Golden Shoe 2017-18: Top Goalscorers in Europe, Updated Points Table on May 14

Mohamed Salah failed to catch Lionel Messi in the race for the European Golden Shoe, effectively ensuring the Barcelona star has won it for the second year in a row.

Salah found the net as Liverpool beat Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday as the 2017-18 Premier League season drew to a close, but he needed a hat-trick to pull level with Messi, who still has a match remaining in La Liga.

Here are the standings:

1. Lionel Messi, Barcelona: 34 goals x 2.0 difficulty factor = 68.0 points

2. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool: 32 x 2.0 = 64.0

T3. Ciro Immobile, Lazio: 29 x 2.0 = 58.0

T3. Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich: 29 x 2.0 = 58.0

T3. Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur: 29 x 2.0 = 58.0

T6. Mauro Icardi, Inter Milan: 28 x 2.0 = 56.0

T6. Edinson Cavani, Paris Saint-Germain: 28 x 2.0 = 56.0

T8. Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid: 25 x 2.0 = 50.0

T8. Luis Suarez, Barcelona: 25 x 2.0 = 50.0

10. Jonas, Benfica: 33 x 1.5 = 49.5

Rules: UEFA has assigned every European league a difficulty rating between one and two, which is multiplied by a player's goal tally to calculate their points total.

For example, goals in Europe's top five leagues are worth two points each, because they have the maximum difficulty rating. In the Portuguese Primeira Liga, goals are worth just 1.5 points apiece.

Salah may have missed out on the chance to win the European Golden Shoe, but he secured the Premier League's Golden Boot ahead of Harry Kane—who was bidding to win it for the third year running—and set a new record in the process.

The Egyptian broke the deadlock for the Reds after 26 minutes with a low strike from Dominic Solanke's pass. Liverpool would go on to win the match 4-0, securing UEFA Champions League football for next season in the process.

For Salah, he now holds the record for most goals in a 38-game Premier League season. Former joint record-holder Alan Shearer congratulated him on the achievement:

The forward also equalled another impressive record:

What's more, he'll have the chance to break that in the Champions League final if he finds the net against Real Madrid.

He won't catch Messi, though, as he has no more league games in which to add to his Golden Shoe tally.

Messi was rested on Sunday as Barcelona missed out on the chance to go the entire league campaign unbeaten in a 5-4 defeat to Levante, but he added to his tally in their 5-1 win over Villarreal last Wednesday.

With Salah and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski unable to add to their points totals, Messi has all but wrapped up his fifth Golden Shoe.

Ciro Immobile has missed Lazio's last two matches through injury, but even if he's able to feature on the final day, he would need five goals just to equal Messi, and that's if the Argentinian does not score.