10 best forwards in La Liga this season (2020-21)
The 2020-21 La Liga season saw one of the closest title races in recent years. Up until two weeks ago, as many as four clubs were vying for top spot in the league. In the end, Atletico Madrid lifted the trophy thanks to a winning goal from striker Luis Suarez in the final game of the campaign, reminding us as to why forwards have been and will continue to be the real game-changers in world football.
The race for the Pichichi Trophy, though, was not so close, as Lionel Messi led the pack with his incredible goalscoring form. The Spanish top-flight has been blessed with a host of talented attackers over the years, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi consistently topping the charts over the past decade.
As another eventful season in La Liga drew to a close on Sunday, here are the top 10 attackers from the 2020-21 campaign.
#10 Joselu | Deportivo Alaves
Former Real Madrid and Newcastle United striker Joselu has found his feet at Deportivo Alaves and was an inspirational figure in the relegation battle for the Basque club this season.
He found the back of the net 11 times in La Liga and provided three assists for his teammates, contributing to more than a third of Alaves' goals. He also scored twice and picked up an assist in crucial encounters against Levante and Elche recently.
After trying his luck with eight different clubs in three different countries, he has found a home at Alaves and enjoyed the best season of his career, where he has posted double-digit numbers in successive seasons.
#9 Antoine Griezmann | Barcelona
Barcelona sold a proven goalscorer in Luis Suarez at the start of the season but still managed to end up as the top-scoring side in the Spanish top-flight. While Messi's 30 goals have played a huge role in that aspect, Antoine Griezmann has also been involved in 20 goals in the league and has delivered for the Catalan giants despite all the criticism he has received in the past few months.
His tally of 13 goals in La Liga this term was an improvement from his debut season with the club. The Frenchman was also the joint-top scorer in Barcelona's Copa Del Rey winning run, scoring three goals, including two in the quarter-finals against Granada that paved the way for Barcelona's comeback in the eight-goal thriller.
He scored the only goal in Barcelona's win over Eibar in the final game of the season. According to recent reports, he is a transfer target for Liverpool but his performance at the European Championships for France will be a factor in determining his price. Barcelona, though, are not expected to entertain any offers for him this summer.
#8 Youssef En-Nesyri | Sevilla
One of the breakthrough stars of the 2020-21 La Liga season has been Sevilla's Youssef En-Nesyri. The Moroccan international was mostly used as a deputy for Luuk de Jong but the latter's form helped him get more playtime. He rewarded Julen Lopetegui's faith in him by scoring 18 goals in La Liga this term.
Unlike the other strikers on our list, he has no assists to his name. However, having contributed to more than a third of the Andalusian side's goals in the league, he almost single-handedly kept his side in the title race until the last two games of the season.
He broke the record for the most goals scored by a Moroccan player in a single La Liga season, overtaking Youssef El-Arabi, who scored 16 goals during the 2015-2016 season with Granada.
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