The Premier League is both the most exciting league globally and the most predictable.
There are still three months left, but only a couple of teams can really win it and bar a spectacular collapse, the bottom three already looks settled. There’s some interest in the battle for European places, but largely the division has already taken shape.
Manchester City look likely to win their fourth title in five seasons after impressing in the early stages, and they’re on course for Champions League success as well. With just one Premier League title to their name, Liverpool will probably have to settle for second. At the bottom, if anyone other than Norwich, Burnley and Watford are relegated, it would be a big surprise.
That means we turn our attention elsewhere for interest, as we did last season. In May, we took a look at the race for the Golden Boot, awarded to the player who was top of the leading scorers’ charts in 2021. Harry Kane won it, as we predicted, with Liverpool’s Mo Salah second.
Who is in line for it this season? We’ve got the four current candidates and their expected goals tally by the end of the season.
Mo Salah
The Egyptian striker has played 22 games, despite taking part in the African Cup of Nations, and he’s been incredibly impressive. He’s got 16 goals so far, four more than the nearest challenger, along with nine assists. He’s an all-rounder, a player who can score and create, and any striker wishing to take the Golden Boot from him is going to have to be good. His Liverpool side are second-favorites for the title in the latest Premier League betting odds with Coral, but you wouldn’t rule out a late surge. He averages a goal every 119 minutes, which will help them to keep up the pressure on Manchester City.
Expected Goals: 26
Diogo Jota
25-year-old Jota signed for Liverpool in September 2020 for £41m ($56m) and steadily improved at Anfield. He’s bagged 12 for his side, averaging a goal every 139 minutes, and that’s a good thing for manager Jürgen Klopp. If they are going to catch Manchester City, having the league’s two leading scorers is hugely important. However, they’re currently waiting to see how his injury pans out; CBS explains he picked up a worrying knock that caused him to come off against inter Milan in the Champions League.
Expected Goals: 18
Raheem Sterling
Manchester City do have a goal machine of their own in wide man Raheem Sterling, and he’s currently third in the leading scorer charts. Sterling has scored ten this season in the league, having played a game fewer than Mo Salah. He also recently set a scoring record as he bagged in City’s magnificent 5-0 win in Lisbon against Sporting, which put them on course for the next stage of the Champions League. If Sterling stays fit, he averages a goal every 142 minutes. What is surprising is that City, leading the division, don’t have another player in double figures.
Expected Goals: 20
Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United are not worrying anyone at the top of the table; they trail the leaders by 20 points and are as far away from first as they are from Leeds United, just three places outside the relegation zone. Of course, if they will get a Golden Boot winner, it had to be the returning hero, Ronaldo. He’s back for a final stint in Manchester and has nine goals from 21 matches. He would need a scoring streak of some magnitude to topple Salah, but you just never know with the world’s greatest player.
Expected Goals: 17