The race to be crowned the English Premier League’s leading scorer this season ended in a three-way tie on Sunday as the African trio of Sadio Mane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mohamed Salah shared the Golden Boot.
Gabon forward Aubameyang scored twice for Arsenal at Burnley to join Salah and his Liverpool teammate Mane, who netted a final-day double against Wolves, on 22 goals for
Sergio Aguero, of champions Manchester City, was next in line with 21 goals.
Salah has now won the award two seasons in a row but this term’s winning tally was the lowest by players in English football’s top-flight since 2010/11 when Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez shared the Golden Boot with 20 goals apiece.
Aubameyang was delighted to be a member of an all-African trio of winners, saying in quotes reported by the BBC: “I share this trophy with two other guys I like, great players and African. We are representing Africa, that’s cool.
“I am happy we won, and I am sharing this trophy with two other guys I like.
“My teammates knew about the Golden Boot, I said nothing. I did not want them to play and only focus on me. I am a team player.”
For Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp there was the satisfaction of knowing he had a played a part in the careers of all three of this season’s Golden Boot winners, having signed Aubameyang from Saint-Etienne in 2013 when he was in charge of Dortmund.
“Auba too? Do they have three boots?” said Klopp, who suffered the last-day heartache of seeing Liverpool finish just one point behind City.
“It is good. They are all my players,” the German added.
Salah scored 32 league goals last season, a record for a 38-game Premier League campaign.
The 26-year-old is the sixth player to win the Golden Boot award in consecutive seasons.
Source: AFP
