Two months into the 2021-22 club football season, the title races, especially in Europe's top five leagues, are beginning to take shape.
Most of the top teams on the continent are in contention in their respective title races. That has largely been thanks to goals scored by the usual suspects. However, Premier League leaders Chelsea, who have scored 30 league goals this season, have had 15 different goalscorers.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo (four goals) and Lionel Messi (one goal) have had uncharacteristically quiet starts to their respective league campaigns.
However, a few other players across Europe's top five leagues have scored goals galore this season. On that note, here's a look at the top scorers in each of the top five leagues across Europe at the moment:
#5 Ligue 1: Jonathan David (Lille) - 10 goals in 14 games
Jonathan David is the surprise top scorer in Ligue 1, ahead of the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
Still only 21, the young Canadian has been a revelation at holders Lille, netting ten times in 14 league games. That's more goals than PSG's much-vaunted attacking triumvirate of Kylian Mbappe (6), Neymar (2) and Messi (1) combined.
Having scored 13 times in Lille's title-winning campaign last season, David is well on course for his most prolific season in club football.
He scored only once in his first six league games this season. Since then, Davis has netted nine times in his next eight, including one in the 2-1 defeat to league leaders PSG.
#4 La Liga: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) - 10 goals in 12 games
Karim Benzema is in blistering form this season. The 33-year-old has already scored ten times in La Liga and bagged seven assists as well. It has played a key role in powering Real Madrid to the top of the league table after 13 games.
Since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2018, Benzema has netted at least 20 league goals in three consecutive campaigns. The three-time La Liga winner also brought up his 200th goal in the competition this season.
Considering his start to the season, the Frenchman is on course to win his first Pichichi award, now that a certain Lionel Messi no longer plays in the league.
#3 Serie A: Ciro Immobile (Lazio) - 10 goals in 11 games
Ciro Immobile looks good for another goal-rich campaign, as the 31-year-old is already up to ten league goals for the season.
After a rather quiet 20-goal campaign last season following a Capocannonieri-winning campaign in 2019-20, the Italian could win the award in 2021-22 too. Immobile has also bagged two assists, apart from his ten strikes in Serie A this campaign.
The Euro 2020 winner, who scored a hat-trick against Spezia, has scored four times in his last five league games. Immobile will hope to help Lazio recover from a stuttering start to contend for a top-four place.
Note: Dusan Vlahovic has also netted ten times in the Serie A this season. However, he has taken two more games than Immobile to record the same tally.
#2 Premier League: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 11 goals in 12 games
Mohamed Salah has been on a tear this season. The Egyptian ace has plundered 11 goals and bagged six assists to power Liverpool's charge for a second Premier League title in three years.
Salah opened his campaign by becoming the first player to score in five consecutive Premier League opening-day games. He then scored a sumptuous hat-trick against Manchester United to become the most prolific African scorer in Premier League history.
Earlier this season, Salah became the first Liverpool player to score in ten consecutive games across competitions. He scored in the Reds' 4-0 win at home to Arsenal last weekend.
#1 Bundesliga: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - 14 goals in 12 games
Robert Lewandowski is arguably the hottest striker on the planet at the moment. After becoming the first player to score over 40 goals in a Bundesliga campaign last season, the 33-year-old looks good for another blistering league season.
In 12 league games, the Bayern Munich marksman has already netted 14 times, powering the Bavarian giants to the top of the Bundesliga table. Lewandowski has scored in all but two Bundesliga games this season.
He has also netted nine times in the UEFA Champions League.
The Poland international is now only nine strikes away from becoming the second player ever to score 300 Bundesliga goals.