Despite being early in the Premier League season, the race for the Golden Boot is very much on.
With two players bagging eight goals, five players sinking seven, and three players on six, expect that battle to continue until the season’s end.
But not everyone can take home the famous accolade so who else is destined never to collect the trophy alongside these seven Premier League legends?
Wayne Rooney
Still only 32 years of age, Wayne Rooney has broken scoring records at club and international level.
England’s all-time goal scorer is now back at his boyhood club Everton, after pipping Sir Bobby Charlton to become Manchester United’s all-time leading goal scorer during his last season at the club.
With 202 Premier League goals to his name so far, it’s a surprise that the Liverpudlian has never got his hands on the Golden Boot. And that’s despite being the second highest goal scorer in Premier League history.
He has only surpassed 20 goals in a single season twice throughout his established career, with his best Premier League standing at 27 in 2011-12, where he lost out to his future team mate, Robin Van Persie.
Some of the best betting websites don’t feel Rooney will get anywhere near the top scorer charts this season, with some bookmakers offering as much as 151/1 for him to finish with the most goals this campaign.
Fernando Torres
It would be a shame for Fernando Torres to be remembered by Premier League fans for his time at Chelsea.
During his first season in the league as a Liverpool player, the Spaniard was arguably the signing of the 2007/08 season, scoring 24 goals in his first campaign. He only lost out to Cristiano Ronaldo in his quest for the Golden Boot.
His league record at Anfield was better than a goal every other game. He was arguably one of the best players for Liverpool during the Premier League era.
But he could be set for a January reunion with former boss Rafa Benitez at Newcastle United, with some bookies offering betting odds of 6/1 for the move to happen.
Frank Lampard
The only midfielder to make our list, Chelsea’s all-time leading goal scorer Frank Lampard stands proudly as the fourth highest goal scorer in Premier League history, ahead of former Golden Boot winners Thierry Henry, Michael Owen and Sergio Aguero.
Lampard’s goal-scoring record from midfield was nothing but remarkable, getting into double figures on 10 occasions. In all competitions, Lampard scored over 20 goals in a single season, five times.
In the 2009/10 season, Lampard scored 22 league goals, his Premier League best, finishing fifth in the trophy race behind his Chelsea team mate Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Darren Bent and Carlos Tevez.
Robbie Fowler
A player who made his name at Liverpool, and was referred to as ‘God’ by many at the club, Robbie Fowler scored 163 Premier League goals across his career, making him the sixth highest scorer in the history of the Premier League.
Despite never winning the Golden Boot, Fowler did have some individual honours to his name, such as winning the PFA Young Player of the Year Award twice on the bounce, and at the time registered the Premier Leagues fastest-ever hat trick (4 min 33 secs).
Injury troubles meant that form was harder to come by during his spells at both Leeds United and Manchester City.
Fowler unfortunately missed out on the Golden Boot in 1995/96 where his 28 league goals weren’t enough to pip Alan Shearer to the trophy.
Diego Costa
One of the Premier League’s most temperamental forwards, former Chelsea player Diego Costa made a real name for himself during his three-year spell in South West London.
Costa was a pivotal figure in two of Chelsea’s title winning campaigns and left with an outstanding record of a goal every 1.7 games.
Twice in three seasons, Costa registered 20 league goals which were unable to land him the accolade.
Les Ferdinand
Despite being blighted by injuries during his career, former Newcastle, Tottenham, West Ham, Leicester City and Bolton striker Les Ferdinand is the Premier League’s ninth highest scorer of all time.
Ferdinand’s best goal-scoring season in the Premier League came in 1995/96 in his second and final season as a Newcastle United player.
Queens Park Rangers is where Ferdinand really made his name, scoring 60 league goals in 110 appearances in the first three Premier League seasons between 1992 and 1995.
Jermaine Defoe
A player who has never reached the heights of major honours, Jermaine Defoe will be remembered by many as a serial goal scorer almost everywhere he’s played.
Currently back with his boyhood club Bournemouth, goals have been harder to come by, registering a single Premier League goal so far in this campaign.
However, in his last two seasons with Sunderland, Defoe registered 15 league goals in both campaigns, despite his side’s struggles.
Defoe’s most prolific Premier League campaign was in 2009/10, when he scored 18 league goals for Tottenham.
Online bookmakers see Defoe’s chances of winning the Golden Boot this season as bleak to say the least, with PaddyPower offering odds of 501/1 for him to win the award.
With so many players in contention for this season’s Golden Boot, injuries or suspensions can have a major impact on who’ll be the eventual winner of this year’s award.
With bookmakers promoting free bet offers, there’s certainly money to be made from the Premier League top goal scorer market, with not one single player at odds on to win the award.