Premiership Top Scorer Predictions
Drogba and Torres may Struggle while Healy and Chopra Show Promise
Which player will score the most goals in the Premier League this year? It's wide open as Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and other teams rotate strikers.
Players at top teams face a tough challenge
Last year Didier Drogba’s 21 strikes for Chelsea secured him the award for the Premiership’s top goal scorer but it may be unwise to back him to repeat his success this season.
The primary reason for this is the top teams’ increasing use of the policy of rotating players to combat the large number of important games they face.
Following the summer signings of Pizarro and Malouda, Chelsea now have an embarrassment of attacking riches and the Blues’ desire to capture the Holy Grail of the Champions League means it’s unlikely Drogba will be required to play as much in the league as last season.
A similar fate may also befall attackers at the other big clubs. Whether they be top performers from last year, such as Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 17 times in the previous campaign, or new comers such as Liverpool’s Torres and Arsenal’s Da Silva. All may find that their managers require them to sacrifice on-field time and the chance of personal glory for the good of their team.
Boom or bust for attackers at mid-table sides
The huge influx of additional money over the summer into some of the teams below the top four may either help or hinder the chances of one of their forwards becoming the most potent striker this season.
The extra transfer funds have enabled sides such as Tottenham, Newcastle, Portsmouth and West Ham to add more quality defenders and midfielders; improving team strength and, therefore, the likelihood that they will create more chances for their attackers. On the flip side, however, more money also means more forwards. Tottenham, Portsmouth and West Ham each now have four quality strikers to choose from, while Newcastle have five and the absence of any Champions League distractions for these clubs means that there is even greater competition for positions in league games. If an individual striker at any of these sides can perform well enough to make a starting place their own, they may also find that the Premiership’s top goal scorer award comes with it.
Less could mean more for strikers at smaller clubs
The ongoing rotation of forwards at larger teams increases the chances that this season’s prize could go to a first choice attacker at one of the smaller sides; and there certainly isn’t a lack of talent further down the Premiership.
Roque Santa Cruz’s arrival at Blackburn may provide assistance, and competition, for Benni McCarthy who finished as last season’s second highest scorer with 19 goals.
Fans of Reading and Middlesbrough will be hoping that Kevin Doyle and Yakubu can repeat their respective 14 and 12 goal efforts of last season, although their chances may depend on how well the sides they play in fare this year.
Recent changes at Bolton may affect Nicolas Anelka’s productivity while some new signings at Everton might improve Andy Johnson’s haul and his England chances.
Finally, newcomers David Healy at Fulham and Sunderland’s Michael Chopra have both started the season promisingly with two goals in as many games.
African nations complication
As a final complication for Drogba and anyone committing to backing a player to be this year’s hottest marksman, the African Nations Cup takes place in Ghana from 20th January to 10th February 2008.
Qualifying for the competition will not be completed until mid-October and the requirement for some Premiership players to take a forced leave of absence to represent their respective countries may be the ultimate factor in deciding who becomes this season’s top Premier League scorer.
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