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The Premier League Golden Boot is awarded to the top-scorer of the English Premier League season. Winning the Golden Boot is not an easy feat as it requires an elite level of determination and consistency throughout the season.
Harry Kane is the most recent winner of this award. The Tottenham Hotspur forward scored 23 goals in the 2020-21 season to clinch the award for the third time.
Mohamed Salah is this season's front-runner for the award, having been atop the goalscoring charts since match-day three. The Liverpool star currently leads the race with 22 goals, but is trailed closely by Son Heung-Min (20) and Cristiano Ronaldo (18).
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Usually, the players in contention for the Golden Boot are also their team's designated penalty-takers. Goals from the spot can make a significant difference in the top-scorer race, as the numbers frequently run close.
Without further ado, let's take a look at how the Golden Boot top-five would look if we excluded the penalties scored.
#5 Sadio Mane (14)
Mane is one of three Liverpool players whose goal tally for the season in the Premier League has crossed double digits. He has scored 14 league goals in 32 appearances this season, and none have come from the penalty spot.
The Senegalese won the golden boot in the 2018-19 season when he scored 22 goals, finishing as joint top goalscorer alongside Mohamed Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
#4 Diogo Jota (15)
Jota has been one of Liverpool's main goal poachers this campaign. The Portuguese is currently Liverpool's second-highest scorer this season with 21 goals across competitions, just behind Salah (30).
He has scored 15 league goals this season, and just like Mane, none have been spot kicks. Jurgen Klopp didn't feel Salah and Mane's absence during the AFCON due to Jota's fine form during the period.
The 26-year-old scored vital goals against Leicester City and Cardiff City in the league and FA Cup respectively.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo (15)
Ronaldo has been the driving force for Manchester United in an otherwise bleak season. However, his 18 goals in 30 league appearances so far have not been enough to secure a top-four finish for Manchester United.
Three of Ronaldo's 18 league goals have been from the penalty spot. He currently ocuppies third position in the Golden Boot race, only behind Son (20) and Salah (22).
However, the possibility of the Portuguese winning another golden boot is negligible as Manchester United have just one game left in the season.
Ronaldo has been United's top goalscorer this campaign, scoring 24 goals in 37 appearances across competitions.
#2 Mohamed Salah (17)
Salah is the league's top goalscorer with 22 goals in 33 appearances. But if we exclude goals scored via penalty kicks, he drops to second place as five of his goals have been scored from the spot.
The Egyptian is Liverpool's designated penalty taker, which explains the high number of penalty kicks. Salah has topped the goalscorers chart since match-day three and looks poised to win a third golden boot.
If he wins the Golden Boot, he will become the fourth player to win the award on more than two occasions. The others being Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer and Harry Kane.
#1 Son Heung-Min (20)
Tottenham Hotspur are firmly in the race to qualify for the UEFA Champions League thanks to Son's goals and performances. In a season where Harry Kane has failed to find his goalscoring touch, Son has stepped up to deliver for Spurs.
Son currently has 20 goals in the league and none have been a penalty, as Kane is the usual penalty-taker for the Lilywhites. This goes to show how prolific he has been in front of goal. He has already surpassed his last season's best of 17 goals.
The South Korean is mathematically and realistically the only player that can prevent Salah from winning the accolade. He recently showed off his goalscoring prowess when he scored the opener against Liverpool over the weekend in a 1-1 draw.
