Premier League Golden Boot race hots up with surprise names battling Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah for coveted gong

Now within the business end of the campaign, WhoScored.com have turned their attention to the Premier League’s individual accolades.

Just five goals currently separate the division’s eight top scorers – on the time of writing – with the race for the coveted Golden Boot, just like the title race, looking as if it’s going right right down to the wire.

All the same old contenders are in the combination, but with three-time winner Harry Kane moving on to Germany, there may be room for some recent names in race and there are some surprise contenders this 12 months.

WhoScored.com has taken a have a look at the runners and assessed their performances and stats behind their goal returns, because the battle to be crowned the Premier League’s top scorer really hots up.

8. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) – 15 goals

This season marks Jarrod Bowen’s most prolific of his Premier League profession, having recently struck his fifteenth goal of the campaign. 

What’s impressive, too, is that he’s reached that figure while playing in multiple positions, either operating from the fitting or leading the charge for the Hammers. 

Nonetheless, West Ham have a variety of tricky fixtures to see out the season, with games against Liverpool, Chelsea after which Man City on the ultimate day of the season.

Meaning it’ll take a monumental effort from Bowen to make up the present five-goal gap between himself and top scorer Erling Haaland.

WhoScored rating: 7.09

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7. Heung-min Son (Tottenham) – 15 goals

Tottenham skipper Heung-min Son also sits on 15 goals for the campaign.

And while he’s unlikely to match his 2021/22 Golden Boot 12 months – when he tied first with Mohamed Salah on 23 – it’s still been a wonderful season for Son within the wake of Harry Kane’s exit. 

That said, following his return from the Asian Cup, the 31-year-old hasn’t looked the identical in attack. Indeed, he’s scored just three goals in his last nine outings, and just once in his last five. 

The South Korean star looks exhausted following a lengthy campaign, and that’ll weigh against the Spurs star.

WhoScored rating: 7.34

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6. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 17 goals

One other whose goalscoring exploits suffered a success consequently of international duty, Mohamed Salah missed a handful of games resulting from Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations participation, after which returned to Liverpool injured. 

Salah has still struck 17 times this term, yet even so; since AFCON and his spell on the sidelines, the Egyptian forward has netted just three league goals, one in every of which was a penalty. 

The 31-year-old has looked out of sorts upon the resumption of domestic duties.

WhoScored rating: 7.36

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5. Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) – 17 goals

A surprise inclusion in Golden Boot contention, Dominic Solanke is having fun with a campaign to recollect for Bournemouth. 

The Cherries hitman bagged his seventeenth league goal of the season within the recent 2-2 draw with Manchester United, which is a large improvement on his six-goal haul in 2022/23. 

Solanke has fired off the fourth most shots (94) within the Premier League this term, though a conversion rate of just 18.1% doesn’t make for the perfect reading. 

The 26-year-old has endured his barren runs, too, with the Bournemouth forward netting just three goals in his last eight league outings.

But he’s proven a menace to defences and will well boost his numbers within the Cherries’ remaining six games – although they do still must face Arsenal on the Emirates.

WhoScored rating: 7.08

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4. Alexander Isak (Newcastle) – 17 goals

Having endured two separate spells on the sidelines owing to groin issues, Alexander Isak’s 17-goal haul is great to say the least. 

The Newcastle star has began just 21 of Newcastle’s 32 league matches, yet has the joint-best goals per 90 return (0.9) within the division. 

Home comforts have actually helped, with 12 of Isak’s 17 goals coming at St. James’ Park, but at his current scoring rate he would have been leading the Golden Boot race had he remained fit for the whole campaign. 

Of the 134 players to have fired off a minimum of 25 shots, Isak’s conversion rate of 28.3% is the third best and it would not be a surprise were he to quickly make up the three-goal gap to the highest of the Premier League’s scoring charts.

WhoScored rating: 7.07

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3. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) – 19 goals

Ollie Watkins is about to put in writing his name into the Aston Villa history books after he bagged his nineteenth league goal of the season in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Arsenal. 

He has already broken club legend Dwight Yorke’s record for direct goal involvements in a single Premier League season with 29 – 19 goals, ten assists, while his tally also means he’s currently tied with Christian Benteke as the best goalscorer in a single Premier League season in Villa history.

The 28-year-old is ending the campaign strongly, but what really stands out is the style of which Watkins is scoring his goals. 

Those around him depend on penalties to inflate their numbers however the Villa striker is yet to attain from 12 yards in England’s top tier this term, with Watkins boasting the best movement to get into goalscoring positions. 

Despite not being on penalty duty, the Villans hitman has still scored 11 clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, that rating sixth in England’s top tier.

WhoScored rating: 7.34

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2. Erling Haaland (Man City) – 20 goals

Last season’s Golden Boot winner was out on his own for weeks but having struck 36 league goals in his debut campaign, Erling Haaland has struck a more reserved 20 times within the Premier League this term. 

Haaland ranks second for total shots (102) within the division and while he continues to probability his luck, the Norwegian’s conversion rate of 19.6% is a dip of his first 12 months in England.

The 23-year-old has come under criticism in recent weeks but with Man City now specializing in domestic duties following their Champions League exit in midweek, Haaland could come alive over again for the ultimate weeks.

If he does earn the gong again, he’s becoming only the sixth player to win the Golden Boot for 2 straight seasons, joining an elite club alongside some real legends of the English game.

Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and Harry Kane are the one other men to realize that feat.

WhoScored rating: 7.35

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1. Cole Palmer (Chelsea) – 20 goals

Cole Palmer moved level on 20 league goals on Monday night because the Chelsea star struck 4 times in the Blues’ resounding 6-0 win over Everton.

Palmer is proving one in every of the signings of the season and the £42.5million man boasts the perfect xG overperformance (5.06) on England’s top tier.

This return, though, needs greater context – 45% of Palmer’s goals, nine of 20, have come from the penalty spot.

While the 21-year-old deserves praise for his superb campaign in west London, the high variety of spot kicks awarded to Chelsea have helped inflate his goal haul.

But the reality is he brings lots more to the Blues than simply putting the ball in the web, which had led to suggestions he ought to be named Premier League Player of the Yr.

Palmer has been one in every of the few shining lights for the London club this season in one other campaign of mid-table struggles, together with his nine assists showing his ability to link play together and and all-round creative talent in and across the box.

WhoScored rating: 7.44

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