Towards the end of last season, then-Everton striker Romelu Lukaku looked set to claim the Premier League Golden Boot at a canter. However, the Golden Boot holder Harry Kane had other ideas and scored eight goals in the last three league games of last season to seal the award.
Lukaku went off the boil slightly in the latter stages of the campaign. However, he still finished the league campaign with 25 goals. That goal machine Kane, though, scored 29 after a traditionally slow start to the campaign.
The battle will continue this season between the two 24-year-olds. Lukaku has started the campaign in top scoring form netting four times in as many league games after a big money move to Manchester United.
Kane enjoyed his usually August goal drought but started September with a brace at Everton in an impressive 3-0 win last weekend.
Lukaku has started the season slightly quicker
Lukaku has settled into his new surroundings at Old Trafford very easily. On Tuesday night, he took his goal tally in all competitions this season to six, as the striker scored in United’s 3-0 home win over Basel in the Champions League.
The striker has already struck up a good understanding with the likes of Marcus Rashford, friend Paul Pogba and Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The style of the Red Devils play seems to suit the striker’s game and he is scoring goals for fun.
Some would say that he should score more goals now he is playing with better players. However, it is easy to forget that United finished just one place above Everton last season in the table, albeit by a massive margin.
Kane is a better all-around player
We all knew that Kane would open his season account as soon as we got out of the month of August. The striker now has four goals in his last two appearances after scoring a brace in Spurs 3-1 win over Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
For me, despite not having the same pace and power as Lukaku, Kane is a better all-around player. He has more football intelligence and is maybe less selfish when it comes to build up play. Kane is obviously a goal-getter primarily, but last season he produced seven assists for his teammates.
It would be unfair not to point out that Lukaku also produced six assists in the top-flight. However, I see Kane as more of a team player. Maybe Lukaku will develop that part of his game at United.
The Belgian international already seems close to a number of his Red Devils teammates, so maybe that will lead to a less selfish Lukaku on the pitch.
When it comes to pace and power, though, Lukaku has the advantage over Kane. The United star is massive in physique and his sheer presence is enough to unsettle any opposition defence.
Who is the favourite to win the Golden Boot?
There will obviously be other players eying up the Golden Boot award this season. However, it is hard to look beyond the United and Spurs striker for the award at this moment in time.
Both strikers first concern has to be helping their side to finish as high up in the Premier League table as possible this season. However, the pair are goal scorers and will want to score as many goals as they can in the Premier League this season.
There is not much between the strikers in the betting to win the Golden Boot this season. Kane is the favourite at odds of 3/1 to win the award, while Lukaku is the second favourite at odds of 11/4. No doubt, those odds will chop and change throughout the season, depending on the pairs form.
Harry Kane has won the award in two successive years. Lukaku pushed him close last season, but the Belgian could push him even closer this season. This battle could be a very close one and could be an interesting subplot in the Premier League this season.
