Preventing Erling Haaland from claiming this season's Premier League Golden Boot is looking like mission impossible for Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus and other strikers across the division.
It's not even November and the Manchester City star already has 20 goals to his name across all competitions. 15 of them have come in English football's top flight as he was on the scoresheet once again in a routine 4-0 win for Pep Guardiola's side against Southampton at the weekend.
Considering 23 goals was enough for Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min to share the Golden Boot award last season if Haaland continues scoring at this current rate, there's every chance he will match or exceed that total before the campaign pauses for the World Cup.
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Should this scenario play out, then Gabriel Jesus - whose individual target before the season started was to fight for the Golden Boot award along with compatriot Richarlison - will have his work cut out even more so: "I hope that we can both end the season fighting for the Golden Boot because I like him," the Brazil international said, as per the Mirror after scoring three in his first two pre-season outings for the Gunners. "He's a very good guy, amazing player, so I wish him all the best but not against us!"
Now, the striker has enjoyed a decent start to life at Arsenal following his £45m arrival from Manchester City. With five goals to his name, he would certainly be in the mix in any normal season as Harry Kane (8), Robert Firmino (6), Phil Foden, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ivan Toney (all 6) are within reach.
The challenge for the 25-year-old is to keep pace with those currently ahead of him in the goalscoring charts and hope that miracles do happen and that Haaland's goals dry up at some point in the season in order for him to have any hope of claiming the Golden Boot prize.
Now, it's worth keeping in mind that the one thing three of the aforementioned players all have in common is they are the first-choice penalty takers at their respective clubs and that can ultimately be the decisive factor at the end of the season when it's time to hand out the prizes.
At Arsenal, Jesus doesn't appear to be the first-choice penalty taker yet. During the final eight games of the 2021/22 campaign, when the side were awarded spot-kicks against Chelsea, Manchester United and Everton, it was Bukayo Saka (2x) and Gabriel Martinelli who stepped up and their success rate was 100%.
Based on Sunday's 3-2 win over Liverpool, the indication is that a decision has been made for Saka to take Arsenal penalties this season as he took responsibility once again even with the £45m signing on the pitch and that may affect the Brazilian's chances of winning the Golden Boot award come May 2023.
After banishing memories of the Euro 2020 final towards the end of last season by scoring pressure spot-kicks against Chelsea and Man United, after adding Liverpool to the list, it has effectively been 'confirmed' by Mikel Arteta that Saka is Arsenal's first-choice penalty taker: "Yeah, that was a difficult moment, that was an incredible learning curve for him in his career," the Spaniard told reporters.
"That’s the way he took it. Everybody around him helped to do that starting with the England national team with Gareth [Southgate] and everybody and how supportive they were. The boy didn’t hesitate to continue because he believes he can take them and under pressure he really enjoys that responsibility."
With that said, not being on penalty duty doesn't necessarily harm Jesus' hopes of winning the Golden Boot - as proven by Son Heung-min as none of his 23 Premier League goals last season came via the spot. But already trailing Haaland by 10, the Brazilian requires a miracle to become the first Arsenal player to win the top scorer award since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 2018/19 season.
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