10 best forwards in Europe this season (2019/20)
From a stationery striker charged with just putting the ball into the back of the net, forwards have evolved into all-round footballers who are sometimes tasked with scoring as well as playing a major role in the build-up play.
Although their primary job is still scoring goals, nouveau roles like 'inverted wingers' and 'false nines' have entered the football lexicon in the last decade and forwards remain as relevant as ever to the success of football teams.
With another season of European football gradually coming to an end, we shall be taking a look at the 10 forwards who distinguished themselves and rose above the disruptions of the Covid pandemic to put in accomplished performances this season.
#10 Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan)
Romelu Lukaku just edges out Kylian Mbappe (whose season was abruptly ended by the cancellation of the French Ligue 1).
The Belgian international has gotten a new lease of life under Antonio Conte following his nightmarish spell with Manchester United and was the driving force behind Inter Milan's ultimately futile Serie A quest.
This season, Lukaku has weighed in with 27 goals and five assists from 43 games in all competitions, while his campaign could yet end with silverware if he can keep his form going when the Europa League resumes.
#9 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema has rediscovered his scoring boots since Cristiano Ronaldo departed Real Madrid, with the Frenchman making a mockery of those who suggested he could not be trusted to lead the Madrid line.
The 32-year-old has scored a combined 56 goals over the last two seasons, with 26 of those coming in 47 matches this season, while he also weighed in with 11 assists to boot.
With the exception of Sergio Ramos, it can be argued that Benzema was the most important player to Real Madrid's LaLiga quest and he has undoubtedly repaid the faith reposed in him by Zinedine Zidane.
#8 Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
For a player who spent the formative years of his career playing non-league football and did not feature on the league pyramid until he was 25, Jamie Vardy has done awfully well for himself.
The 33-year-old captured imaginations with his exploits in Leicester's fairytale title win in 2016 and since then, the former England international has installed himself as one of the elite forwards in the Premier League.
Vardy currently leads the way in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot with 23 goals and five assists, while he also went on a memorable run of scoring 11 goals in eight matches consecutively as Leicester climbed up the table.