2023 European Golden Boot: Has Erling Haaland already put the race to bed?

With about three months until the end of the season and the big leagues left with roughly a quarter of games to go, the City striker already has the tip of his fingers on the European Golden Boot.
But the race is not over until it"s eventually over, is it?
We at Overtime Heroics bring you the top ten superstars from all around in Europe in contention for the prize of Europe"s top league scorer.

10.) Folarin Balogun (Stade De Reims, French Ligue 1) European Golden Boot #10

The New York born Nigerian-English lad plies his club trade for Ligue 1 side, Reims on loan from Arsenal where he has scored 16 goals in 26 league appearances this season. The French Ligue has a goal factor of 2, meaning the 21-year old has a total of 32 points

European Golden Boot points: 32(based on a league factor of 2)

9.) Alexandre Lacazette (Olympique Lyonnais, French Ligue 1) European Golden Boot #9

Entering this list at No. 9 is former Arsenal forward, Alexandre Lacazette. After a lacklustre season with the Gunners in which he managed only six goals in 36 games, it looks as though a move to France had reignited the Frenchman who boasts 21 goals in 28 games for Lyon this season including 17 in 25 league games.

European Golden Boot points: 34(based on a league factor of 2)

8.) Wissam Ben Yedder (AS Monaco, French Ligue 1) European Golden Boot #8

Philipp Clement"s side have got their eyes on Champions League qualification for next season and to do that, they would have to pull a couple of strings in the French league. The Monégasques are currently fourth placed on the table with a game more than Marseille and two points(54) behind the latter(56). Ben Yedder has scored 16 goals in the league this season, including one in the most recent 2-0 win over Ajaccio. If Clement"s side are to feature in the Champions League for the first time since 2018/19, they would be needing their best player to work some sort of magic in the remaining octet of games.

European Golden Boot points: 32(based on a league factor of 2)

7.) Amahl Pellegrino (Bodø/Glimt, Elitserien) European Golden Boot #7

One of the only two players on this list outside the big five European leagues, Amahl Pellegrino was the star of the 2022 Elitserien league in Norway in which Bodø/Glimt finished second with 60 points, eighteen behind eventual winners, Molde. The 32-year old bagged 25 league goals in a total of 27 appearances to help his team to a 2nd place finish.

European Golden Boot points: 37.5(based on a league factor of 1.5)

6.) Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce, Turkish Süper Lig) European Golden Boot #6

We saw this man star at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Ecuadorian striker scored the opening goal, first brace of the World Cup and was one of the first players to score a trey of goals, albeit, group stage elimination was inevitable.
In the Turkish Super Lig, Fenerbahce are second placed(with 54 points in 24 games) and are in hot pursuit of league leaders, Galatasaray(with 60 points in 25 games). Enner Valencia is at the heart of this proposed overthrow having found the back of the net 25 times this spell.

European Golden Boot points: 37.5(based on a league factor of 1.5)

5.) Jonathan David (LOSC Lille, French Ligue 1)

David was a partaker of Canada"s infamous, goal-shy World Cup campaign back in December but the same cannot be said for the 23-year old at LOSC Lille where he has n amazing tally of 19 league goals. The striker keeps on the chase alongside Kylian Mbappe(also 19) for Ligue 1 topscorer this spell as his club vie for a qualification spot in at least next season"s edition of the Europa League if not the UEFA Champions League play-offs.

European Golden Boot points: 38(based on a league factor of 2)

4.) Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint Germain, French Ligue 1) European Golden Boot #4

At the start of the 2022/23 season, the French star would certainly have looked like a major contender for the Golden boot alongside the Ballon d"Or. Mbappe certainly has no trouble scoring goals for Paris Saint Germain and even his home country, France, claiming the FIFA Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup with eight goals in Qatar.

Mbappe continues to ravage for Christopher Galtier"s side this season. And with the egress of the French champions from the Champions League perpetrated by Julian Naglesmann"s Bayern Munich, the forward has maximum attention on domestic matters. He plays an indisposable role when compared to his companions in the front three, Messi and Neymar. The 24-year old has scored 19 goals this season as Paris Saint Germain are well on course to landing a 9th Ligue 1 title in the past eleven seasons.

European Golden Boot points: 38(based on a league factor of 2)

3.) Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur, English Premier League) European Golden Boot #3

While the Tottenham board deliberate dismissing Antonio Conte, one man has been heavily in the mix trying to grind out results for Spurs and that is none other than Harry Kane. Kane has scored four goals in the last four games for the North London side. Tottenham continue to face threats of an upheaval from fifth-placed Newcastle and even Liverpool who sit in sixth, both having played two games less than Spurs. Tottenham wanting to make the Champions League to at least graciously wrap up a difficult season, Harry Kane would need to find the back of the net a couple of times to add to his current league tally of 21.

European Golden Boot points: 42
(based on a league factor of 2)

2.) Victor Osimhen (Napoli, Italian Serie A) European Golden Boot #2

The Nigerian striker is absolutely on fire for Luciano Spalleti"s side this season as he leads their quest for a first ever Scudetto since 1989/90. Osimhen scored a brace as Napoli thrashed Torino 4-0 on Sunday to move within inches of achieving a long forgotten dream.
Osimhen is the only player on this list capable of competing with the goal factory in the world right now. He"s the only one who scores at such a crazy pace that can be compared to the former. The 24-year old has found the back of the net 21 times in despite spending a month off the pitch thanks to injury woes.

Osimhen"s terrific season may also see him win the UEFA Champions League where his club are set to go up against their Italian neighbours, AC Milan in the quarter-finals.

European Golden Boot points: 42
(based on a league factor of 2)

1.) Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Premier League) European Golden Boot #1

No iota of surprise, not a single bit. Now we know you didn"t doubt the inclusion of this terrifying name at the top of this list. Erling Haaland has taken the English Premier League and the entire continent of Europe by the storm with his mind blowing performances week in and out. The 22-year old Norwegian has recorded 28 goals and five assists for City this season in 26 appearances as Manchester City bid for a fourth Premier League title in the past five seasons. With eleven more games to go till the conclusion of the league, Haaland is on the verge of breaking Alan Shearer"s Premier league record of 34 goals a season. Considering the blistering pace he"s been striking at, the forward could equal and even eclipse this goalscoring record within a couple of matches. A few hatricks and braces would do, to say the least.

Haaland"s scintillating showing also spreads out to the UEFA Champions League where he has in some sense ended the contest for the UEFA Golden boot, the striker having racked ten goals in six games.

European Golden Boot points: 56(based on a league factor of 2)

It"s hard to see past the once-upon-a-time “manchild" winning the Golden boot this season. For Haaland, there are no signs of slowing down in terms of scoring goals and he could very well be the successor to the adept Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi.

Main image credit Embed from Getty Images