With six players separated by only three goals, the race for the 2023/24 Castrol Golden Boot is one of the most hotly-contested in recent seasons.
After scoring FOUR times in Chelsea's 6-0 win over Everton on Monday, Cole Palmer has now moved level on 20 goals with Manchester City star Erling Haaland.
Top scorers' goal tally and fixtures
| Player | Goals | Fixtures |
|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | 20 | BHA (A), NFO (A), WOL (H), FUL (A), TOT (A), WHU (H) |
| Cole Palmer | 20 | ARS (A), AVL (A), TOT (H), WHU (H), NFO (A), BHA (A), BOU (H) |
| Ollie Watkins | 19 | BOU (H), CHE (H), BHA (A), LIV (H), CRY (A) |
| Alexander Isak | 17 | CRY (A), SHU (H), BUR (A), BHA (H), MUN (A), BRE (A) |
| Mohamed Salah | 17 | FUL (A), EVE (A), WHU (A), TOT (H), AVL (A), WOL (H) |
| Dominic Solanke | 17 | AVL (A), WOL (A), BHA (H), ARS (A), BRE (H), CHE (A) |
Ollie Watkins is hot on the pair's heels after netting in Aston Villa's impressive 2-0 victory at Arsenal on Sunday and has his sights set firmly on winning the award.
"We're all fighting for it," said Watkins after the match. "I've got my eyes on it. I want to score every game."
There is strong pedigree elsewhere in the rest of the chasing pack on 17 goals.
Three-time Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah is still in with a chance of adding a fourth prize, while Alexander Isak and Dominic Solanke are each enjoying their best ever goalscoring season in the competition.
Here we analyse the contenders and the key statistics that have put them in the Golden Boot hunt.
Isak and Palmer best for minutes per goal
The Newcastle United striker and Chelsea attacker currently have the best strike ratio in the Premier League.
They have each netted at an average of 104 minutes per goal, placing them top for that statistic in the competition this season.
This puts them just ahead of the next-best player, Haaland, who has converted his 20 goals at an average of 109 minutes.
Minutes-per-goal ratio
| Player | Mins per goal |
|---|---|
| Cole Palmer, Alexander Isak | 104 |
| Erling Haaland | 109 |
| Mohamed Salah | 126 |
| Ollie Watkins | 147 |
| Dominic Solanke | 168 |
Solanke's goals the most important
When it comes to valuable goals, it is Solanke whose strikes have been the most important for his team.
The AFC Bournemouth striker's 17 goals have secured an extra 15 points for his side, putting him slightly ahead of the 14 points that Watkins' 19 goals have earned Villa.
Extra points earned
| Player | Most points earned |
|---|---|
| Dominic Solanke | 15 |
| Ollie Watkins | 14 |
| Cole Palmer | 13 |
| Mohamed Salah | 11 |
| Erling Haaland | 10 |
| Alexander Isak | 5 |
Haaland missing the most big chances
While the Man City striker holds a joint-lead at the top of the goalscoring chart, his advantage could be considerably more had he been less wasteful.
Haaland may have struck 20 times in the Premier League, but the Norwegian has spurned 30 big chances, 11 more than the next-nearest player, Solanke.
Most big chances missed
| Player | Big chances missed |
|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | 30 |
| Dominic Solanke | 19 |
| Alexander Isak | 15 |
| Mohamed Salah | 13 |
| Ollie Watkins | 12 |
| Cole Palmer | 4 |
Watkins the unluckiest?
One player who can consider himself unlucky in the race for the Golden Boot is Watkins.
If his five shots had not hit the woodwork and instead gone in, he would be the Premier League's highest scorer with 24 goals.
Hitting the woodwork the most times
| Player | Times woodwork hit |
|---|---|
| Ollie Watkins | 5 |
| Dominic Solanke | 3 |
| Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah | 2 |
| Alexander Isak | 1 |
| Cole Palmer | 0 |
Isak and Palmer the most clinical
While he may not have the most goals, Isak is the most clinical finisher.
The Swede's shot conversion rate is an impressive 28.33 per cent, with Palmer not too far behind on 24.4 per cent.
Best conversion rate
| Player | Played | Goals | Mins/ goal | Shots (on target) | % Conv. rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isak | 24 | 17 | 104 | 60 (33) | 28.3% |
| Palmer | 28 | 20 | 104 | 82 (40) | 24.4% |
| Watkins | 32 | 19 | 147 | 95 (43) | 20.0% |
| Haaland | 26 | 20 | 109 | 102 (48) | 19.6% |
| Salah | 26 | 17 | 126 | 93 (45) | 18.3% |
| Solanke | 32 | 17 | 168 | 94 (33) | 18.1% |
*Including shots blocked
