Haaland vs Palmer: the battle for goalscorer of the year

Any records in the Premier League that involve goals usually have Erling Haaland's name written all over them. But this time it might not be the case. With the Norwegian going through a rough patch - which can be drawn back to Manchester City's recent struggles - Cole Palmer has risen to cement his name in the Premier League goalscoring charts. 

With two matchdays left until we close off the 2024 chapter, the battle for the title of Premier League top scorer of the (calendar) year is well-lived between the two players. The Englishman counts 25 for Chelsea, closing in on Haaland who finds himself just ahead with 26 goals to his name.

Newcastle's Aleksander Isak (23) and Liverpool's gem Mohamed Salah (21) are slightly further away from the fight up top, but knowing how unpredictable this sport can be, it would be unwise to rule out the pair from the contest, especially given the Egyptian's rampant form in this second of the year.

Everton (15th) and Leicester (17th) are Haaland's final opponents of 2024, whereas Palmer has Fulham (9th) and Ipswich (19th) to face. On paper, at least from a current standings point of view, there is a slight advantage in the former Borussia Dortmund striker's schedule. 

That said, looking at the two players' recent forms will tell a completely different story. The Man City No.9 has only scored one goal in the last six games, which came against Crystal Palace earlier this month. On the other hand, Cole Palmer has netted four times in the same amount of games. He struck twice in the thrilling 3-4 victory over Tottenham and scored once against both Southampton and Aston Villa. 

The man from Wythenshawe seems to have a habit, not only of scoring goals but also assisting. In fact, the Manchester City youth product is also in contention to become the Premier League's top assist provider of the year. Currently on 13 assists, he has just one less than Salah. And if we add both tallies, Enzo Maresca's midfielder is more likely to win the honorary title as he counts 38 goal contributions compared to the Egyptian's 35.