The Golden Boot is a prestigious trophy given to the player who has scored the most goals across the Premier League season. Since the award was incepted in 1992, some of the biggest names in the game have claimed the prize.
Teddy Sheringham was the first winner of the Golden Boot, and since his success, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Robin van Persie are among those to claim the award.
As the teams head to the final stages of the 2024/25 EPL campaign, who are the players most likely to lift the Golden Boot trophy this time around?
The Man to Beat
With his Liverpool side preparing for their final nine games of the season, Mohamed Salah is the man leading the Golden Boot race. Current Premier League odds show Liverpool as clear favourites to win the title, and their key striker is the front runner in the Golden Boot market.
The battle for the Golden Boot took a significant turn on March 8th. Salah was already out in front, but two goals in the 3-1 win over Southampton took his tally for the season to 27. On the same day, his closest rival Erling Haaland drew a blank in Manchester City’s defeat at Nottingham Forest.
Both of Mohamed Salah’s goals against the Saints came from the penalty spot, and that’s another advantage for the Egyptian international. Players who take penalties for their team are more likely to come out on top, but there’s much more to his game.
Salah can score from anywhere on the pitch. Like most strikers, he’s there for the tap-ins, but he can also find the target from long range. His fitness levels are exceptional, and the player has featured in all of Liverpool’s first 29 league games of the season.
Leading the Chasing Pack
It’s been a frustrating season for defending champions Manchester City, and the team’s struggles are reflected in the performances of their main striker. Erling Haaland has won the Golden Boot in each of the last two seasons, scoring an impressive 36 goals in the 2022/23 season, but he’s running out of time to make it three in a row.
A brief injury issue has restricted the Norwegian international to 27 appearances so far, and in those games, he’s scored twenty goals. It’s a solid return by most players’ standards, but City fans have become used to Haaland averaging around a goal every game.
He may be seven goals behind Mo Salah, but Haaland can go on some prolific scoring runs. He was the fastest player to register eight hat tricks in the Premier League, and has regularly scored multiple times in the top flight. If he can rediscover that form quickly, Erling Haaland may yet claim his third Golden Boot award in as many years.
Ground to Make Up
Behind Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland, Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest retain faint hopes of winning the Golden Boot trophy. New Zealand international Wood may seem an unlikely candidate for the award, but his 18 goals have put Forest on the brink of Champions League qualification.
Prior to his stunning campaign, Wood was seen as a journeyman player; a forward who scored important goals without finding the net on a regular basis. His previous best tally was 14 goals; a mark which he achieved for both Forest and his former club, Burnley.
While he hails from New Zealand, Chris Wood plays as a traditional British striker. He’s tall, is good in the air, and offers a physical presence in the penalty area. The stats show that the Kiwi has scored more headed goals than anyone else in the EPL this season, while he also converts a high percentage of shots on target.
Newcastle’s Alexander Isak is just ahead of Wood with 19 goals for the season. The Swedish striker has also suffered injury concerns, missing the defeat to Liverpool at the end of February. He’s another tall and physical attacker, and one of his key strengths involves holding onto the ball and bringing others into play.
He can still claim the Golden Boot, but Alexander Isak needs a productive end to the campaign.
Beneath the top four, Bryan Mbeumo on 15 goals, and Cole Palmer on 14, are running out of time to catch the men above them.
With around ten games to go before the end of the Premier League campaign, there’s still time for drama in the Golden Boot race. Along with the potential for loss of form, any of the players at the top could suffer an injury that brings about a premature end to their season.
If those players stay fit and firing, it’s likely to come down to a battle between Mo Salah and Erling Haaland. Salah is in pole position, but Haaland has the ability to deliver prolific scoring runs that could yet overtake his closest rival.