strikers and here we list the top contenders for the Golden Boot Crown:
Harry Kane, (Tottenham Hotspur)
What a September Harry Kane has had.
August proved again a bad month for Kane but it did not take him long to start scoring within the first few days of September, and has followed that up with 11 goals for club and country – 7 in the Premier League so far, and five in the Champions League after his hat-trick against Apoel Nicosia on Tuesday. Add to that, another two goals on international duty for England. 38 goals in total in 2017? Kane is in remarkable goal scoring form.
The previous winner of the Golden Boot for the past two seasons, we can’t put it past him to famously win the prize three times in a row. Let’s be honest, Harry Kane has everything you’d want from your modern day goalscorer. Brilliant build-up play, first touch, pace, power and a wonderful strike on him, you could bet your mortgage on him putting the ball in the back of the net 3 or 4 times out of five opportunities.
Can we describe Harry Kane as world class? That’s the debate we’d have to leave open for a while, but it won’t be given a definitive answer until Tottenham can improve on their success over the past two seasons especially progress in the Champions League. Can he lead Tottenham to glory this season? We’ll find out.
Sergio Aguero, (Manchester City)
Is there any limits to Sergio Aguero’s abilities? In my own personal view, I feel he is the best finisher in the Premier League, been a huge fan of his ever since he joined the blue half of Manchester.
He is Manchester City’s all time top Premier League goalscorer with 128 goals, and is only one (176) behind City’s all time record goalscorer Eric Brook who graced the club between 1927-1940 with. Sergio Aguero is one course to reach this magnificent feat, and he damn well deserves the mantle.
One of the greatest marksmen the Premier League has ever seen. At the rate City are going in the Premier League this season so far, Aguero would certainly be one of the leading contenders battling for the Golden boot prize come the end of the season.
His recent car accident in Amsterdam is surely a blow to himself and for Manchester City in particular, an incident that could potentially rule him out for a couple months but you can’t bet against Aguero coming back firing on all cylinders.
Romelu Lukaku, (Manchester United)
Have a read of this “little” stat, Romelu Lukaku is eight goals shy of reaching 100 Premier League goals at the age of 24. Remarkable, for a player still with a lot to learn and working under one of the greatest managers ever to grace the game, it is a tad scary that Romelu Lukaku still has a lot to offer.
Finally been graced with club of his dreams and playing amongst the biggest stage in World Football in the UEFA Champions League, Lukaku is at the right age and the right club under the right manager to engross himself amongst the best players in the world. He has taken to his new challenge like a duck to water with 10 goals in as many games, just goes to show the quality the Belgium international has. Pace, power, aerial ability, movement, and great finishing.
Lukaku isn’t the finished article yet, but that’s a good thing. There is still a lot more to come from him. He could well fire United to the Premier League title this season. We wouldn’t put it past him. A shoe-in to finally break his duck and win his first ever golden boot prize in which he finished second to Harry Kane last season.
Alvaro Morata, (Chelsea)
Any thoughts of Alvaro Morata being too soft, or too polite for the Barclays Premier League was certainly thrown out of the window in Chelsea’s thrashing against Stoke at the Bet365 stadium. The Spaniard was merciless, ruthless and predatory as he notched his first hat-trick in English football. Followed by a lovely finish in the famous Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.
This is a player with unerring abilities, no wonder Zinedine Zidane was distraught at letting him go from Real Madrid. But, Morata had to make the move for the betterment of his career, and he has started life at Stamford Bridge with a bang. Diego Costa who?
Antonio Conte has asked Morata to be more like Costa in his aggressive streak, and that advice is on its way to being answered. The reason Morata will thrive at the bridge is his relationship with Conte and the fact that he is the main man. He had Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema to contend with at the Bernabeu, but now under Conte’s tutelage, Morata has the chance to shine.
Alexandre Lacazette, (Arsenal)
Two goals in Arsenal’s win against West Brom further solidified Alexandre Lacazette’s status as Arsene Wenger’s expected main goal threat for this season and years to come. This is a striker that has been amongst the leading scorers in Europe’s top 5 divisions over the past few years. His prolificacy at Lyon has not gone unnoticed, and was the reason why Wenger finally broke the bank to get his man.
4 goals in 7 Premier League games for Arsenal already, has placed Lacazette amongst the leading contenders for the golden boot even if we are already two months into the Premier League campaign. Most of Arsenal’s success this season will be based on the form of their new man and Alexis Sanchez, and if Lacazette prolong this form for most of the season, Arsenal could finally have a stable Premier League challenge on their hands. No doubt about it, the Frenchman will be there or thereabouts come May fighting for that Premier League golden boot prize.
Jamie Vardy, (Leicester City)
It’s simple. Play to Jamie Vardy’s strengths and he will flourish. After an outstanding season in which Leicester famously claimed the Premier League title, Vardy was at the centre of everything good at the King Power. His second season under Claudio Ranieri didn’t go as planned, but that was down to a lack of confidence and the fact that the whole dressing room stopped playing for the Italian but as soon as Craig Shakespeare stepped in, Vardy has been back to his best.
That’s to down to two reasons, he’s regained his confidence and most of Shakespeare’s play revolves around the evergreen hitman. One thing is for sure, Jamie Vardy is back to his best with 5 goals in 6 games so far. Yes, Leicester won’t be fighting for the Premier League crown again or for even a top 6 place but that won’t stop Jamie Vardy wreaking havoc for the Golden Boot crown.
Gabriel Jesus, (Manchester City)
What a player. From the moment he made his debut last season, you knew this guy was going to be a star, and he’s playing under the right manager to achieve his ambitions. Jesus is bound to get a handful of goals this season and that’s simply down to his relationship with Sergio Aguero and the abundance of attacking talent around him; Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane to name a few names. Frightening.
His goalscoring exploits in his short time at Manchester City is nothing short of brilliant with 12 goals in 18 appearance in all competitions. Jesus has taken on the new challenge at City with consummate ease.
The future of Brazilian football alongside Neymar.
Alexis Sanchez, (Arsenal)
We already know about the sheer quality of Alexis Sanchez, but after his failed move away from the Emirates, the question we as neutrals need to ask is can Alexis get back to the form that made him so formidable last season with 30 goals.
Wenger has a huge job on his hands trying to get Alexis back to his best, but the Chilean does have to honour his contract and if Arsenal have any chance of mounting a serious assault on the Premier league title then Alexis will be key to their hopes.
For all we know, this could be Alexis Sanchez’ last season at the Emirates.
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