With the end of the 2023-24 campaign on the horizon, Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics leads the Championship Golden Boot race.
Can the Ireland international remain at the summit of the scoring charts? Or will he be overtaken? Below, Forebet takes an in-depth look at the race for the Championship Golden Boot.
Last season, Sammie Szmodics managed just four goals in 34 Championship appearances for Blackburn. The 28-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround this term, netting 23 goals in 38 league games.
💬 "If I don't score in the last six games, others do and we win most of them, we stay in the league, that's what matters."@SamSzmodics on ending his brilliant season strongly.#Rovers 🔵⚪️https://t.co/QrfXa17PhM— Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) April 5, 2024
💬 "If I don't score in the last six games, others do and we win most of them, we stay in the league, that's what matters."@SamSzmodics on ending his brilliant season strongly.#Rovers 🔵⚪️https://t.co/QrfXa17PhM
Averaging 0.61 goals per 90, Szmodics finds himself atop the scoring charts with eight matches remaining. Last time out, he bagged a brace and an assist as Rovers thrashed Sunderland 5-1.
It’s fair to say that Adam Armstrong is the biggest threat to Szmodics. The Southampton striker has scored 20 goals in 38 Championship outings this season, contributing 11 assists along the way.
Armstrong enters the business end of the campaign in strong form, having found the back of the net in each of his last four appearances. Thanks largely to his efforts, Southampton have all but secured a play-off spot.
Sitting just one point outside the drop zone, Plymouth Argyle are in serious danger of relegation. Despite his team’s struggles, Morgan Whittaker finds himself third in the Championship scoring charts.
The 23-year-old netted nine goals in a 10-game hot streak between December and February. Although he has scored twice in his last nine appearances, Whittaker remains in the hunt for the Golden Boot.
Having won 13 of their previous 15 league matches, Leeds United are on course to gain automatic promotion. Many players have starred for Leeds this season, but Crysencio Summerville is arguably the pick of the bunch.
Summerville has notched 17 goals and eight assists in 31 Championship games this term, meaning he averages 0.51 goals per 90. If he carries on the way he’s going, he will enjoy a successful end to the campaign.
It would not be unfair to say that Sunderland have struggled for consistency this season, recording 15 wins, six draws and 19 losses. Still, Jack Clarke has remained consistent throughout the campaign.
The former Tottenham Hotspur youngster has bagged 15 goals in 34 matches, giving him a goals-per-90 ratio of 0.46. Although he trails Szmodics by eight goals, he still stands an outside chance of topping the scoring charts.