7 EPL Golden Boot Winners that Salah has Surpassed this Season

Unless you've been living under a rock since the start of the season 2017-18, you might be knowing of a particular Egyptian player who has taken the entire football world by storm. Yes, we are talking about Liverpool's prized possession Mohammed Salah.

As we near the end of the season, Salah has already racked up 31 goals with one last game to go (as of May 9, 2018).

With his free-scoring form, Salah has already equalised the highest number of goals scored by a Premier League Golden Boot winner in a 38-matches format (Seasons 1992-1995 had a 42-matches format).

The three joint players at the top who have scored 31 goals in a PL season post-1995 are Alan Shearer (1995-96), Luis Suarez (2013-14) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2007-08).

Here is a list of top seven Premier League Golden Boot winners (in their best goal-scoring season) that Mo Salah has already overtaken:

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#7 Ruud van Nistelrooy

The serial Dutch goalscorer won the Premier League Golden Boot in the season 2002-03

Premier League (PL) Golden Boot winning season(s): 2002-03

Goals scored in the PL season 2002-03: 25

Hattricks in the PL season 2002-03: 3

Penalties scored in the PL season 2002-03: 8

Maximum goals scored in PL season 2002-03 against - Newcastle United (4), Charlton Athletic (4)

The charming Dutch striker's 25 goals were one of the primary reasons why Manchester United managed to wrest the title back from Arsenal in the 2002-03 season.

Rudd's first Premier League goal for the season came in a 1-0 victory against Middlesbrough on 3rd September 2002. Through on goal, the Dutch striker was pulled back by Ugo Ehiogu and the referee pointed to the spot.

Nistelrooy's best of the season came against Newcastle when he smashed three past the Magpies in a 5-3 victory at Old Trafford.

It was all the more special as Nistelrooy also won the Barclays Player of the Year award. At the same time, Nistelrooy also equaled the milestone of scoring eight goals in eight successive matches.

The season ended with United clinching the title and Thierry Henry finishing a close second with 24 goals in the race for the Golden Boot.

#6 Sergio Aguero

Kun Aguero won the Golden Boot but could not help Manchester City defend their title

Premier League (PL) Golden Boot winning season(s): 2014-15

Goals scored in the PL season 2014-15: 26

Hattricks in the PL season 2014-15: 2 (including 1 four-goal haul)

Penalties scored in the PL season 2014-15: 5

Maximum goals scored in PL season 2014-15 against - Tottenham Hotspurs (5), Queens Park Rangers (5)

After helping Manchester City secure their second title in three seasons in the previous season, Aguero was at it again to help the Cityzens defend their title.

However, a rampant Chelsea team under Jose Mourinho derailed the blue half of Manchester by winning the title and finishing 11 points above them.

Aguero's first Premier League goal for the season came in the opening match against Newcastle United on 17th August 2014. The Argentine poked in a rebound shot in the 92' minute of the game.

Aguero's best performance of the season was, without doubt, the four-goals haul against the Spurs where he single-handedly destroyed them in a 4-1 victory at the Etihad.

Despite all his efforts, the season ended with Chelsea piping them to the title. It was this season when Harry Kane's goal-scoring exploits came to the fore as he finished second in the race for the Golden Boot with 21 goals.

#5 Harry Kane

The English striker picked up his second Golden Boot after a thrilling season filled with goals

Premier League (PL) Golden Boot winning season(s): 2015-16 (25), 2016-17 (29).

Goals scored in the PL season 2016-17: 29

Hattricks in the PL season 2016-17: 4 (including 1 four-goals haul)

Penalties scored in the PL season 2016-17: 5

Maximum goals scored in PL season 2016-17 against - Leicester City (4), Stoke City (4)

With such talent at their disposal, it is indeed surprising how Tottenham Hotspurs have still not managed to win the league.

Kane goes without saying, is their knight in shining armor, as he managed to rack up 20+ goals for the fourth consecutive season for the Spurs.

The English forward's first Premier League goal for the season came after three nerve-wracking games for Spurs where they drew two and narrowly won one. In their fourth match against Stoke City, Kane finally scored in the 70th minute as Spurs ran out 4-0 winners.

Kane's best performance of the season was undoubtedly the revenge of sorts victory against defending champions Leicester City, as Tottenham smashed them 1-6 at the King Power Stadium. Four goals by Kane (the fourth coming in the second last minute of stoppage time) were more than adequate to annihilate the Foxes.

In spite of his arduous work on-field, for the second year running, Spurs were second-fiddle to the eventual champions.

Although they failed to land the Premier League trophy, Spurs did make a statement by finishing second in the league above the likes of Mourinho's Manchester United, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, Arsene Wenger's Arsenal and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. Everton's Romelu Lukaku finished second with 25 goals.

#4 Didier Drogba

Drogba picked up his second Golden Boot after a stunning 29-goals haul in 2009-10.

Premier League (PL) Golden Boot winning season(s): 2006-07 (20), 2009-10 (29).

