Alexis Sanchez and the battle for the Premier League’s Golden Boot

Alexis Sanchez has proved to be a massive hit in his first season playing for the Gunners. Could he cap a dynamic debut campaign by winning the Golden Boot, too?

Wise choice

Since his arrival from Barcelona in the summer transfer window, Sanchez has shown just why so many clubs were after his signature. Thankfully rather than choosing to replace Luis Suarez at Liverpool, Sanchez decided to further strengthen the Arsenal front line and boost their title chances. According to Gunners legend Thierry Henry, Sanchez is Arsenal’s best signing in the last six years, high praise from arguably the Premier League’s best ever striker.

Sanchez scored his first goal for Arsenal against Besiktas, a strike that almost paid back his transfer fee as the Gunners yet again made it into the group stages of the Champions League. The goals really started to flow after that as he found the net against Leicester and then Manchester City. Braces against Sunderland and Burnley soon propelled Sanchez to become one of the favourites to win the Golden Boot this season. OK, so recently he hasn’t been at his best, but he did return to form with the vital winner at QPR recently. With ten league games to play, if the Chilean can continue to regain that early season form then he could yet win the Golden Boot.

The men to catch

Front-runners to win the Golden Boot are Man City’s Sergio Aguero and Chelsea hitman Diego Costa. They are pretty much neck-and-neck in the Premier League this season and Aguero could easily have an outright lead but for missing several weeks through injury. While Arsenal fans would rather see Sanchez scoop the Golden Boot, they wouldn’t have minded one bit that Aguero banged in four of his goals in a 4-1 home win for City over Spurs.

Costa has also missed a few games this season, partly through injury and the rest because he likes stamping on players. Just like Sanchez, Costa has been highly impressive in his debut season playing in the Premier League. The Brazilian born striker was quick off the mark to start scoring for Chelsea, including a goal against the Gunners.

Other contenders

Two English players are in the chase for the Golden Boot – Harry Kane and Charlie Austin. While Kane is trying to get his team in the Champions League next season, Austin is just hoping he might keep his side in the top division.

It’s hard to argue that Kane has been a revelation so far this season and looks certain to make his England debut shortly. He’s the main reason Spurs aren’t languishing in mid-table and it makes you wonder why he’s spent so much time on loan with other clubs.

The same can be said of Austin, who like Ian Wright in the past, shows non-league players can still make it to the big time. Without him, heaven knows how few points QPR would have. Taking penalties helps, of course, but he’s a bright prospect and one likely to be playing for another club next season.

The race for the Golden Boot has a handful of games to go and it’s still too close to call. True, Sanchez has a bit of ground to make up at present, but a win is definitely not out of the question. With a few games left against sides in the lower half of the table, Arsenal can expect to be scoring plenty of goals in the dying days of the season. Come on Alexis, we know you can do it!

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