After back-to-back Erling Haaland wins, Mohamed Salah returned to the top of the Premier League’s scoring charts last season, and the pair had been expected to tussle for Golden Boot honours in 2025–26.
The award has been handed out to the leading scorer(s) of each Premier League season since the competition’s inauguration in 1992.
Some of the sport’s finest sharpshooters have tested their talents on English shores, and one of the contemporary greats, Haaland, has threatened to monopolise this scoring prize since he arrived from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. The Nordic goal-machine broke the Premier League’s single-season scoring record in year one and, after losing out to Salah last year, is performing like a striker determined to reclaim the esteemed individual award.
Here’s a look at the 2025–26 Premier League Golden Boot race.
17. Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United)
Games Played: 17
Goals: 7
Bryan Mbeumo has emerged as Manchester United’s shrewdest signing of the summer, with the Cameroon international netting seven Premier League goals so far.
His absence at the Africa Cup of Nations was keenly felt—with Ruben Amorim coincidentally sacked while he was away—and he returned in style, scoring a superb goal as United defeated Manchester City in Michael Carrick’s first game as interim boss.
16. João Pedro (Chelsea)
Games Played: 22
Goals: 7
João Pedro made a bright start to life in a Chelsea shirt, netting twice in his first three Premier League appearances for the Blues, but an injury to Cole Palmer saw him deployed deeper, and the goals temporarily dried up.
With Palmer now back and Pedro returned to his preferred striker role, he’s picked up where he left off, netting three goals in six games and continuing to impress with his clever link-up play.
15. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Games Played: 21
Goals: 7
After a difficult start to the 2025–26 season, which saw him score just once in his opening 13 matches, Ollie Watkins rediscovered his scoring touch over the festive period. The Aston Villa striker netted five goals in December and added another in Villa’s first game of the new year.
It’s a surge in form has coincided with a superb run of results for Unai Emery’s side, who have firmly established themselves as unlikely title contenders.
14. Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Games Played: 21
Goals: 7
Morgan Rogers is playing like a man possessed as he seeks to not only be on the plane to the 2026 World Cup, but make Thomas Tuchel’s XI. Based on his current form, there could be no complaints with the Aston Villa ace occupying the No.10 role for England.
Three braces since mid-November have been crucial to Villa’s surprise title push, with Rogers leading the charge courtesy of some astonishing solo performances.
13. Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur)
Games Played: 21
Goals: 7
Richarlison is never going to be a 25-goal-a-season striker, but the Tottenham Hotspur forward has been a steady presence in front of the posts during the current campaign.
Despite not always being a guaranteed starter, the Brazilian has provided seven goals, with some stunners thrown in for good measure. He’s taking full advantage of Dominic Solanke’s injury absence.
12. Harry Wilson (Fulham)
Games Played: 21
Goals: 7
Harry Wilson’s left boot has been in overdrive this season as the Welsh magician produces a flurry of stupendous strikes. Renowned for his stunners, the tricky forward has been simply brilliant for Marco Silva’s side.
Critical to Fulham’s ascent up the standings, Wilson’s extended purple patch makes him one of the Premier League’s most devastating threats since the beginning of November.
11. Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Games Played: 20
Goals: 7
Manchester City’s mischievous playmaker was close to anonymous during a disappointing 2024–25 campaign for the Cityzens, but Phil Foden has so far been a man on a mission this season.
The England international seems keen to play a major role for Tuchel’s Three Lions in North America next summer, with his run of form over the autumn impossible for the German to overlook. Foden’s scoring goals again, and his catalogue of strikes is mightily impressive.
10. Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United)
Games Played: 18
Goals: 7
Being the man to replace Alexander Isak was always going to come with significant pressure, but Nick Woltemade has brushed it off impressively. He’s made a superb goalscoring start on Tyneside and appears destined to finish his debut campaign with a sizeable haul.
The towering German’s physicality makes him difficult to deny, but he also boasts plenty of technical class. Only 23 years old, Woltemade is another astute Newcastle signing.
9. Eli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth)
Games Played: 16
Goals: 7
Eli Junior Kroupi has made a lightning fast start to life in the Premier League as he repeatedly finds the net despite his limited involvement for the Cherries. Whether from the bench or the off, he’s been deadly.
Starts have been few and far between but that hasn’t stopped the youngster, who has supplied some sumptuous finishes for Andoni Iraola this term. He appears a star in the making.
8. Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)
Games Played: 22
Goals: 8
Jean Philippe-Mateta’s exploits in south London earned him a long-awaited call-up to the French national team at the age of 28.
