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The European Golden Boot is indeed a prestigious award to honor the best goalscorer of the season. The Golden Boot has been given to the top goalscorer in all European leagues in a season since its inception in 1968.
Since 1996-97, UEFA co-efficients for the league have also been instrumental in the European Golden Boot award. It acts as a multiplier to the players' goal tally, where the top five leagues in Europe get higher multiplier than the rest.
Players playing in the top five leagues get two points for a goal whereas goals scored in leagues ranked sixth to twenty-one get 1.5 points per goal. For every other league outside the top 21, the points are one for each goal.
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With some of the top goalscorers across Europe vying for the European Golden Boot, it is too early to predict a clear winner. We will be considering players from the top leagues for the power rankings as the major leagues have the highest co-efficient. Robert Lewandowski was the winner of the European Golden Boot last year with 82 points after ending the 2020-21 campaign with 41 league goals.
Without further ado, let us take a look at
European Golden Boot Power Rankings as of October 2021
#10 Jonathan David (Lille) - 6 goals
Jonathan David has established himself as one of the most promising talents in Ligue 1 after helping Lille win a surprise league title last campaign. The Canadian forward was instrumental in the last campaign and has made a perfect start to the new campaign as well.
The 21-year-old has already netted six league goals in the French top flight, scoring twice in Lille's 2-0 victory against Marseille. The striker's last five goals came in last three league games for Lille, depicting why he is so important to the team.
It remains to be seen whether Jonathan David can keep up his form. He is surely one of the hottest talents in Europe right now. But it's another thing to be a European Golden Boot contender towards the end of the season.
#9 Patrick Schick (Bayer Leverkusen) - 6 goals
Patrick Schick was a hero for the Czech Republic in the EUROs and ended the campaign as a joint-top goalscorer (5) with Cristiano Ronaldo. The forward has managed to keep up his scintillating form. He has helped Bayer Leverkusen sit second in the Bundesliga table, level on points with Bayern Munich.
With six goals and two assists in seven league games, Schick is an undisputed starter for Leverkusen. Schick has found the net in five of his last six Bundesliga games, which leaves him in 9th spot in the European Golden Boot power rankings.
#8 Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad) - 6 goals
Mikel Oyarzabal is a surprise inclusion in the race for the European Golden Boot. The Spain attacker has six goals and one assist in La Liga, propelling Real Sociedad to third spot after eight games. With 17 points, La Real are level on points with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the league.
Oyarzabal's ability to find the back of the net will be crucial for Sociedad going ahead in the campaign. The Spaniard has started the season on a positive note and his team-mates will be hoping that he can keep up his form in front of goal.
#7 Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) - 6 goals
Over the years, Jamie Vardy has cemented his place as a Premier League legend with his exploits. This season has been no different. He sits at the top of the Premier League goalscoring charts early into the campaign with Liverpool's Mo Salah.
Vardy has bagged six goals and one assist to his name after seven Premier League games. The 34-year old veteran is proving that Leicester City can still rely upon him when it comes to scoring goals. With Leicester City scoring nine so far, Vardy has scored 66.66% of their total league goals since the start of the season.
#6 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 6 goals
There is little doubt about the fact that Mo Salah is the most in-form player in the Premier League at the moment. No matter what opponents they face, Salah looks unstoppable and at the peak of his powers. The Egyptian marksman has racked up six goals and three assists in the Premier League, pushing Liverpool into second spot in the league.
Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw in their previous league game against Manchester City but Mo Salah's fabulous solo goal depicts why he is at the top. If Salah can keep his form, there's a good chance he can exceed his previous best campaign with the Reds (32).
#5 Edin Dzeko (Inter) - 6 goals
After selling star forward Romelu Lukaku for a hefty fee, Inter Milan were looking for a striker to replace the Belgian in the summer. They turned to experienced Edin Dzeko from Roma and the centre-forward has proved to be a wise decision.
Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Dzeko has found the net six times in seven Serie A appearances with Inter. Dzeko has been a driving force in Inter Milan's attack, with his goals helping Inter climb into third spot in the league table.
#4 Ciro Immobile (Lazio) - 6 goals
Ciro Immobile was a key member of Italy's EURO winning team and the veteran striker has started the Serie A campaign on a strong note. The Italian sharpshooter is ultra reliable when it comes to goals and his sensational output in the league doesn't come as a surprise.
The 31-year-old has scored six goals and provided two assists in six league matches. Immobile's efficiency in the final third is still the key to Lazio's success in the league. There can be no doubt that the Italian will be among the top goal getters in Serie A if he keeps performing like now.
#3 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) - 7 goals
Widely regarded as one of the generational talents around, Erling Haaland needs no introduction. His goalscoring prowess makes him one of the best in the business and he picked up where he left off last season. In just five Bundesliga appearances, Haaland has already bagged seven goals and four assists to his name.
Haaland has shown no signs of slowing down and has been in explosive form since joining Dortmund. The 21-year-old is ruthless in front of goals and the statistics are a testament to that fact. Haaland remains a massive favorite to claim top spot in the European Golden Boot due to his exploits.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - 7 goals
Robert Lewandowski beat the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to bag the European Golden Boot last campaign. And he is showing no signs of slowing down. The Polish hitman scored a whopping 41 league goals in just 29 games in an incredible league campaign last season.
Lewandowski has started the current campaign in a similarly explosive manner. The 33-year old has racked up seven goals and one assist in the league, leading Bayern Munich's attack once again. Lewandowski's prolific nature makes him one of the best forwards in the world. No one will like to bet against him in the race for the European Golden Boot.
#1 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) - 9 goals
One of the best forwards in world football, Karim Benzema is simply unstoppable at the moment. The Frenchman has been the undisputed leader in Real Madrid's attack since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. He also has the numbers on his side to back him up.
The French striker has racked up an incredible nine goals and seven assists in La Liga. Benzema is enjoying one of the best starts of his career, helping Carlo Ancelotti's side stay at the top of the La Liga table. Due to his exploits, Benzema will stay at the top in the hunt for the European Golden Boot after September.
The 33-year old has been Real Madrid's best player in the 2021-22 campaign so far. It goes without saying that Los Blancos' success will heavily depend on him.
