By Ian Palmer
There are plenty of fine scoring talents on show in the English Premier League and the top scorer will be rewarded with the annual Golden Boot Award. With the 2015/16 kicking off on Saturday, August 8 it’s a good time to take a look at this year’ favorites as well as their current betting odds from bet365.
Sergio Aguero – Manchester City – 3/1 to win the Golden Boot
- Manchester City’s Argentine international striker is the reigning Golden Boot champion as he found the back of the net 26 times in 33 league matches last season. He’ also the favorite to win the honor again this year. Aguero averaged 4.5 shots at net per game last season, which led the league and he could hang onto his crown if he can stay healthy. He missed five games last year, but still managed to top the scoring chart.
Diego Costa – Chelsea-11/2 to win the Golden Boot
- Spanish international striker Diego Costa helped Chelsea win the Premier League last season by scoring 20 goals in his first year in the league. Costa’s another player who struggles with injury problems though. Costa scored a goal every 104.1 minutes he played, which ranked him third behind City’s Aguero at a goal every 97.65 minutes and English forward Theo Walcott, who found the net every 88.2 minutes.
Wayne Rooney – Manchester United – 10/1 to win the Golden Boot
- Wayne Rooney will be a part of manager Loui van Gaal’s 4-3-3 formation this year and will be the club’s main striker now that Radamel Falcao, Robin van Persie and Angel di Maria have all left Old Trafford. The English international captain scored just 12 goals last season after scoring 27 in 2011/12 when he was played solely as a striker. As with Costa and Aguero, Rooney often misses a few games each year through injury.
Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur – 14/1 to win the Golden Boot
- Young English international striker took the Premier League by surprise last season when he led Tottenham in scoring with 21 goals, which placed him second in the division behind Aguero. He also scored several goals in the domestic cup game and banged one in on his debut for England.
Christian Benteke – Liverpool – 16/1 to win the Golden Boot
- Belgian international striker Christian Benteke moved to Liverpool from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window and appears to be back to full health heading into the 2015/16 campaign. He helped his former club avoid relegation last year with his 13 league goals. If Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers ha the sense to play his new signing with fellow striker Daniel Sturridge then both of them could reach 20 this year.
Other contenders to take this year’s Golden Boot include:
- Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud (25/1)
- Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez (20/1)
- Arsenal’s Theo Walcott (25/1)
- Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge (25/1)
- Chelsea’s Eden Hazard (20/1)
- Manchester United’s Memphis Depay (25/1)