Golden Shoe 2016-17: Top Goalscorers in Europe, Latest Points on January 16

With European Golden Shoe front-runner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang unable to add to his Bundesliga tally due to competing in the Africa Cup of Nations with Gabon, there was plenty of movement behind him as several players closed in on his total of 32 points.

Lionel Messi got in on the act as Barcelona put Las Palmas to the sword 5-0, while Mauro Icardi helped Inter Milan to a 3-1 win over Chievo.

In the Premier League, Alexis Sanchez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined Diego Costa as the English top flight's joint-top scorers for the season as they netted in a 4-0 win over Swansea City and a 1-1 draw with Liverpool, respectively.

Here's a look at the latest standings:

Position	Player	Team	Goals x Factor	Points
1	Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	Borussia Dortmund	16 x 2.0	32.0
2	Mauro Icardi	Inter Milan	15 x 2.0	30.0
3	Christian Gytkjaer	Rosenborg	19 x 1.5	28.5
T4	Lionel Messi	Barcelona	14 x 2.0	28.0
T4	Diego Costa	Chelsea	14 x 2.0	28.0
T4	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	Manchester United	14 x 2.0	28.0
T4	Alexis Sanchez	Arsenal	14 x 2.0	28.0
8	Edinson Cavani	Paris Saint-Germain	18 x 1.5	27.0
T9	Andrea Belotti	Torino	13 x 2.0	26.0
T9	Luis Suarez	Barcelona	13 x 2.0	26.0
T9	Harry Kane	Tottenham Hotspur	13 x 2.0	26.0

Each league is assigned a difficulty coefficient by UEFA between one and two, and each goal is multiplied by that to calculate a player's points tally.

Goals scored in the Premier League or La Liga are doubled as they have difficulty coefficients of two, whereas in Ligue 1, they are multiplied by 1.5.

Messi and Icardi Close in on Aubameyang

Luis Suarez handed Barcelona the half-time lead against Las Palmas with his 14th-minute strike on Saturday, though it would have been 2-0 had Javi Varas not denied Messi with an excellent one-on-one stop shortly before the break.

The Las Palmas goalkeeper undid his good work in the 52nd minute, though, when he fumbled Rafinha's shot from a tight angle straight into Messi's path just three yards out.

Suarez would add to his tally, while Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal also got on the scoresheet to complete the rout.

As Barcelona noted on their official Twitter feed, Messi's goal was yet another landmark for the Argentinian:

In Italy, Icardi inspired his side to come from behind to beat Chievo on Saturday.

With Inter 1-0 down, the striker deftly volleyed in a sublime cross from Antonio Candreva, and he also provided an assist for Ivan Perisic before Eder added a third.

Icardi is in sensational goalscoring form, as Squawka Football demonstrated:

The 23-year-old is now just one goal short of his tally for the entirety of last season, and with relegation candidates Palermo and Pescara awaiting in the coming weeks, it's likely he will surpass it sooner rather than later.

Sanchez and Ibrahimovic Capitalise on Costa's Absence

Costa was not involved in Chelsea's 3-0 win over Leicester City on Saturday, allowing Sanchez and Ibrahimovic to pull level with him on 14 goals.

Sanchez's strike came with Arsenal already comfortably secure thanks to Olivier Giroud's opener and own goals from Jack Cork and Kyle Naughton, with the Chilean sweeping home a well-struck volley into the top corner from close range.

The forward was substituted soon after, and his reaction divided broadcaster and Arsenal shareholder Piers Morgan and Bleacher Report UK's James McNicholas:

Regardless, Gunners fans will no doubt continue to rejoice their star man's ongoing form, which they will hope he can maintain when they host Burnley on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic came to Manchester United's rescue on Sunday, as his 84th-minute equaliser saw the Red Devils avoid defeat against bitter rivals Liverpool.

The Swede reacted to head home Antonio Valencia's cross after Marouane Fellaini had glanced a header off the post.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Football writer Liam Canning was impressed:

The 35-year-old has continued to defy expectations, and his winning mentality is arguably even more important than his prolific goalscoring as far as United are concerned.

He's vital to the Red Devils' chances of securing UEFA Champions League football this season, and he may well prove crucial when United travel to Stoke City on Saturday.