A proper “Barclaysman” who arrived far too late to be officially labelled one, Mateta enjoyed an excellent scoring season in 2024–25 and notched his second Premier League hat-trick during Crystal Palace’s dramatic 3–3 draw with Bournemouth in October.
7. Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle United)
Games Played: 20
Goals: 8
Bruno Guimarães scored just five Premier League goals last season but has already surpassed that total as he increases his attacking output for Newcastle United.
The Brazilian is renowned for biting tackles and sprawling passes, but his ability to pop up at the right time in the penalty box has been on full show this term.
6. Danny Welbeck (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Games Played: 20
Goals: 8
The veteran striker had never notched double-digit goals in a Premier League season until hipster German coach Fabian Hürzeler came along.
After scoring 10 times in the league for Brighton & Hove Albion last season, Welbeck looks poised to better that tally in 2025–26. There have even been whispers of an England recall, having last featured for his country in 2018.
5. Hugo Ekitiké (Liverpool)
Games Played: 19
Goals: 8
Liverpool’s blockbuster summer signings have largely underwhelmed to date bar one: Hugo Ekitiké. The Frenchman’s infectious energy, blistering pace and clinical finishing have swiftly endeared him to the Anfield faithful, who are in desperate need of a hero.
Ekitiké’s promise shines as bright as his current ability and the silky speedster appears likely to add plenty to his tally before the season’s conclusion.
4. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United)
Games Played: 20
Goals: 9
Question marks over his injury record tempered expectations for Dominic Calvert-Lewin on arrival at Leeds United, but the Englishman has emphatically silenced his doubters since getting up to speed in Yorkshire.
The forward struck a career-best run of form to end of 2025, scoring in six consecutive Premier League games against the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool. Only 10 other English players have ever achieved that feat in the competition’s history and no Leeds player has been able to boast such a run in the top flight since John McCole in 1959–60.
3. Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City)
Games Played: 21
Goals: 10
Antoine Semenyo was simply unstoppable in the opening half of the campaign for Bournemouth, with his 10 goals and electrifying performances earning him a £64 million move to Manchester City in January.
He has yet to open his Premier League account for his new side, with City falling 2–0 to Manchester United on his league debut, but it’s likely only a matter of time before he finds the net again.
2. Igor Thiago (Brentford)
Games Played: 22
Goals: 16
After an injury-hit debut season, Brentford are finally reaping the rewards of Igor Thiago’s labour.
Signed as an Ivan Toney replacement, Thiago is far from the standout facilitator Toney was in west London, but the Brazilian is an excellent poacher who has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
The Bees’ opportunistic centre forward scored his first ever hat trick for the club against Everton as he refuses to give up on his Golden Boot dreams.
1. Erling Haaland (Man City)
Games Played: 22
Goals: 20
It’s been another freakish Premier League season so far for Erling Haaland, who looks primed to take home a third Golden Boot.
Man City have been reliant on the Norwegian’s ruthless sharpshooting as he looks set to outscore all those who dare challenge him, even if it might not be enough for another Premier League title.
The colossus has not been quite as devastating in recent weeks, but he still sparks fear in opposition defenders.
Last Five Premier League Golden Boot Winners
| Season | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 29 |
| 2023–24 | Erling Haaland | Man City | 27 |
| 2022–23 | Erling Haaland | Man City | 26 |
| 2021–22 | Son Heung-min & Mohamed Salah | Tottenham & Liverpool | 23 |
| 2020–21 | Harry Kane | Tottenham | 23 |
Premier League Golden Boot History
The formative years of Premier League football were dominated by the 4-4-2 and homegrown marksmen, with the first seven Golden Boots won by an Englishman.
However, foreign influence started to be felt towards the end of the 90s, and the abundance of quality brought in from overseas this century means Harry Kane is the only man to don a Three Lions shirt and win the Premier League Golden Boot since 2001.
The competition’s second all-time leading goalscorer has prevailed three times, with only Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah (four wins) claiming the prize more. The Egyptian added a fourth success during Liverpool’s title triumph last season.
Kane joined Alan Shearer on three wins in 2021, with Shearer being only one of two players to claim the award for two different teams. Robin van Persie is the other, and he did it in back-to-back seasons; first with Arsenal, then Manchester United.
Michael Owen, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, Didier Drogba and Haaland have also won the Golden Boot multiple times. Both of Owen’s wins were examples of the award being shared, which has happened five times, most recently between Salah and Son Heung-min in 2021–22.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Premier League Golden Boot Race: Top Scorers, Standings.
