GOAL brings you all of this season’s leading marksmen from England’s top flight – who will come out on top?
The race is once again on for the coveted Premier League Golden Boot, with established superstars set to battle it out for the prestigious crown of the English top-flight’s leading goal scorer.
Erling Haaland stands heads and shoulders – figuratively, literally – above his Premier League colleagues in the top scorer stakes for the 2023/24 season. He has to be, he was that lethal in front of goal last season as the Norwegian hitman set a new single-season Premier League goals record (36 goals) en route to the Golden Boot award in 2022/23.
Runner-up Harry Kane who, in most other years, would have walked away with the crown last time out after netting 30 strikes, has left Spurs for German giants Bayern Munich, so it will be interesting to see who Haaland will face for the Golden Boot in 2023/24.
Man United’s Marcus Rashford, who rediscovered his scoring boots last season, Newcastle United’s pair (Callum Wilson, Alexander Isak), and a host of potent attackers at Liverpool (Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo) or Arsenal (Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli) are all good shouts.
With nets set to bulge regularly throughout the 2023-24 campaign, GOAL is on hand to record the exploits of the most prolific marksmen around.
1 Cole Palmer | Chelsea | 20 goals
Probably the most surprising signing of Chelsea’s summer spree was the arrival of 21-year-old Manchester City talent Cole Palmer, who has already begun to emerge as a key player in the Blues’ attacking style in his brief time at the club. Always looking to probe and create goals, his consistently high performances thus far have caught the fans’ attention.
2 Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 20 goals
Erling Haaland made last season’s top-scorer battle one of the most boring Golden Boot races in Premier League history.
The Norwegian colossus ended on 36 league goals from 35 matches in 2022/23, registering four separate hat-tricks, making an absolute mockery of those who said he would need time to acclimatise to life in England last season.
The Norse titan is in a league of his own and has shown no signs of slowing down in the 2023-24 campaign. Unless he suffers an unfortunate injury or Guardiola drops him to the bench for an extended period, Haaland will likely be the division’s leading hitman this year.
3O llie Watkins | Aston Villa | 19 goals
Ollie Watkins has consistently impressed for the Lions over the past three seasons. The England international has been a key figure in Villa’s revival under Unai Emery and has been revived since the Spaniard succeeded Steven Gerrard in October last year.
He scored 15 goals in the Premier League last season, with his efforts helping Unai Emery’s side qualify for the Europa League. He has started this campaign in great form too, and he’ll hope to keep that up.
4 Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 17 goals
While Mohamed Salah still managed an impressive 19 goals last season despite Liverpool’s sluggish form, the Egyptian did not reach his customary heights of brilliance. He will be desperate to improve his and the Reds’ fortunes this season.
5 Alexander Isak | Newcastle | 17 goals
The silky Swede spent the first third of the 2022/23 campaign out with a thigh injury, and it wasn’t until after the World Cup that Newcastle fans got a taste of what their record-signing had to offer. Upon his return to first-team action, Alexander Isak was like a new January signing, netting eight in their last 19 games, and assisting two, firing the Magpies to Champions League qualification.
Flair, audacity, skill to bamboozle defenders, and lethal finishing quality, he is starting to show his undoubted promise and looks increasingly likely to establish himself as one of the top strikers in the English top-flight in 2023-24.
6 Dominic Solanke | Bournemouth | 17 goals
Dominic Solanke registered a brilliant 13 goal contribution in the top flight last season, standing out as one of the Cherries’ best-performing players as Bournemouth secured survival with relative ease.
7 Jarrod Bowen | West Ham United | 15 goals
With Rice off to north London, a new star must emerge for the Hammers and the onus will once again be on Conference League hero Jarrod Bowen in the final third. A goal-scorer and creator who always gives his team a chance in attacking transitions, his sparkling displays were a key reason why West Ham finished last season in fine form, and lifted their first European title since 1965 in the form of Europa Conference League.
8 Son Heung-min | Tottenham Hotspur | 15 goals
Following a 23-goal season in which he shared the Golden Boot with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, the South Korean produced only 10 goals, and six assists in an underwhelming season last time out. The arrival of former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou – who plays an expansive brand of football – and the addition of creative midfielder James Maddison means Son is steadily getting back to his best, which is vital for Spurs as he will have to carry much of the scoring burden after Harry Kane’s exit.
