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The 2020-21 Premier League season has drawn to a close and Manchester City have been crowned champions. Played almost entirely behind closed doors, this season has truly been one-of-a-kind.
Despite the absence of fans being firmly felt, it was a season filled with plenty of ups and downs for every team involved and there was no shortage of excitement. Several top players continued their development and we also had our fair share of breakout stars who have truly announced their arrival on the big stage.
Premier League is home to some of the best attackers in Europe
The Premier League has always housed some of the best attackers in the game. 'Forward' is a broad term and it includes players who mainly operate in the final third, namely strikers and wingers.
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Without further ado, let's take a look at the top 10 forwards from the 2020-21 Premier League season.
#10 Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City)
Kelechi Iheanacho scored his first Premier League goal of the 2020-21 season on the 3rd of February. But since then, there has been no looking back for the Nigerian international. As Jamie Vardy struggled for form, Iheanacho stepped in and started scoring goals routinely to make sure the Foxes didn't suffer much.
A lot of factors went into Iheanacho finding his form. Injury to the likes of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes meant that the 24-year-old was now being paired up with Vardy. The striking partnership helped Leicester City as Iheanacho played a major role in their FA Cup triumph as well.
One of the interesting things about Iheanacho is that he can pull off the spectacular. He finds goals from inside tight spaces whilst under pressure and is quite a great finisher. His team-mate and Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel called Iheanacho a nightmare to deal with on the training ground.
"He does it in training all the time. He's a nightmare in training to be fair. He's just a big strong lad who can put himself about, he's fast, he's got absolutely everything to be a top striker and he's showing it now, which is great."
He ended the 2020-21 Premier League season with 12 goals and two assists to his name from 25 appearances, of which only 16 were starts.
#9 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Aston Villa have had quite a decent season. They enjoyed a bright start to the campaign, winning all of their first five games, which included a stunning 7-2 win over then-reigning champions Liverpool. With Jack Grealish thriving in his role as the chief creator, it was necessary for Aston Villa to find a striker who could make the most of the opportunities generated by the midfielder.
Aston Villa broke the club's transfer record to sign Ollie Watkins from Brentford. Though there certainly is room for improvement, Watkins has impressed in his debut season in the English top-flight. The 25-year-old scored 14 goals and provided five assists in the Premier League this term.
His pace and quick-thinking in and around the final third, coupled with his finishing and movement, made Watkins a credible threat up top for Dean Smith's men. Villa will no doubt expect to see more of the same or even better from their marksman next season.
#8 Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was nearly unstoppable in the first quarter of the season. After his hat-trick against West Bromwich Albion, Carlo Ancelotti even likened the young striker to the legendary Filipo Inzaghi. Even though Calvert-Lewin has not exactly lived up to that kind of hype, he has still proven to be a reliable outlet up front for the Toffees.
The 24-year-old scored 16 goals from 33 Premier League appearances this term. But it's a tad bit underwhelming that he found the back of the net just five times in his last sixteen matches.
Everton are one of those sides whose ambition is to become a top-six side and for them to truly become a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League, they'll need a 20-goals-per-season striker. The young Englishman will be hitting his peak soon and he has proven that he can go on to become a player of that caliber in the years to come.
#7 Edinson Cavani (Manchester United)
When Manchester United signed Edinson Cavani on a Bosman transfer last summer, it was viewed as nothing more than a deadline day panic buy. To be fair, the Red Devils had missed out on almost all of their major transfer targets. Cavani had not played for seven months as the Ligue 1 had gotten cut short in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Uruguayan's debut at Manchester United was delayed due to some injury problems. But once he started finding his feet, he was able to show Ole Gunnar Solskjaer exactly what his team had been missing up front. One of the most natural goal-getters of his generation, Cavani tapped into his immense experience to elevate a steadily improving side.
The former Paris Saint-Germain striker made decisive contributions in several matches and his movement inside the box was the stuff that ought to be taught at academies. Cavani scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 26 appearances, of which only 13 were starts.
The Uruguayan impressed greatly and was given a fresh one-year deal which he seemed happy to sign given how well the team was performing with him by the end of the season.