Goals scored in the PL season 2009-10: 29

Hattricks in the PL season 2009-10: 1

Penalties scored in the PL season 2009-10: 1

Maximum goals scored in PL season 2009-10 against - Wigan Athletic (4), Arsenal (4)

In a topsy-turvy season (where the winners were decided on the final day of the season), Chelsea finally won the title, scoring nothing short of 103 goals. And a major credit for this went to their bullying goal-scoring machine Didier Drogba.

Drogba's first Premier League goal for the season came in the opening match against Hull City, where Drogba's brace helped Chelsea stage a comeback 2-1 victory.

Drogba reserved his best performance of the season for the final day. With a victory needed to stop second-placed Manchester United from winning their fourth consecutive trophy, Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea went one step better by shipping eight goals past a hapless Wigan side.

By the time Drogba scored the first of his three goals for the night, Chelsea was already 4-0 up. 17 minutes later, Drogba completed his hattrick and at the same time securing the title for the Londoners.

Drogba's crucial goals were the main catalyst in Chelsea securing the title. His hattrick in the final game of the season ensured he remained three clear of Wayne Rooney's 26 goals in second place.

#3 Kevin Phillips

The former Sunderland forward won the Golden Boot ahead of strikers like Alan Shearer and Dwight Yorke

Premier League (PL) Golden Boot winning season(s): 1999-2000.

Goals scored in the PL season 1999-00: 30

Hattricks in the PL season 1999-00: 1

Penalties scored in the PL season 1999-00: 6

Maximum goals scored in PL season 1999-00 against - Watford (4).

After finishing as Champions in the First Division in the previous season, Sunderland got promoted to the Premier League in the 1999-2000 season.

Amongst the three promoted teams, Sunderland proved to be the best. At the end of the season, they finished seventh in the league.

A significant contribution to their excellent form in the top division goes to their forward, Kevin Phillips.

Phillips' first contribution for the Black Cats was a brace scored in their 2-0 trouncing of Watford in the second week of the season.

Sunderland's performance kept improving as the season progressed and they kept pushing for a place in the European competition.

Phillips' best performance of the season came against Derby County where he grabbed a hattrick to rout them 0-5.

Phillips' terrific season not only helped him win the PL Golden Boot but he also won the European Golden Shoe (thereby becoming the first and the only Englishman, as of 2018, to win this award).

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer finished second behind Phillips with 23 goals.

#2 Thierry Henry

Henry has won the coveted Golden Boot a record four times

Premier League (PL) Golden Boot winning season(s): 2001-02 (24), 2003-04 (30), 2004-05 (25), 2005-06 (27).

Goals scored in the PL season 2003-04: 30

Hattricks in the PL season 2003-04: 2 (including one four-goal haul)

Penalties scored in the PL season 2003-04: 7

Maximum goals scored in PL season 2003-04 against - Leeds United (6).

Arguably the best striker ever to have graced the Premier League, Henry had the most significant contribution in helping Arsenal win their third Premier League title.

His prolific season helped Arsenal go the entire season unbeaten - a record which is still not broken (as of 2018).

Henry's first of the thirty PL goals came in the very first match week of the season - a penalty against Everton. Arsenal won the match 2-1 and never looked back as they ended the season unbeaten.

Henry's best-goal haul was against Leeds United on 16th April 2004. After Robert Pires kickstarted the goal fest in the sixth minute, Henry took up the mantle to score his second hattrick in two matches.

Not content with scoring just three goals, Henry added a fourth in the 67th minute. With this, he reached 150 goals for the Gunners.

Henry has won the Premier League Golden Boot a record four times. However, his exceptional achievement will always be the 30-goal season which helped Arsenal become the Invincibles.

Newcastle legend and Premier League's highest goal-scorer Alan Shearer finished second with 22 goals.

#1 Robin van Persie

The Flying Dutchman won the first of his two Golden Boot awards in 2011-12

Premier League (PL) Golden Boot winning season(s): 2011-12 (30), 2012-13 (26).

Goals scored in the PL season 2011-12: 30

Hattricks in the PL season 2011-12: 2

Penalties scored in the PL season 2011-12: 2

Maximum goals scored in PL season 2011-12 against - Norwich City (4).

In the most dramatic season in the history of Premier League where Manchester City won the title in the last minute on the final day of the season, RVP's 30-goals Golden Boot-winning season probably went unnoticed.

However, it was of utmost significance for the Gunners who managed to leapfrog their arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspurs to third place.

Persie's first goal for the Gunners in 2011-12 came in the most embarrassing defeat in the modern history of Wenger's Arsenal.

In the third week of the season, Arsenal traveled to Old Trafford to face their historical rivals, Manchester United.

However, at the end of 90 minutes, Arsenal players were left red-faced after conceding eight goals. Persie scored the consolation second goal in the match.

As the season progressed, Persie's goal-scoring instincts improved and his best performance came against Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers whom they defeated 3-5 and 7-1, respectively.

His Golden-boot winning season helped him clinch the PFA and the FWA Player of the Year awards.

His future team-mate Wayne Rooney finished second in the race for the Golden Boot with 27 goals.