By Far The Greatest Team

The football blog for fans of all clubs

mo salah illustration chasing ball

Will Isak ignite the Premier League Golden Boot race?

By BloggerPosted on Posted in Premier League

Liverpool’s British-record signing of Alexander Isak has added even more firepower to Arne Slot’s already prolific attack. The £125 million signing from Newcastle United arrives on the back of a 23-goal Premier League season, finishing second only to Mohamed Salah in last year’s Golden Boot race.

Expectations are sky-high at Anfield, but with Isak having missed pre-season while forcing through his move and sitting out Newcastle’s opening three fixtures of the new campaign, the question is whether the Sweden striker can hit the ground running and blow the 2025-26 Golden Boot race wide open.

Liverpool are betting big that he can. The 25-year-old’s pace, intelligence and ruthlessness in front of goal already made him one of the division’s most feared forwards at St James’ Park. Now, alongside Salah in one of Europe’s most dynamic attacks, the ceiling could be even higher.

But Isak is not alone in the race for England’s most prestigious scoring crown. Here are five other contenders, courtesy of the home of the best Premier League tipsters on FIRST.com.

Mohamed Salah

The defending Golden Boot holder set a new standard in 2024-25, finishing with 29 goals and a Premier League-high 18 assists. That’s 47 goal involvements in 38 games. At 33, Salah shows no signs of slowing down.

With Isak now alongside him, he might find even more space to exploit defences. Whether he maintains such output is the question, but he starts as the favourite on pedigree alone.

Erling Haaland

The Norwegian colossus endured what, by his own standards, was a “quiet” year last term – just 22 league goals. That still placed him third in the scoring charts. Haaland remains among the bookmakers’ favourites to reclaim the Golden Boot, with Manchester City again building their title challenge around his ruthless finishing.

If City click early, Haaland will inevitably be at the sharp end of the table.

Viktor Gyokeres

Fresh from two prolific seasons with Sporting CP, including a league-high tally of 39 goals in Portugal in 2023-24, the Sweden international has arrived in the Premier League with Arsenal.

Gyokeres remains something of an unknown in England’s top flight, but his scoring pedigree in Lisbon – and his style that looks tailor-made for English football – means many expect him to challenge the established elite quickly.

Chris Wood

The Nottingham Forest marksman was one of the most unlikely stories of 2024-25. At 33, Wood spearheaded Forest’s push for European qualification with 20 league goals, finishing joint-fourth in the Golden Boot standings alongside Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo – who, now at Manchester United, could figure highly in the scoring charts again.

While few expect a repeat, Wood has already proven that underestimating him is dangerous. His clinical edge in the box remains elite.

Joao Pedro

Chelsea’s new versatile Brazilian forward chipped in with a modest nine Premier League goals for Brighton last season before sealing a big-money switch to Stamford Bridge over the summer. While he has never produced elite-level scoring returns previously, he has already shown an increased appetite for goals since joining the Blues, shining during the Club World Cup and bagging two goals from his first three league outings.

Isak’s arrival at Liverpool feels like the spark that could make this Golden Boot race one of the most competitive in years.

With Salah still elite, Haaland desperate to reclaim his crown, Gyokeres looking to translate his Portuguese exploits, Wood playing the underdog role and Pedro eager to prove himself on a bigger stage, the 2025-26 Premier League scoring charts could turn into a battle for the ages.

And if Isak delivers on the promise Liverpool paid for, he could be the one to light the fire under it all.

Scroll to top