On the final day of the season, the race for the Premier League Golden Boot comes to an end this afternoon.
Mo Salah has been an integral part of Liverpool’s quest for an unprecedented quadruple under Jurgen Klopp, and he currently leads the top scorer charts with 22 goals in 34 Premier League appearances.
However, due to a groin problem that forced him off in the first half of Liverpool’s FA Cup Final victory over Chelsea at Wembley, the Egyptian was unable to play in Tuesday’s crucial match against Southampton, as the Reds took the title race to the final day.
While Klopp is hopeful that Salah, who last scored in the Premier League in mid-April, will return in today’s season finale against Wolves at Anfield, he will not want to take any unnecessary risks with the Champions League Final against Real Madrid looming on May 28 in Paris.
Salah’s injury woes, on the other hand, could help Tottenham’s Heung-min Son, who is Salah’s closest rival for the Golden Boot.
With four goals in his last five games, including crucial strikes against Liverpool and Arsenal in north London, the reliable South Korean is just one goal behind Salah heading into the final round of fixtures.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, is three points behind the leaders with only one game remaining, but he’s no stranger to a stylish hat-trick – though Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park is a tough last assignment for a Manchester United side in disarray.
Kane is second on 16, with Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne tied for 15th with Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane. Jamie Vardy, Raheem Sterling, and Wilfried Zaha round out the top five.
Salah will undoubtedly want to avoid a repeat of last season, when he had to share the Golden Boot with Mane and former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Premier League top scorers 2021/22
Position Player Team Goals Assists
1 Mo Salah Liverpool 22 13
2 Heung-min Son Tottenham 21 7
3 Cristiano Ronaldo Man Utd 18 3
4 Harry Kane Tottenham 16 8
5 Kevin De Bruyne Man City 15 7
5 Diogo Jota Liverpool 15 4
5 Sadio Mane Liverpool 15 2
8 Jamie Vardy Leicester 14 2
Table correct as of Sunday, May 22, 2022.