#6 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Now that Marcus Rashford has figured out that he is a better player out wide than he is up front, his underrated playmaking skills are truly coming to the fore. Rashford's blistering pace and trickery makes him one of the most dangerous players in the league when he is afforded room to run into.
It has been reported Rashford played the vast majority of the season while battling through pain. He has had to manage injuries to his foot and his shoulder but he has been a consistent presence in Manchester United's starting XI.
Rashford scored 11 goals and provided nine assists in 37 appearances this term and has truly gone from strength to strength this campaign. One of the best ball-carriers in the league, Rashford has also struck up a great partnership with an ever-improving Luke Shaw down the left flank and the duo is a constant threat when they are playing together.
#5 Patrick Bamford (Leeds United)
When Leeds United made their return to the Premier League, questions were asked about Patrick Bamford's ability to go shoulder-to-shoulder with the best defenders plying their trade in England. Bamford's languid style spawned apprehensions but the striker has silenced his critics with some excellent displays throughout the season.
The 27-year-old always looked like he belonged and did his best to make sure Leeds United survived their first season back in the Premier League without many problems. Bielsa's men had quite an impressive campaign and finished ninth in the Premier League table and a lot of the credit has to go to their striker.
Bamford scored 17 goals and racked up seven assists in his first season in the English top-flight in four years. He has become arguably Leeds' most important player on the attacking side and will be crucial to the club maintaining their place in the top half of the table next season.
#4 Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)
Manchester City won the Premier League without depending heavily on their strikers. Sergio Aguero missed the majority of the season through injury and Gabriel Jesus was nowhere near his best. But they still ambled their way to the Premier League title as the rest of the players stood up and delivered. Riyad Mahrez was chief amongst them.
Mahrez continues to be a nightmare to deal with for defenders. When he has the ball at his feet, it's almost impossible to guess which way he is going to go. One of the most graceful players strutting their stuff in the Premier League at the moment, Mahrez can reel defenders in and then flit past them in the blink of an eye.
He also packs a thunderous strike in his left foot and has chipped in with nine goals and six assists in 27 appearances. The Algerian international has proved just how vital he is to Pep Guardiola's side this season with his brilliant displays across all competitions.
#3 Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur)
Tottenham Hotspur were one of the most impressive sides in the first couple of months of the 2020-21 season. They owe that to the kind of form that Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane were showcasing at the time. Son looked to be playing at the peak of his powers.
He was taking defenders on and beating them. His finishing had improved greatly and once he got past a defender and turned on the afterburners, there was no catching him. However, Spurs failed to get the best out of the South Korean international on a consistent basis as Jose Mourinho persisted with his defensive setup.
Son still ended the season as the fourth-highest scorer in the league. He scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists in 37 appearances this Premier League season, which is the best output of his career in the English top-flight.
#2 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Liverpool ended an underwhelming season as the Premier League's title defenders on a positive note. After looking like they might not qualify for the Champions League for much of the season, a resurgent run in the final week helped them secure third place in the table.
While Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane had rather poor campaigns by their own standards, Mohamed Salah had yet another great individual season. He bettered his haul of 19 goals in Liverpool's title-winning campaign this time around, scoring 22 goals in 37 appearances. He also picked up five assists along the way.
The Egyptian international continues to be one of the best attackers in the gameis ability to find the back of the net from difficult situations and tight spaces makes him the most important cog in Jurgen Klopp's system.
#1 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Despite Tottenham Hotspur's struggles over the course of the season, Harry Kane has had yet another exemplary season at an individual level. The Englishman won the Premier League Golden Boot for his troubles and proved yet again why he is one of the best strikers in the game.
What separates Kane from the rest is the fact that he is a well-rounded footballer and his playmaking skills are as important a part of his game as his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
Kane has finally informed Spurs of his intention to leave the club. It is quite understandable that he wants to leave a club that hasn't won major trophies in more than a decade. Kane is now 27 and this could be his last chance to secure a move to a major club so that his trophy haul can match his contributions on the pitch.
He scored a total of 23 goals and provided 14 assists in 35 appearances in the recently concluded Premier League season and ended up at the top of the goalscoring and assists chart.
