The 2022-23 season is up and running and the performances have been such that the Premier League Golden Boot race has already started taking shape. Arsenal and Manchester City have had a successful start to the season, with Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester United all coming good.
With all these teams performing impressively, the question is who all are a part of the race for the Premier League Golden Boot for the 2022-23 season. We have picked some nominees of our own who have a legitimate chance of winning the coveted trophy.
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
The Norwegian brute took little to no time to settle into the Premier League. Manchester City’s star signing, Haaland has been phenomenal for the Cityzens so far, scoring a staggering nine in the last five games. His most notable game was against Crystal Palace, where his hat-trick saved the defending champions from the humiliation of the first home defeat of the season. He repeated his galvanising form by scoring another hat-trick against Nottingham Forest.
Nine goals in his first five games with back-to-back hat-tricks ensures Man City’s No. 9 sits on top of the goalscorer’s table. His per-goal ratio suggests he might be on the verge of crossing the 30-goal mark in his debut season. It will be exciting to see if the Norwegian can break the Premier League record of most goals in a season.
Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham)
Mitrovic shattered the record of most goals in a season in English football last season in the EFL Championship with 43 goals in 43 appearances. Helping his club Fulham to earn promotion to the Premier League, the Serbian international continues to be relied on by his teammates in terms of goals. So far, Mitrovic has scored four goals, including a brace against Liverpool in the season opener.
The 27-year-old has six goals so far and in all likelihood will reach double figures. Thinking from Mitrovic’s perspective, he scored 43 goals last season; the Serbian will be confident as ever to compete for the Premier League Golden Boot.
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Harry Kane is a player that cannot be written off when it comes to the Golden Boot race. The England international has more Golden Boots than his club has league trophies in the last six decades. Arguably England’s most prolific striker in the current squad, Kane has three PL Golden Boots in his showcase.
The most notable one is from the 2016-17 season, where the Englishman was two goals behind Romelu Lukaku in the top-scorers table with two games remaining in the season. Kane scored a combined seven goals against defending champions Leicester City and Hull City to claim the Golden Boot, for the second consecutive time.
Kane sits third behind Haaland and Mitrovic with five goals in five games. It will be exciting to see how the English captain fares this season.
Luis Diaz (Liverpool)
Since the departure of Sadio Mane and star signing Darwin Nunez struggling to cope, Luis Diaz has been a regular in Liverpool’s starting XI. The 25-year-old was signed from Porto in the recent winter transfer window for a reported fee of nearly $50 million.
So far, the Colombian has scored three in five games. Given his athleticism and ball control, the 25-year-old has a realistic shot at the Premier League Golden Boot. Hopefully, Jurgen Klopp will continue to start him regularly throughout the season for that to happen.
Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)
Arsenal’s summer signing Gabriel Jesus has already become a fan favourite with his prolificness. So far the Brazil international has scored three goals, which could have been five if not overturned by VAR for an offside. Apart from the goals, Gabriel has three assists to his name as well. Arsenal’s No. 9 is also a generous one.
So far, Gabriel looks well settled in his new club and continues to deliver. It surely will be exciting to see the golden boot race this season.
Also Read: Is This the Dawn of a New Leeds United?
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