Harry Diamond
The European Championships are looming at the end of the current campaign and Gareth Southgate will no doubt have been pleased with the performances of the attacking options available to him so far this season.
Several stars eligible for England have enjoyed superb starts to the 2020/21 season, with the Premier League’s leading scorers list dominated by players in contention for a call up to the Three Lions’ squad.
We’ve decided to look at the leading English scorers in the Premier League this season, five forwards who Southgate will no doubt be monitoring closely:
Callum Wilson – 10 goals
Callum Wilson emerged as a contender to be Harry Kane’s deputy with the national side two years ago, earning a first inclusion in the England squad and scoring on his debut against the USA in November 2018.
Bournemouth’s struggles last season saw Wilson fall out of contention as the Cherries were relegated, but a summer switch to Newcastle has reinvigorated the 28-year-old and could lead to a recall.
Wilson’s performances have seen him become the key figure in Newcastle’s season so far, scoring 10 league goals and providing a further five assists to directly contribute to 68% of the Magpies’ league goals this season.
Wilson starred as Steve Bruce’s side secured a 2-0 win at Everton last weekend with a match-winning double, his first a sensational headed effort to net his 50th Premier League goal before reaching a century of career goals with a well-taken second on the counter.
What a header! 💥
The swivel, the power, the precision. All superb from Callum Wilson 🙌
A BIG goal for the Toon Army! pic.twitter.com/LoQen5ux4H
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 30, 2021
His £20m arrival at St James’ Park looks one of the signings of the season and could yet prove the difference between Newcastle staying in the division or being dragged towards the danger zone.
Wilson’s haul of 10 goals includes scoring five match-winning goals for Newcastle so far this season, a figure bettered by only Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
Patrick Bamford – 11 goals
Patrick Bamford began the season with a point to prove and with his place in the Leeds attack in danger, Marcelo Bielsa having splashed out a club-record £26m to sign Spain international Rodrigo.
Bamford has responded to that challenge in some style to become the most integral member of a vibrant Leeds attack, scoring 11 league goals and providing a further four assists alongside his industrious work rate leading the line.
The 27-year-old had scored just one Premier League goal before this season following underwhelming top-flight spells at the likes of Crystal Palace, Norwich and Burnley, but has thrived in a set-up that gets the best from his talents.
Just three players – Tony Yeboah, Robbie Fowler and Mark Viduka – have scored more goals for Leeds in their first 20 appearances in the Premier League, Bamford’s performances this season keeping him amongst fine company.
Quality from @Patrick_Bamford 🔥
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) January 31, 2021
Bamford’s continued excellence this season has led to calls for England recognition, an incredible turnaround in fortunes for a player whose clinical edge has been questioned in previous seasons.
Read also – How Patrick Bamford is continuing to prove he is Marco Bielsa’s main man
Jamie Vardy – 11 goals
Last season’s Golden Boot winner is right amongst it once again, with the evergreen Jamie Vardy remaining amongst the best in the business when it comes to Premier League forwards.
Vardy finished as the division’s leading scorer last season and has already netted 11 times in 16 league starts this time around, including a brilliant hat-trick at Manchester City and crucial goals in wins at both Arsenal and Tottenham.
The 33-year-old has shown few signs of slowing down this season and remains as lethal as ever around the penalty area, his conversion rate of 24% the highest of any player on this feature.
Vardy leads the Premier League for expected goals during the 2020/21 campaign and could prove the difference in Leicester’s bid to reach the Champions League this season, the Foxes hoping the star can recover quickly after undergoing surgery to correct a troublesome hip injury last month.
Vardy’s decision to retire from international football means a place in the England squad next summer appears unlikely, and Southgate will no doubt be disappointed to be unable to call on the services of a player who continues to score with unerring regularity.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 12 goals
Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival at Everton has sparked an upturn in fortunes from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the forward having grown in confidence and influence under the management of the Italian coach.
Calvert-Lewin enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career last term with 13 goals in the Premier League, a figure the forward has almost equalled already following a prolific start to the campaign.
The 23-year-old scored nine goals in his first nine appearances of the season to emerge as an early contender for the Golden Boot, earning recognition at international level and marking his England debut with a goal against Wales in October.
The forward’s form has slowed since, though he ended a run of seven league games without a goal as the Blues beat Leeds on Wednesday night to take his tally to 12 for the season.
No player in the Premier League has scored more headed goals this season and Calvert-Lewin’s raw athleticism, mixed with an improving instinct around the penalty area, provides a strong foundation on which to build.
Calvert-Lewin has scored more goals from inside the six-yard box than any player in Europe’s major leagues in 2020/21, and could be the leading contender to join Harry Kane amongst England’s attacking options this summer.
Harry Kane – 12 goals
Alongside Calvert-Lewin, Harry Kane unsurprisingly leads the way for English goalscorers in the Premier League this season, with only Mohamed Salah having scored more goals than the Tottenham forward in 2020/21.
Kane has enjoyed arguably the best period of his career this season in a new role as both Spurs’ chief goalscorer and creator, the 27-year-old having been directly involved in 23 goals in just 19 league appearances with his 11 assists the most in the division.
The England captain will now have his sights set firmly on winning a third Golden Boot this season, a feat only previously achieved by Premier League icons in Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer.
Spurs will hope the forward can return quickly from an ankle injury sustained last month as they bid to secure a top four finish and return to the Champions League, Jose Mourinho’s side currently seven points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool, although they do have two games in hand.
Mourinho has described Kane as ‘irreplaceable’ to his side and his goal contribution record backs that argument strongly.
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