Why Man City’s Sergio Aguero could be better than Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, Arsenal star Olivier Giroud is exhausted and more conclusions.
Tottenham Hotspur top scoring striker: Emmanuel Adebayor
Minutes played: 905
Goals scored: 8
Goals assisted: 2
Emmanuel Adebayor openly questioned Andre Villas-Boas’ practices in front of the rest of the Tottenham Hotspur squad, and so was dropped for much of the first half of the season.
Upon being restored to the starting line-up by AVB’s successor Tim Sherwood, the Tongan has played a starring role, scoring eight times and providing two assists in his 905 minutes on the pitch.
Given that he only started playing again in December, Adebayor ought to be the freshest of the top five teams’ top scoring centre forwards.
Liverpool top scoring striker: Luis Suarez
Minutes played: 1884
Goals scored: 23
Goals assisted: 8
Luis Suarez missed Liverpool’s first six matches of the Premier League season through suspension, but has made up for lost time since then.
His 23 goals scored this season are seven more than any other top flight player – and his nearest rival is his own strike partner Daniel Sturridge.
Suarez has played a lot of minutes this season, but it is worth noting that he has an incredible record avoiding injury, and manager Brendan Rodgers doesn’t have to rotate his squad due to European football.
Manchester City top scoring striker: Sergio Aguero
Minutes played: 1190
Goals scored: 15
Goals assisted: 5
Sergio Aguero is the one player who could rival Luis Suarez in the debate of the best player in the Premier League – had he not been injured for so much of the campaign.
Aguero actually has a better goals per game ratio than Suarez, and had he been able to play as many minutes as the Uruguayan, he might be the division’s top goalscorer – and Manchester City could be top of the Premier League.
Arsenal top scoring striker: Olivier Giroud
Minutes played: 2064
Goals scored: 10
Goals assisted: 6
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud started the season in brilliant form, but has looked jaded in recent weeks.
That is perhaps little surprise given that he has played considerably more Premier League minutes than any of the forwards at the Gunners’ rivals, with manager Arsene Wenger reluctant to trust backup options Nicklas Bendtner and Yaya Sanogo.
Giroud’s early performances and style of play make him a great frontman for the Emirates Stadium side, but it is the north London club’s failure to sign an additional striker last summer that could prevent them from competing with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool in the remaining months of the season.
Chelsea top scoring striker: Samuel Eto’o
Minutes played: 1028
Goals scored: 6
Goals assisted: 2
Chelsea are an unusual side in that they don’t rely on any of their centre forwards for goals to the same degree as their rivals.
Samuel Eto’o is the top scoring striker for Jose Mourinho’s men, having only scored in four Premier League fixtures.
The Cameroon international’s performances in big games make him worth selecting though, having scored the winning goal against Liverpool and a hat-trick against Manchester United.
Mourinho has already stated his intention to buy a world class striker this summer, and that could elevate the Blues to another level altogether.