MBAPPE V GYOKERES FOR TOP SCORER OF 2024 SO FAR WITH HAALAND NOWHERE NEAR

Erling Haaland scored 44 goals last year and that kept him clear of the competition despite playing no football in the final weeks of 2023.

He ended 2023 one goal ahead of Harry Kane and one more ahead of Kylian Mbappe, and that trio will be expected to dominate 2024 again for Manchester City, Bayern Munich and PSG.

The criteria: All club goals in all competitions for clubs in Europe’s top 10 leagues.

 

10) Alexander Isak (Newcastle United) – 13 goals

Those goals have come in just 16 games, giving him a goal every 101 minutes in 2024, which makes him marginally better than Harry Kane and better again than 13-goal Erling Haaland.

 

9) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille) – 15 goals

The Europa League top scorer has also cruised into double figures in Ligue Un at the grand old age of 34. A shame Marseille have hit something of a sticky patch.

 

8) Cole Palmer (Chelsea) – 15 goals

He scored four goals v Everton. Four. And now he’s outscored Haaland and Kane in 2024. And he’s not even had European football. He’s really very good, you know.

 

7) Phil Foden (Manchester City) – 15 goals

A couple of hat-tricks against Brentford and Aston Villa have kept Manchester City in the title race, while there was a worldie v Real Madrid and two at Brighton. The best player in the Premier League this season?

 

6) Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbahce) – 15 goals

Very much playing second fiddle to Edin Dzeko, but the former Chelsea striker smashed in four v Adanaspor in the cup before being sent straight back to the bench. From where he’s absolutely lethal.

 

5) Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) – 17 goals

A hat-trick (and two assists) in a thrashing of Mainz only increases the prospect of Kane breaking all Bundesliga scoring records in his first season, yet still finishing trophyless. He has scored the most goals of any player in their debut Bundesliga campaign. And indeed the most goals he himself has ever scored in a single campaign, with 42 and counting. A penalty v Arsenal in the Champions League was inevitable.

 

4) Jonathan David (Lille) – 17 goals

There was a Coupe de France hat-trick to kick of 2024 but since then there has been an avalanche of Ligue Un goals. Now linked with every half-decent club in the Premier League barring Liverpool and Manchester City.

 

3) Luuk de Jong (PSV Eindhoven) – 17 goals

PSV have dropped nine points in the entirety of this Eredivisie season and De Jong’s form – at the age of 33 – is a major factor. Twenty-seven goals and 14 assists in this league season is fire.

 

2) Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting) – 22 goals

No wonder he is a target for half the super-clubs in Europe. The former Coventry man has now scored 26 league goals as Sporting cruise towards the Portuguese title.

 

1) Kylian Mbappe (PSG) – 22 goals

Being drawn against a side in the sixth tier of French football is handy when you want to make a quick start to the new year. Mbappe scored a hat-trick in a 9-0 win before adding two more goals v a third-tier side. But he’s also scored eight Ligue Un goals, including a hat-trick v Montpellier. He scored twice v Barcelona to help PSG into the semi-finals.

2024-01-31T08:03:25Z dg43tfdfdgfd