Golden Shoe 2016-17: Top Goalscorers in Europe, Updated Standings on January 23
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez closed the gap to Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the race for the European Golden Shoe on Sunday, as they both netted in a 4-0 win for Barcelona against Eibar.
A goal apiece for the pair put them on 15 league goals in 2016-17, one behind the Gabon forward, who is away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. Also on 15 goals are Arsenal man Alexis Sanchez and Chelsea sharpshooter Diego Costa, as they each netted in wins for their respective sides.
After another weekend of stellar goalscoring across European football, here is a look at how the race for this coveted individual prize is shaping up and a reminder of some of the best moments from those in the hunt for the accolade.
| 1 | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 16 x 2.0 | 32.0 |
| T2 | Mauro Icardi | Inter Milan | 15 x 2.0 | 30.0 |
| T2 | Alexis Sancez | Arsenal | 15 x 2.0 | 30.0 |
| T2 | Diego Costa | Chelsea | 15 x 2.0 | 30.0 |
| T2 | Luis Suarez | Barcelona | 15 x 2.0 | 30.0 |
| T2 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 15 x 2.0 | 30.0 |
| T2 | Edinson Cavani | Paris Saint-Germain | 20 x 1.5 | 30.0 |
| 8 | Christian Gytkjaer | Rosenborg BK | 19 x 1.5 | 28.5 |
| T9 | Andrea Belotti | Torino | 14 x 2.0 | 28.0 |
| T9 | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | 14 x 2.0 | 28.0 |
Each league is assigned a difficulty coefficient by UEFA between one and two, and each goal is multiplied by that figure to construct 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.
Gap Narrows to Aubameyang
Although Barcelona sit in third place in La Liga, manager Luis Enrique will be encouraged that the team's prime goalscorers, Suarez and Messi, are enjoying brilliant runs.
Messi, in particular, was exceptional at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium. In the first period, he was an attacking menace, dropping into deep positions and using his wonderful invention on the ball to create opportunities for team-mates. He then scored in the second period, finishing well after Suarez's centre.
The 29-year-old has been mesmeric this term despite the overall struggles of Barca. Rik Sharma of Sport summed up Messi's main issue this season:
Suarez, at least, looks as though he's rediscovered his touch in front of goal. There were times late in 2016 when the Uruguay international wasn't quite at his vibrant best, although since Spanish football resumed after the domestic hiatus, the Barca No. 9 has been among the goals again.
His strike against Eibar was indicative of all his best qualities. Suarez's hard work allowed him to pinch the ball off his opponent high up the pitch before he surged clear and finished his chance with conviction.
As these numbers from Squawka Football show, the Uruguayan has been the most dangerous attacking player in La Liga since the start of last season:
Alongside Messi and Suarez are a clutch of fine forwards on 15 goals, including Mauro Icardi, who failed to add to his tally despite another win for Inter Milan over Palermo.
In the Premier League, Sanchez kept his cool to help Arsenal overcome Burnley at the Emirates Stadium, netting a 98th-minute penalty to grab a 2-1 win. That was after the Gunners had conceded an equaliser from the spot just five minutes earlier.
Sanchez has earned plenty of plaudits for his relentless running and brilliant incision up top this season, although here he showed he's capable of handling the big pressure moments too. The Chilean impudently chipped the ball down the middle to earn three precious points for his side.
Per Bleacher Report UK, it's not the first time Sanchez has shown nerves of steel in a high-pressure situation; he scored a similar effort for Chile to win the 2015 Copa America via a penalty shootout:
The only person who can match the Arsenal man in terms of goals scored this season in the Premier League is Costa, who made a goalscoring return to the Chelsea team in the 2-0 win over Hull City.
After being frustrated for much of the first period, the forward was on hand in first-half stoppage time to open the scoring for his team. It was a vital moment for the Blues, who struggled to find top gear against the Tigers, who acquitted themselves well at Stamford Bridge.
Costa missed the 3-0 win over Leicester City last weekend amid reports of a fallout with manager Antonio Conte.
"I am happy for him and to finish this speculation. He played and played very well," Conte said of his striker, per BBC Sport. "A lot of people asked me about his form, his attitude, and I said I took the best decision for the team. I think I made the best decision after this performance."
Also on 30 points is Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani, as he struck his 19th and 20th goals of the season in the 2-0 win over Nantes on Saturday. Robert Lewandowski moved on to 14 Bundesliga goals, as he bagged a brace against Freiburg in a 2-1 win for Bayern Munich on Friday.
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