Salah nailed on to be Premier League top scorer say bookies, but Jota is sneaking up on the rails

Scott Allen
28 December 2021

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring the only goal of the game from a penalty kick during the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Aston Villa

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been favourite to claim the Premier League top goalscorer crown ever since Manchester United and Ronaldo's season went south back in October.

We've not even reached 2022 and Salah has already netted 15 Premier League goals this season, and is expected to stroll to the top scorer crown.

Before the Leicester game, the Liverpool forward had been in electric form over the last 18 matches, scoring a goal every 107 minutes with a shot accuracy of 65%. No wonder the bookies have him at odds-on in the market.

His next closest challenger is Ronaldo at 8/1, despite having just seven league goals and lurking behind the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Raphinha who both have eight.

Is Diogo Jota the man on the spot?

But the man to watch is Diogo Jota. Ten goals so far and hitting a purple patch at just the right time. He has three from three, if you include the EFL Cup win over Leicester, and has only failed to score in two matches this December.

But here's the kicker, Jota will not be going to the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts in January. Jurgen Klopp must be kissing Jota's Portuguese passport, especially as he'll also be without Senegal's Sadio Mane.

With two of his key men missing, Klopp will lean heavily on the goal scoring skills of Jota across the busy month of January.

However, because of FA Cup and Carabao Cup matches, Jota may only get his chance to close the Premier League goal gap on Salah with games against Brentford and Crystal Palace at the end of the month. By then Salah's Egypt might be out of the tournament, although they are 9/2 favourites so that does seem unlikely.

Other strikers in the top scorer battle

If you don't fancy either Liverpool forward to claim the top scorer prize, then there's lots of value elsewhere.

Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, who currently has nine goals, is at 20/1. But interestingly Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku, once favourites in the Planet Sport Bet goalscorer market, are out at 25/1.

Given that both the England captain and the Belgian striker are slowly getting back in the goals, their odds will no doubt shorten in the coming weeks. So if you are going to have a punt on them, best to do it now.

The other hotshot nobody is talking about is Raheem Sterling at a huge 40/1. Out in the cold at the start of the season, the England forward has found himself back in the goals in December. He has five in five Premier League matches this month, and is also taking penalties.

'Where was his penalty in the Euros?' you probably grumbled at the telly when he coolly slotted home against Leicester on Boxing Day.