Jamie Vardy is the Premier League’s leading goalscorer after finding the net 19 times this season. But can Leicester City’s striker win the Golden Boot?
Before the delay to the football season due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy led the way in the goalscoring charts; he’s two ahead of second-placed Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Right now, Vardy is one finish away from joining the 100 Premier League goal club.
However, until the Foxes eased past Aston Villa 4-0 before the suspension of the campaign, Vardy had not scored since the 3-1 defeat at Manchester City around Christmas.
Speaking ahead of Leicester City’s fixture at Watford, Brendan Rodgers has discussed his striker’s fitness levels despite being 33-years-old:
"“He looks great, hungry. All the players have come back in a really good condition and he, like the rest of them, looks very sharp and explosive. Give him another three weeks and he’ll be right up to speed I’m sure.”"
Premier League history with Leicester City
Vardy has managed over 15 league goals in four of his six seasons in the top flight, including his 24 when the Foxes won the Premier League. After a quieter 2016/17 season, the talisman replied in fine fashion by scoring 20 league goals under Claude Puel.
With the style of play not identical to the 2015/16 campaign, Vardy has continued to find the net and thrive against the traditional ‘top 6’.
Earlier this season, he scored 11 goals in seven league games as City stormed into second place in the league table. With the variety of finishes on display, Vardy finds himself ahead of his fellow goalscorers.
Last season in the final nine games, Vardy grabbed nine goals after only scoring nine goals in the previous 28 games. If the Foxes striker can replicate his end of season form this time around, he will certainly pick up the Golden Boot.
Who are his rivals?
Aubameyang is currently the closest chasing the Golden Boot with 17 goals in 26 appearances. The Arsenal striker is one goal away from netting his 50th league goal for the club and will be the Mikel Arteta’s spearhead to break into the top four.
The Gabonese striker, who has a 42% shot accuracy rate (17% less than Vardy), has been deployed as a left-winger under Arteta. With this in mind, the possibility of finding the net more than Vardy is restricted.
Another downfall for Aubameyang is the teams that Arsenal are set to play, with Manchester City, Leicester, Tottenham and Liverpool all to come.
In third place in the goals chart is Sergio Aguero. The Argentinian striker has scored 21 goals in his previous two campaigns and is only five goals away from reaching the exact same total.
Despite being behind Vardy and Aubameyang, Aguero could be Vardy’s main competitor. With the 10 games that the Citizens have remaining, the Argentine has scored 93 times against the sides he will come up against. A stunning level of productivity.
However, prior to the break of football, Aguero had gone four games without a goal. The last time he find the net goes back to the 1-0 win at Sheffield United in January.
Will Vardy do it?
This season has arguably been Vardy’s most prolific campaign. With nine games of the season remaining, he will need to ensure the two goals he added against Aston Villa are the beginning of the form that will secure the top four and the Golden Boot.
Promisingly, of the Foxes next nine opponents, Vardy struck past seven of them in reverse meeting’s earlier in 2019/20. This could be the telling factor in the conclusion to the Golden Boot race, especially as only three of the teams are in the traditional ‘top six’.
Arsenal are the club who have suffered the most from the pacy finishers, conceding nine goals in nine games. With the Gunners hosting City in the fifth game back, Vardy will hope to add to his impressive record and edge further away from Aubameyang.
With Vardy impressing in the year since Rodgers took over, he will most certainly be up there when Manchester United travel to the King Power Stadium in July. The break from football and sign of improvement in the 4-0 victory over Aston Villa set the boundaries for an intense end of season period for the Foxes man. City played friendlies against the Villans on Wednesday at Villa Park and King Power Stadium.