9 Phil Foden | Manchester City | 14 goals
Foden continues to impress with his mazy dribbles and clever movement, but the young midfielder has now added goals to his game as well.
10 Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | 14 goals
Bukayo Saka evolved into one of the most exciting and consistent young players in world football last term. His stellar performances and 14 goals were key to Arsenal’s impressive title charge last season and Mikel Arteta will be demanding even more from the 21-year-old as the Gunners look to go one step better.
11 Chris Wood | Nottingham Forest | 12 goals
An aerially dominant old-fashioned target-man striker, Wood has come under scrutiny from some quarters of the fanbase for not making the impact everyone hoped for since joining from Newcastle – at first on loan, then permanently. The New Zealand international will be looking to change the narrative by bagging some crucial goals in the 2023-24 season.
12 Darwin Nunez | Liverpool | 11 goals
Liverpool paid an eyewatering transfer fee to secure the signature of Darwin Nunez from Benfica last summer in a record £85m (€100m/$108m) deal. However, despite the high price tag attached to his name, Núñez failed to truly light up the Premier League in his debut campaign on English shores.
More things are expected from the Uruguayan hitman in the 2023-24 season now that he’s had time to settle down in English football. And he already seems to be making the headlines for his clutch goal-scoring exploits.
13 Matheus Cunha | Wolves | 11 goals
Brazilian Matheus Cunha joined Wolves on loan from Atletico Madrid in January before completing a permanent £44m switch in the summer of 2023. His ability to carry the ball forward from deep and his work rate without the ball was evident from the outset, but he’s now emerging as his side’s most dangerous threat and is putting up good attacking numbers.
14 Richarlison | Tottenham | 10 goals
It has taken nearly 18 months, but there are hopeful signs that Richarlison is finally coming to life for Tottenham. A relentless presser off the ball, and a well-rounded versatile forward, he is starting to look like the striker Spurs paid £60million for in the summer of 2022.
15 Anthony Gordon | Newcastle United | 10 goals
Anthony Gordon has been a superb signing for Eddie Howe’s side as the winger has chipped in with crucial goals. The former Everton man has the ability to chip in with crucial goals for his side and can also turn into a creator when required.
16 Hwang Hee-chan | Wolves | 10 goals
Hwang Hee-chan moved to the Premier League in January 2022 as Wolves snapped him up in a £14 million deal from RB Leipzig. For all his versatility, tenacity, speed, and mobility, he has largely struggled to deliver the goods in the final third. However, he’s enjoying a fine goal-scoring purple patch, benefiting from Gary O’Neil’s attacking brand of football at Molineux.
17 Yoane Wissa | Brentford | 10 goals
Yoane Wissa has emerged as Brentford’s leading scorer this season, hitting double digit Premier League goals, outpacing both Bryan Mbeumo and Neal Maupay. His scoring prowess ensured that the absence of Ivan Toney from Thomas Frank’s squad due to the betting suspension and injury struggles was not felt.
18 Elijah Adebayo | Luton | 9 goals
Elijah Adebayo is the leading scorer for Luton Town this season. An aerial threat in the opposition’s six-yard box because of his hold-up play and pressing, he has really picked up in terms of chipping in with vital goals for the newly promoted side.
19 Kai Havertz | Arsenal | 9 goals
Kai Havertz took time to settle into the Gunner’s lineup after joining from Chelsea. But Mikel Arteta’s brilliance and the German international’s scintillating finishes helped Arsenal reach new heights in the Premier League and also offload some weight off the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus.
20 Nicolas Jackson | Chelsea | 9 goals
Chelsea’s summer signing Nicolas Jackson may not be a household name, but he has emerged as one of the most exciting attacking talents in Europe after his breakout season at Villarreal in 2022-23 which saw him score 13 goals and provide five assists in 38 appearances.
A raw and talented forward, he has the ability to link play, run in behind and beat players with a blistering pace. Topped off with excellent poaching and finishing skills, he looks set to star for Chelsea up top this season.
21 Carlton Morris | Luton Town| 9 goals
English forward Carlton Morris was an integral force behind Luton Town’s promotion to the 2023/24 Premier League season. Morris reached double digits in the Championship last term, a feat he’ll be aiming to replicate in England’s top flight as well.
22 Diogo Jota | Liverpool | 9 goals
Jota had a tough first half of last season laden with injuries and inconsistent form, however, when back fit, he proved clutch for Liverpool at the end of the season and will be hoping for better luck with his fitness this time around.