If you had told me last August that Erling Haaland would be joint leader in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot at the end of April, I would have said, “Tell me something I don’t know.”
If you had then told me the Manchester City man was level at the top with Chelsea’s summer signing, Carlton Cole, I would probably have laughed in your face!
But more fool me.
Because that’s the truth of it: yes, the former City academy star who was yet to score a Premier League goal is level with Haaland on 20 goals from his 28 appearances. Okay, Haaland has scored his 20 goals in two fewer appearances, but he is being serviced by Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, and Jeremy Doku…I could go on.
And let’s be fair: of all the players at the top of the race for the Golden Boot, Chelsea’s Palmer is the one who has surprised everyone, not just me. But he has been simply sensational, and goals are not the only thing he brings to the Chelsea side.
Palmer is a leader on the pitch and a calm head when the pressure is on; he takes on his workload and runs tirelessly, and he has the quickness of thought and foot to beat any fullback.
And boy, does he know where the net is? Palmer plundered four in Chelsea’s recent destruction of Everton to take his tally to 20, and he certainly isn’t finished yet.
Of course, Chelsea have never been in the title race this season, and the latest Premier League 2024 betting odds say Manchester City are on target to retain their title, and that means that Haaland will surely be in the thick of the action. So his battle with Palmer could go down to the wire.
But who else is in the picture?
Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa: 19 goals from 33
Another striker who’s made a whole lot of Premier League 2024 highlights this season is Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins. With 19 goals and 12 assists, the England star has made more goal contributions than anyone in the top flight, and only Haaland and Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez have taken more than his 80 shots.
Watkins scored the second in Villa’s stunning 2-0 win over Arsenal last week, and he made two assists to help his team beat Bournemouth 3-1 this weekend to cement their place in the top four.
England manager Gareth Southgate simply must take Watkins to the Euros in Germany.
Dominic Solanke, Bournemouth: 18 from 33
Another player staking a claim for the Euros is Dominic Solanke, who made his only England appearance in 2017, but he’s having the season of his life, and he’s been the main driving force behind the Cherries successful campaign, steering out of trouble after a difficult opening ten games.
Solanke scored Bournemouth’s goal in the loss to Aston Villa, and while he’s a good bet to reach the landmark of 20, he’s a big outside shot for the Golden Boot.
Mo Salah, Liverpool: 17 from 27
One of the pre-season favourites for the Golden Boot is still in the race, three goals behind the leaders, and Mo Salah can never be ruled out.
The Egyptian hitman picked up a hamstring injury while representing his country in January, and he only returned to full fitness in March.
He’s being used carefully by manager Jurgen Klopp, only coming on as a late substitute in Liverpool’s win over Fulham on Sunday, but Salah is a man who can hit big figures when he gathers momentum and can score a goal from anywhere.
He is key to Liverpool’s title chances, that’s for sure.
Alexander Isak, Newcastle United: 17 from 24
The last man on our list is Newcastle United’s Swedish marksman, Alexander Isak. The former Real Sociedad star signed for the Geordies in a record deal in 2022 and played a big part in their push for Champions League football.
At 6 feet 4 inches, he is a real handful with a searing pace and a clinical finish. Isak scored twice in the Magpies recent 4-0 drubbing of Tottenham Hotspur, and he’ll fancy his chances of adding to his tally when Newcastle face Crystal Palace this week, a game we’ve previewed here at SBOTOP… and we’ve predicted plenty of goals.
So there you have it; six strikers at the top of their game, all within a chance of winning the Premier League Golden Boot. Haaland will take some stopping, Palmer is on an incredible run, and Watkins has produced week after week.
This is a race which will run to the last game of the season, I suspect, and my money is on…Haaland.
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