Premier League Golden Boot race hots up with surprise names battling Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah for coveted gong
Now in the business end of the campaign, WhoScored.com have turned their attention to the Premier League's individual accolades.
Just five goals currently separate the division's eight top scorers - at the time of writing - with the race for the coveted Golden Boot, like the title race, looking as though it's going right down to the wire.
All the usual contenders are in the mix, but with three-time winner Harry Kane moving on to Germany, there is room for some new names in race and there are some surprise contenders this year.
WhoScored.com has taken a look at the runners and assessed their performances and stats behind their goal returns, as the battle to be crowned the Premier League's top scorer really hots up.
8. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) - 15 goals
This season marks Jarrod Bowen's most prolific of his Premier League career, having recently struck his 15th goal of the campaign.
What's impressive, too, is that he's reached that figure while playing in multiple positions, either operating from the right or leading the charge for the Hammers.
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However, West Ham have a number of tricky fixtures to see out the season, with games against Liverpool, Chelsea and then Man City on the final day of the season.
Meaning it'll take a monumental effort from Bowen to make up the current five-goal gap between himself and top scorer Erling Haaland.
WhoScored rating: 7.09
7. Heung-min Son (Tottenham) - 15 goals
Tottenham skipper Heung-min Son also sits on 15 goals for the campaign.
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And while he's unlikely to match his 2021/22 Golden Boot year - when he tied first with Mohamed Salah on 23 - it's still been a fine season for Son in the wake of Harry Kane's exit.
That said, following his return from the Asian Cup, the 31-year-old hasn't looked the same in attack. Indeed, he's scored just three goals in his last nine outings, and only once in his last five.
The South Korean star looks exhausted following a lengthy campaign, and that'll weigh against the Spurs star.
WhoScored rating: 7.34
6. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 17 goals
Another whose goalscoring exploits suffered a hit as a result of international duty, Mohamed Salah missed a handful of games due to Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations participation, and then returned to Liverpool injured.
Salah has still struck 17 times this term, yet even so; since AFCON and his spell on the sidelines, the Egyptian forward has netted just three league goals, one of which was a penalty.
The 31-year-old has looked out of sorts upon the resumption of domestic duties.
WhoScored rating: 7.36
5. Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) - 17 goals
A surprise inclusion in Golden Boot contention, Dominic Solanke is enjoying a campaign to remember for Bournemouth.
The Cherries hitman bagged his 17th league goal of the season in the recent 2-2 draw with Manchester United, which is a huge improvement on his six-goal haul in 2022/23.
Solanke has fired off the fourth most shots (94) in the Premier League this term, though a conversion rate of just 18.1% doesn't make for the best reading.
The 26-year-old has endured his barren runs, too, with the Bournemouth forward netting just three goals in his last eight league outings.
But he's proven a menace to defences and could well boost his numbers in the Cherries' remaining six games - although they do still have to face Arsenal at the Emirates.
WhoScored rating: 7.08
4. Alexander Isak (Newcastle) - 17 goals
Having endured two separate spells on the sidelines owing to groin issues, Alexander Isak's 17-goal haul is superb to say the least.
The Newcastle star has started just 21 of Newcastle's 32 league matches, yet has the joint-best goals per 90 return (0.9) in the division.
Home comforts have certainly helped, with 12 of Isak's 17 goals coming at St. James' Park, but at his current scoring rate he would have been leading the Golden Boot race had he remained fit for the entire campaign.
Of the 134 players to have fired off at least 25 shots, Isak's conversion rate of 28.3% is the third best and it wouldn't be a surprise were he to quickly make up the three-goal gap to the top of the Premier League's scoring charts.
WhoScored rating: 7.07
3. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) - 19 goals
Ollie Watkins is set to write his name into the Aston Villa history books after he bagged his 19th league goal of the season in Sunday's 2-0 win at Arsenal.
He has already broken club legend Dwight Yorke's record for direct goal involvements in a single Premier League season with 29 - 19 goals, ten assists, while his tally also means he is currently tied with Christian Benteke as the highest goalscorer in a single Premier League season in Villa history.
The 28-year-old is ending the campaign strongly, but what really stands out is the manner of which Watkins is scoring his goals.
Those around him rely on penalties to inflate their numbers but the Villa striker is yet to score from 12 yards in England's top tier this term, with Watkins boasting the ideal movement to get into goalscoring positions.
Despite not being on penalty duty, the Villans hitman has still scored 11 clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, that ranking sixth in England's top tier.
WhoScored rating: 7.34
2. Erling Haaland (Man City) - 20 goals
Last season's Golden Boot winner was out on his own for weeks but having struck 36 league goals in his debut campaign, Erling Haaland has struck a more reserved 20 times in the Premier League this term.
Haaland ranks second for total shots (102) in the division and while he continues to chance his luck, the Norwegian's conversion rate of 19.6% is a dip of his first year in England.
The 23-year-old has come under criticism in recent weeks but with Man City now focusing on domestic duties following their Champions League exit in midweek, Haaland may just come alive once more for the final weeks.
If he does earn the gong again, he's becoming only the sixth player to win the Golden Boot for two straight seasons, joining an elite club alongside some genuine legends of the English game.
Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and Harry Kane are the only other men to achieve that feat.
WhoScored rating: 7.35
1. Cole Palmer (Chelsea) - 20 goals
Cole Palmer moved level on 20 league goals on Monday night as the Chelsea star struck four times in the Blues' resounding 6-0 win over Everton.
Palmer is proving one of the signings of the season and the £42.5million man boasts the best xG overperformance (5.06) on England's top tier.
This return, though, needs greater context - 45% of Palmer's goals, nine of 20, have come from the penalty spot.
While the 21-year-old deserves praise for his superb campaign in west London, the high number of spot kicks awarded to Chelsea have helped inflate his goal haul.
But the truth is he brings a lot more to the Blues than just putting the ball in the net, which had led to suggestions he should be named Premier League Player of the Year.
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Palmer has been one of the few shining lights for the London club this season in another campaign of mid-table struggles, with his nine assists showing his ability to link play together and and all-round creative talent in and around the box.
WhoScored rating: 7.44
