2017/2018 English Premier League Top Goal Scorer
English Premier League Football is almost upon us once again. Not but 3 months ago did the season end with Chelsea lifting the Trophy after a master class season. In three weeks, some of the world’s best footballers take to the pitch, a few of whom are real contenders for the golden Boot (Top Goalscorer) this season. This article will breakdown a few of the top contenders, some of the dogs and finally… my pick.
Harry Kane:
The favourite and why shouldn’t he be. The english chap gives Tottenham fans something to be excited about. He has unparalleled footwork in the box and while Kane doesn’t possess an overpowering shot, it is one with finesse. Kane’s biggest flaw as a striker is his complete inability to score with his head. He isn’t exactly the most well rounded striker in the premier league but he is hard to contain as is shown with the number of multi-goal games under his belt. A big upside for Kane is that he has been taking the majority of Penalties for the Spurs, having 5 of his goals come from the spot last year. He was a precision machine, holding a 52% shoot accuracy and a 26% conversion rate. Surrounded by Dele Alli and Erickson, Kane is not short of weapons around him and will once again be the benefactor of supreme link up play through the midfield. The departure of Kyle Walker for this season could harm Kane’s support for well placed passes like years past as Man City were able to scoop up the young backliner in a 50 million transfer fee this offseason. Yet the fact remains: the Englishman is one of the best and brightest of the premier league. He has won the Golden Boots two years running and shouldn’t be a surprise that he is favoured this year. However, I see value elsewhere and will be passing on the general +250 price around the market.
Romelu Lukaku:
The Big Belgian, as I will sometime refer to him as, is one of my personal favourites. Lukaku is all that Kane is not, well-balanced. He can score from his right and left foot as well as his head. He is a hulking presence in the box which is a major asset for any striker playing in the physical EPL and at 24 he possesses great foot speed. He quite literally is the “full package”. Moving from Everton to Man U, Lukaku will now enjoy what he hasn’t been able to in the past which is players of skill to support his progress. It’s only the preseason but Lukaku looks right at home accompanied by his best friend Paul Pogba. Maybe the pairing will help Pogba who struggled greatly last year? The big question surrounding Lukaku is what role Marcus Rashford will play. Will Man U play 2 strikers up front? I believe they won’t and instead Rashford will be used as a substitute or in lesser tier games. At +400 and up I am very interested in backing the Big Belgian this year as the top goal scorer (more on this later)
Sergio Aguero:
Perhaps one of the most skilled footballers in all of England, Aguero plays his football with a Spanish flare of speed as opposed to power. I was honestly quite shocked to see he is the odds on third player to win the Golden Boots given the appearance of Gabriel Jesus (more on this player later) who seems to have overtaken the role of number one striker. Aguero may at best be looking at a time share between the two and at a general 5–1, I think money is best invested elsewhere despite the prolific talents this player has.
Gabriel Jesus:
In only 10 appearances last year this young star averaged 0.7 goals a game and produced shot accuracy of 54% and a conversion rate of 29% (This places him above Harry Kane in both statistics). Flat out: the kid can play. The big question here is will he actually take over from Aguero. If he plays second fiddle, there is no chance he wins the race. If however, Pep plays him like he did towards the end of last season, the +900 is a steal and definitely worth a little sniff.
Diego Costa:
On a move to Atletico Madrid? Even if he stays, he is a dick who won’t play much.
Alexis Sanchez:
If he stays I think he is a great player, perhaps too good as he makes the rest of Arsenal look like shit. I have had the privilege of watching him play live several times now. Each and every time, I’m blown away by the amount of work he puts into each game. It has to be that or the rest of Arsenal don’t seem to try at all so he looks even better by comparison. Regardless, his future at this point is up in the air. He rarely scores at home and the layers he is surrounded by don’t exactly scream “exciting.” I would be more interested in an assist total for Alexis vs the goals. Like Aguero, he plays a Spanish type of football giving him a gift when the ball is at his feet but he lacks some of the power I think is necessary to be a success in this league. Pass
Alexandre Lacazette:
Fast and dynamic, it’s too bad he is on Arsenals side. I think this season will be tough for the Gunners. When you have two players, (two star players) that don’t want to be there, it creates a tough locker room situation. When these two players are the ones feeding the ball it’s even worse. Not to mention he isn’t going to be taking PK (penalty kicks) which are a huge bonus for a player in this race.
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Now we come to a big drop in both skill and name awareness. What this means is that you may have never heard anything about these players and certainly not in the context of the top goal scorer awards. I will highlight a few that I like briefly and the ones I dislike even more so.
Daniel Sturridge:
Probably the best first touch player in English football. He is a forgotten man due to injury and the depth chart. I love the kid but Pool doesn’t have the room for him anymore. Poor Bastard. Maybe one day Danny boy.
Oliver Giroud:
Deadly with the headers but will play second fiddle all year, don’t see a reserve player who won’t be on penalties taking this one. Pass
Dele Alii:
Great player excellent speed and set up, not the prime finisher for the spurs. Pass
Eden Hazard:
Absolute world class. Lightning fast and big time powerful, he draws defenders in and makes them pay. Had a bounce back season last year and I see another very productive season from the lad. Not enough to be top goal Scorer though. Pass
Manolo Gabbiadini:
Came on like a hurricane wind and tailed off. More of the same this season. I see him getting hot and then cold. Ultimately, don’t think he has what it takes for a full season. Pass
Michy Batshuayi:
If he was guaranteed to start, I would be all over him at this price. Plays with power and speed and is a balanced attacker. However, Chelsea have signed Morata meaning Michy is probably due for another season on the bench. If Morata doesn’t have what it takes or gets injured, I would look at taking him live depending on the odds and situation. For now though: Pass
Roberto Firmino:
Every year I’m low on this guy and every year he proves me wrong. At big odds like this, he gets interesting but ultimately Liverpool play with a front four and that stretches the scoring out too thin to really see anyone on that team winning the Boots. Despite the fact that they might score more than any team this season. Unfortunate pass.
Heung Min Son:
Unless there is an injury: Pass. He is more of a handcuff type player.
Josh King:
Interesting player with lots of power and speed. Bournemouth pulled a weird one this season signing Nathan Ake and Jermaine Defoe… That’s a lot of depth up front and who gets to start and score are now up in the air. Your guess is as good as mine. Passing on all of them, who knows what Eddie Howe has planned.
Jamie Vardy:
Couldn’t be more of a fan of this guy. Lighting fast and a great finish, while I can recommend reading his book I don’t recommend betting the fellow. LCFC is no longer what it was during it’s title run. Vardy needs to get out now. He is a truly gifted player and I would love to see him play on a high caliber team. Big fan of the young man but not worth backing.
In Conclusion, my bet for Top Goal Scorer or the Golden Boots is Romelu Lukaku. Ultimately, no one matches his well balanced attack. He wins out a close race with Harry Kane this year. Anything at +400 to me is worth backing. Gabriel Jesus is worth half a stake too at +900 and up. The young star might have to split time with Aguero, which is his only down side. It will be very interesting to see how Pep decides to use him this season. No denying the kid has got skill though.
As always
BOL
TheMill
