How Premier League Golden Boot Race Would Look without Penalties; Cole Palmer 9th

• Cole Palmer has been in impressive form for Chelsea this season
• His four-goal haul against Everton on Monday took him to 20 league goals
• A considerable number of those goals this season have been from the penalty spot

One of the underrated races in the Premier League is the battle for the Golden Boot.

What’s unique about the 2023/24 Golden Boot race is that some of the contenders play for clubs that have struggled this season.

A classic case is Cole Palmer, who is the joint leader alongside Erling Haaland as of Tuesday, April 16.

The England international has been the silver lining for the Blues in their torrid Premier League campaign.

Thanks to his 20 league goals and Chelsea’s late-season form, the Blues have a solid chance of finishing the season above Manchester United.

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According to the Premier League website, nine of Palmer’s 20 goals have come from the penalty spot, making him one of the most prolific marksmen from 12 yards.

Many of the players leading in the Golden Boot race are their respective teams' designated penalty takers, which has greatly improved their overall tally.

But if we removed penalties, how would the Golden Boot race look? In terms of open-play goals, there are some criminally underrated goal scorers.

Premier League top scorers

Here is how the top scorer charts look like after Cole Palmer’s heroics.

1. Erling Haaland, 20 goals
2. Cole Palmer, 20 goals
3. Ollie Watkins, 19 goals
4. Mohamed Salah, 17 goals
5. Dominic Solanke, 17 goals
6. Alexander Isak, 17 goals
7. Son Heung Min 15 goals
8. Jarrod Bowen, 15 goals

Premier League’s penalty top scorers

Breaking it down further, here are the top scoring players from the penalty spot this season:

1. Cole Palmer, 9 penalties
2. Bukayo Saka, 5 penalties
3. Mohamed Salah, 5 penalties
4. Erling Haaland, 4 penalties,
5. Alexander Isak, 4 penalties

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Premier League top scorers from open play

Noticed a trend yet? From the foregoing, one player stands in a league of his own since he is in the top scorer charts without scoring a single penalty.

Here are the top six Premier League goal scorers from open play:

Cole Palmer, 11 goals

Taking away Palmer’s nine penalties this season, the attacker drops significantly in the Golden Boot race.

However, the former Manchester City man has the joint-best shot accuracy in the Premier League this season.

Mohamed Salah, 12 goals

The Egyptian ace is Liverpool’s designated penalty taker, and has slotted in five penalties this season.

This has not stopped Salah from getting involved in goals from Liverpool’s high-octane build up player, as he has scored 12 goals from open play.

A dozen goals is obviously not up to Salah’s standards at this stage, but it is still quite impressive.

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Alexander Isak, 13 goals

Isak has been Newcastle’s shining light this season, and is the club’s current top scorer.

He has four goals from the spot, but 13 of his goals have been nothing but magic from open play.

Phil Foden, 14 goals

The Manchester City youngster has come of age under Pep Guardiola.

This season has proven to be one of his more prolific ones. He has bagged 14 goals in the Premier League without a single penalty. He has the best shot accuracy in the league, with an impeccable 73%.

Son Heung Min 15 goals

In the absence of Harry Kane, it comes as no surprise that Son Heung Min is Tottenham’s leading goal scorer.

The South Korea has an impressive 15 goals

Jarrod Bowen, 15 goals

Another criminally underrated player this season has been West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen.

With 15 goals and a 29% goal conversion, Bowen is one of the most clinlcal players in the English top flight.

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Erling Haaland, 16 goals

No penalties, no problem for Erling Haaland.

The Manchester City ace, who was controversially labelled a ‘League Two player’ by some pundits, knows how to bury chances, and has scored 16 goals from open play this season.

Dominic Solanke, 17 goals

Another player who has proven to be a master of burying chances is the Bournemouth ace Dominic Solanke.

Only three players (Palmer, Haaland and Watkins) have scored more goals than the Cherries forward this season. Taking into account that none of Solanke’s goals have come from the penalty spot, one can’t help but admire the former Newcastle man for his goal-scoring prowess.

Ollie Watkins, 19 goals

The king of banging goals from open play is Ollie Watkins.

Not only has the Aston Villa star netted 19 goals without a single penalty, he has produced 76 shots so far this season, more than any other player.

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