Football
Chris Wright, Toe Poke writer 4y

Premier League Golden Boot race hotting up; Revs fans enjoy MLS drive-in

The title may have been decided weeks/months ago, but the race for the Premier League Golden Boot is very much still alive.

With just a handful of games remaining, there are realistically four players -- and maybe five or six at a very generous push -- still in the running to top the 2019-20 scoring charts.

Here are the runners and riders as we enter the final throes of the campaign.

Jamie Vardy (22 goals)

Best goal: Foxes fans were treated to some Classic Vardy when the forward opened the scoring against defending champions Man City in December, scampering away on the counterattack and finishing with a delicate dink over Ederson. 

Key stat: Vardy officially became the 27th member of the Premier League 100 Club after bringing up his century of goals against Crystal Palace earlier this month. This is despite not making his top flight debut until the age of 27. He is also the first Leicester player to reach treble figures in the top-flight since Arthur Lochhead way back in 1933-34. Only one player has opened their Premier League account at an older age (Ian Wright at 28) and gone on to reach the 100-goal mark.

Will they/won't they: Vardy is leading the chasing pack by two clear goals and there's no doubt he's a man in form, with three goals in his last two league appearances. However, Leicester have a couple of testing fixtures remaining this campaign with Tottenham and Manchester United still to come.

Odds: 4/6 (favourite) with bet365

Quote: Brendan Rodgers tells Sky Sports what makes Vardy great.

"He's a great example of a player who never gives up. There's never a lost cause with him. He's always got that appetite and hunger, and natural finishing ability to keep scoring goals."

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (20 goals)

Best goal: For being a carbon copy of the goals Thierry Henry used to score for Arsenal, this curled effort against Everton gets the nod.

Key stat: Only four players have managed to score 20-plus goals in the top five European leagues in the last five consecutive seasons: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Will they/won't they: The Gabon international is up there with the best in the business right now and he's nothing if not prolific -- recently becoming only the second Arsenal player (behind Thierry Henry) to score 20+ Premier League goals in back to back seasons. He's also been involved in more goals for Arsenal this season in all competitions (25) than any of his teammates, with Bukayo Saka (16) next on the list with 4 goals and 12 assists. Like Vardy, Aubameyang has scored three goals since the restart and is likely to push his rival all the way to the end -- though perhaps being stationed out on the left of Mikel Arteta's attacking line may hamper his chances?

Odds: 4/1 with bet365

Quote: Mikel Arteta after Auba became the fastest Arsenal player ever to score 50 Premier League goals.

"Hopefully he'll score at least another 100! He's a magician."

Mohamed Salah (19 goals)

Best goal: Slick, fleet-footed interplay with Roberto Firmino in the build-up and a smooth, subtle finish made Salah's early season strike against Norwich City something of a trademark goal. 

Key stat: Encapsulating his importance to Jurgen Klopp's tri-pronged attack, Salah reached 100 goal involvements for Liverpool in the Premier League during the 3-1 win over Brighton (73 goals, 27 assists) in his 116th appearance. Only Alan Shearer has ever done so in fewer (100) games. In club terms, only three other Reds have managed to surpass 100 involvements since the inaugural PL season in 1992-93: Steven Gerrard (who has a total of 212), Robbie Fowler (158) and Michael Owen (148).

Will they/won't they: Salah may be a few goals off the pace but there's no reason to believe a spurt isn't just around the corner. Perhaps the brace against Brighton could be the catalyst for a late-season, post-title flurry from the Egyptian? Let's face it, Salah has pedigree -- having already claimed not one, but two Premier League golden boots in the past.

Odds: 4/1 with bet365

Quote: Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson on Salah potentially claiming his third Golden Boot

"This is Mo, he is hungry! He is always there fighting for a goal, helping the team on the defence phase as well. He is always there to help win some games for us and ready to fight always for the goal. It's his job and he loves to do that."

Danny Ings (19 goals)

Best goal: Ings gave us shades of Paul Gascoigne at Euro '96 with his svelte winning goal in January's 1-0 win over Tottenham -- scoring his 9th goal in 10 games in the process.

Key stat: Ings is the first Southampton player to reach double figures for goals scored away from home in a single Premier League season since Matt Le Tissier in 1993-94. The 27-year-old has also scored all of his 19 league goals from open play so far this campaign, requiring no penalties to bump up his numbers.

Will they/won't they: He's an outside bet, but Ings is definitely still in the running and the goals continue to flow as the season draws to a close. Might be worth a dabble.

Odds: 12/1 with Bet365

Quote: Ralph Hasenhuttl tells Sky Sports why Ings scores goals

"[Danny] knows how to score and he has a fantastic strike and is fantastic at pressing. He changed his game a little bit. I think he's also adapted to what we do. When he has a chance he is very clinical. All the qualities you have to have if you want to be a top striker in the Premier League. I'm very happy for him because the last seasons were difficult with all the injuries and now he's feeling comfortable and still hungry, which is a good combination."

Revs fans enjoy drive-in MLS

New England Revolution fans were finally able to watch their side play at the Gillette Stadium for the first time in four months this week as the club hosted a "drive-in party" for Thursday night's MLS clash.

The stadium was opened to allow cars to park on the pitch and watch the tie against Montreal Impact on the giant screens, all the while observing strict social distancing rules.

Just to put the icing on the cake, Revolution went on to win 1-0 on the road courtesy of a goal from Gustavo Bou.

While the atmosphere wasn't quite as rowdy as usual, the supporters in attendance still managed to produce a formidable noise when Bou found the back of the net.

Of course, fans will still be longing for normality to return to MLS but in the meantime, carefully managed drive-in parties seem like a fun compromise.

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