Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah may have started on the bench in his side’s 7-0 demolition of Crystal Palace but the striker still had time to land two goals in the rout. After a productive first campaign at Anfield back in 2017/18, the Egyptian International made significant contributions in his next two seasons but wasn’t quite as prolific in front of the net.
In 2020/21, Salah looks to be back to his best and those two goals against the Eagles have also put him ahead in the battle for the Golden Boot – an award given at the end of the season to the Premier League’s leading scorer.
Ahead of the Pack
Salah’s double against Crystal Palace took his total for the season to 13 and that puts him two strikes ahead of the chasing pack. Three players are currently in second place on 11 goals – Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur, and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Slightly further back from the second-placed trio are Harry Kane, Bruno Fernandes, and Patrick Bamford on nine goals. Unlike other divisions around Europe, the English Premier League doesn’t take a winter break so there is a packed set of fixtures coming up which will lead into the New Year. That list of players contains some potent and experienced strikers so there is no guarantee that Salah will end the season with that trophy. There’s a battle ahead and those who like to follow the race for the Golden Boot have much to look forward to as the season develops.
Salah’s Chances Rated
There is an active betting market such as LegalBetting.com attached to the winner of the Golden Boot and the figures can offer a useful indication when we’re assessing players’ chances of winning the award. The odds setters analyses data and form and their rating of Mo Salah is a strong indicator of potential success.
Following that double strike against Crystal Palace, Salah became a clear favourite to win the award as the Premier League’s leading goal scorer in 2020/21. Odds in the aftermath of that win meant that the Egyptian striker could be claimed at 9/4 while his closest challenger Harry Kane was out at 5/1 in second place. Also in contention in this market are Jamie Vardy at 11/2, Dominic Calvert-Lewin at 9/1, and Son Heung-Min at 10/1.
Form is clearly vital in the Golden Boot betting but injuries can also have a big part to play. Salah, along with his rivals will need to stay fit and firing if he is going to convert at those odds. Check out future returns and read news and opinions before committing to this type of stake.
Pivotal and Potent Player
Irrespective of whether Mohamed Salah picks up that Golden Boot trophy, Liverpool fans will just be happy if his goals take them to a second premier league title in succession. That’s the main target for the Reds but Jurgen Klopp’s men are competing on many fronts this season.
Remember, all of the statistics that have been discussed so far relate to goals in the Premier League and this is where Salah has been most impressive. To average a goal a game in his first 13 matches suggests that the striker is back to his most potent best and Liverpool are just starting to pull clear in the latest EPL race.
Elsewhere, at the same point in the 2020/21 season, Salah had scored three additional goals in eight matches in other competitions with all of those strikes coming in the Champions League. The ratio may not be as impressive but all contributions are important as Liverpool look to target their seventh UCL trophy.
Mohammed Salah’s appearance on the subs’ bench against Crystal Palace caused surprise but it didn’t stop the striker from surging clear at the top of the Premier League Golden Boot race. The delayed start to the season means that there is a long way to go but the Egyptian is leading the way as the campaign reaches a crucial stage
