As the 2016-17 Premier League season heads into its final stretch, the race for the Golden Boot is heating up as well. Many players are in the running to claim the prestigious award, come the end of the season. Most of the top goal-scorers play for the top six sides, but there are a few who ply their trade for teams which are at the lower end of the table as well.
For this list we have selected eight players, who are right at the top of the goal-scoring charts. All of them have scored at least 14 goals so far this season – a highly unusual number of goals for so many to have scored at this stage of the campaign.
Romelu Lukaku - 21 goals in 30 matches
In a way, it is slightly surprising to see Romelu Lukaku leading the goal-scorers’ list at this stag. Everton are seventh in the league table and have had their ups and downs throughout. For a team that is not at their best on a regular basis, Lukaku has done extremely well so far. While there is a valid criticism that the big Belgian doesn’t turn up against the bigger sides consistently, he does score bucket loads of goals against weaker oppositions.
Despite not being Everton’s regular penalty taker, Lukaku’s scoring rate is very impressive. He is strong, fast and decisive in one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper. The striker has also provided six assists so far. Lukaku will probably end up winning the Golden Boot at the end of the season.
Harry Kane - 19 goals in 22 matches
Harry Kane’s scoring rate has been far better than that of Lukaku’s. However, he is currently injured and could be out till the end of April. He was also injured for a while midway through the first half of the season. Despite both injury layoffs, Kane has notched up a lot of goals in a short space of time. He is now one goal short of scoring 20 for a third season running.
While Lukaku’s pace and strength stand out, Kane has a more all-round game. He brings more people into play, but is clinical in front of goal. The England forward has assisted four times this season as well. He is also Tottenham’s first-choice penalty taker and has scored four from the spot so far. Spurs are second in the league currently, and are playing very well. If Kane was fit till the end of the season, he could easily have won the Golden Boot award. But this injury could put that award out of reach for now.
Alexis Sanchez - 18 goals in 29 matches
Where would Arsenal be without the fiery Chilean? Alexis Sanchez has carried the Gunners many-a-time this season. An early season injury to Olivier Giroud forced Arsene Wenger to play Sanchez through the middle. Instead of being a square peg in a round hole, Sanchez fit like a round peg in a round hole or a square peg in a square hole, whichever way one wants to look at it. But the return of Giroud pushed Sanchez back to his more usual wide left position in the team.
His scoring rate is very good for someone who doesn’t usually play as a centre-forward. Sanchez has kept scoring despite Arsenal’s troubles in 2017. They have fallen to sixth in the table and don’t look like they can finish in the top four this season. But Sanchez is not someone who will not rest easy and will make sure his goals keep coming. Despite his tantrums and visible displeasure at not winning games, Sanchez is a team player and has notched up nine assists so far.
Diego Costa - 17 goals in 28 matches
Diego Costa was the standout player of the season till January, but he hasn’t been firing on all cylinders in the last two months. This slide has seen him tail off a bit in the race for the Golden Boot. But his stats are impressive nonetheless. The Brazil-born Spanish striker needs to play at the edge to be at his best. If he crosses that edge, Costa can be a liability. But Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has managed to keep him in check for the best part of the season.
What Costa offers through his game is extraordinary. He can score all types of goals and will do the running for the team as well. His five assists prove that he is not a selfish player. Despite not taking any penalties, Costa has done well to be in the top five of the goal-scorers’ list. Costa scored in a lot of 1-0 wins for Chelsea this season and his goals have been worth many points for the league leaders.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 16 goals in 26 matches
The Premier League’s star attraction this season, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been the talisman for an underperforming Manchester United. His goals and so called ‘ego’ have been priceless at Old Trafford. He is the top scorer for the team with 16 goals, and United’s next highest scorer is Juan Mata with only six goals. This stark difference shows the kind of impact Zlatan has made at his new club. The striker has missed the last couple of matches through suspension, but still has impressive numbers. Those numbers could be even more impressive if he didn’t waste countless opportunities in the games gone by.
United are fifth in the league currently and have drawn an absurd 11 number of matches. Almost each one of those matches should have been wins and Zlatan missed important chances in many of them. According to statistics, Zlatan has missed 17 big chances, yet he has been United’s best player so far. The big Swede has also provided four assists. Jose Mourinho was right in bringing him to England. At 35 years of age, Zlatan shows no signs of stopping.
Sergio Aguero – 15 goals in 24 matches
Sergio Aguero is arguably the Premier League’s best player. He consistently scores goals and against every opposition. His game revolves around his quick burst of speed in and around the penalty box. Aguero can also score from unusual angles and positions. This season though, he has not been at his best. Yet, he has a very good goal-scoring record.
Only a manager like Pep Guardiola can have the courage to drop a forward like Aguero on a consistent basis. The Argentine could’ve missed more games if not for the untimely [or timely] injury to Gabriel Jesus. Usually Aguero misses a fair chunk of his games through injury. This season he has missed many through suspension as well. This could be his last season at Manchester City as Guardiola looks to get in his own players. But Aguero need not bother as there will be a queue of clubs wanting to sign him in the summer.
Dele Alli - 15 goals in 29 matches
The only midfielder in this list, Dele Alli has grown in a very short span of time. Last season he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award and Alli looks like he could win the prize for a second time running. Tottenham play very good football and most of it revolves around the movements of Kane. But while Kane drags the centre-backs all over the place, Alli gets into those pockets and takes his chances with aplomb.
Alli is an all-round midfielder as well. While he moves forward on a regular basis, he also tracks back to defend. Despite being a right-footed player, the England international is adept with his left foot as well. He is also good in the air and scores many goals from headers. For a midfielder, he has only provided five assists so far this season. But as long as he keeps banging in the goals, it doesn’t really matter.
Jermain Defoe - 14 goals in 30 matches
Jermain Defoe is also someone who proves age is no barrier for elite level footballers. The striker is 34 years of age and is scoring at a rate of almost one goal every two games. But the most impressive fact is that he is playing for the worst team in the Premier League this season. Sunderland are rock bottom with only 20 points. If it wasn’t for Defoe, they would already have been relegated this season.
If the inevitable happens, Defoe will not go down with Sunderland as a number of Premier League clubs will be eager to sign him for next season. Such is Sunderland’s plight that their next highest goal-scorer is on three goals. One can only imagine how many goals Defoe would have scored in one of the top 12 sides.
All statistics are accurate as of April 7, 2017.
