Erling Haaland: The Stats that Show He’s on Track for Golden Boot Glory
Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker, has been on fire at the start of this season, scoring nine goals in his first seven Premier League games. This puts him three goals ahead in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot, and what makes it even more impressive is that none of these goals have come from penalties. Now, I’m not really sure why this matters, but injury could potentially throw a spanner in the works for Haaland’s quest for the Golden Boot.
Why Haaland is the Frontrunner
Two main reasons make Haaland the strong favorite for the Golden Boot at this early stage of the season. First, he has already scored a significant number of goals, and the quality of chances he is getting is top-notch. Second, his usual rivals for the award have had a slow start to the season. When we look at the expected goals (xG) of players in the Premier League, Haaland is getting far more high-quality chances to score than anyone else. In fact, even if he had the same finishing ability as other players in the league, he would still have scored more than double the number of goals. Haaland’s shots this season have had an xG value of 0.27 on average, indicating that historically, players have converted his chances at a rate of 27%. This is a significant improvement from last season, showing that the chances he’s getting in the current campaign are much easier to score from.
A Slow Start for Rivals
As impressive as Haaland’s start has been, his usual competitors for the Golden Boot have not been as prolific. Players like Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappe have all scored fewer goals and had fewer chances compared to this stage last season. Salah, in particular, has had his quietest start to a Premier League season, with half the number of goals and chances he had at this point last year. Additionally, when we compare Haaland’s goal tally to the top 11 scorers from the previous season, he has scored as many goals as all of them combined. Injuries, transfer issues, and poor team performances have hindered the progress of potential contenders, giving Haaland a clear advantage in the race for the Golden Boot.
The European Golden Shoe Race
While Haaland looks like a strong contender for the Premier League Golden Boot, the race for the European Golden Shoe is heating up. Players like Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have also started the season in fantastic form, with 11 and 9 goals respectively. Haaland’s high goal tally and impressive xG without any penalties give him an edge in this competition. However, Kane and Mbappe are known for their ability to outperform their xG, making the race for the European Golden Shoe more competitive. It remains to be seen whether Haaland can maintain his early-season form and hold off his rivals in the quest for European glory.
