Salah, Vardy and Ings in hunt as EPL’S Golden Boot race hots up
LONDON: While the Premier League title has already been won by Liverpool in record time, the batle to finish as the top-flight’s leading scorer is set to go down to the wire.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah could add the Golden Boot to his Premier League winners’ medal, but he has work to do to catch Leicester’s Jamie Vardy, who sits top of the goal charts with four games let.
Arsenal’s Pierre-emerick Aubameyang is also in contention to get his hands on the prize ater sharing it with Salah and Sadio Mane last season when the trio each scored 22 goals.
Southampton’s Danny Ings is the dark horse ater an unexpectedly prolific campaign.
With 22 league goals to his credit so far this term, Vardy is in pole position to take the prize, especially ater rediscovering his peak form over the last week.
Winning the Golden Boot would be another landmark moment for Vardy, who has defied the odds throughout his remarkable rise from nonleague journeyman to Premier League champion four years ago.
Vardy’s next opportunity to increase his grip on top spot comes against lowly Bournemouth on Sunday.
The Arsenal forward has scored three times in his last three appearances to move into second place in the goal race.
Aubameyang has neted 20 times this season, his prolific form increased Arsenal’s desire to get the Gabon international to extend a contract that expires at the end of next season. The 31-year-old is yet to agree a new deal amid reported interest from Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain.
His value to Arsenal comes not just in his goals but in his ability to play wide on the let as well as up front. Sunday’s north London derby at Totenham and a home game against Liverpool in their following game give Aubameyang a chance to put pressure on Vardy when the spotlight is brightest.
Having won the Golden Boot in 2018 and finished in joint first place last year, the Liverpool forward needs a late goal spree to make it three successive seasons on top of the leaderboard.
Salah’s brace in a 3-1 win at Brighton on Wednesday took him to 19 goals and, with Liverpool chasing a new Premier League points record, the Egyptian is likely to remain in the team even with the title won.