4 times the Premier League Golden Boot was shared
The Premier League is often seen as a litmus test for goal scorers in Europe. High-octane action and the recurring fixture pile-up often challenge the consistency of those tasked with the job to score. Goals win you games and ultimately the silverware. Some players are born with an innate hunger to always be the ones applying the final touch.
Premier League strikers have been fiercely competitive over the years
Strikers are sometimes branded 'selfish' but there is no denying the fact that they are integral to the success of any team.
Managers would love to have such goalscorers around, helping their teams become ruthless inside the final third by scoring at will. Healthy rivalries have existed among strikers across clubs in the Premier League over the years. On that note, here are four instances in which Premier League forwards shared the golden boot:
#4 Dion Dublin, Michael Owen, Chris Sutton - 1997-98
The 1997-98 season answered the English media of their biggest doubt, "Arsene who?!". Arsenal won their first Premier League title in Arsene Wenger's first full season at the club. But the honors of the Premier League golden boot for the season did not go to one of their players.
The three who won the Golden boot, Dion Dublin, Michael Owen and Chris Sutton, playing for Coventry City, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers respectively, were all tied at 18 goals. This was also the first time that the Premier League golden boot was won by a player(s) who scored less than 20 goals.
On this day in 1998, Michael Owen did this... https://t.co/xZM9hAaTnQ
Dublin was quite evidently the saving grace for Coventry City in 1997-98 as they finished 11th in the league. He scored 39 per cent of the team's total goals and also provided 10 assists. This was also the only time that three English forwards have shared the golden boot in the Premier League till date.
Michael Owen and Chris Sutton helped their teams finish third and sixth respectively.
#3 Michael Owen, Dwight Yorke and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - 1998-99
Manchester United were back in business as they won their fifth Premier League title after having lost it by a mere margin of one point to Arsenal in the 1997-98 season. It was also the first of Manchester United's four consecutive Premier League titles. They are still the only team to achieve that feat.
In only his second season at Leeds United, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink won the golden boot to help his club to a fourth place finish. He was signed by Atletico Madrid after the season was completed but made a return to the Premier League with Chelsea in 2000. He won the Premier League Golden Boot on his return as well with 23 goals that season.
23 - Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored 23 goals in his debut campaign with Chelsea, at the time, the most goals in a Premier League season by a non-Englishman, surpassing Jürgen Klinsmann in 1994-95 and Dwight Yorke in 1999-2000 (20). Maverick. #OptaPLSeasons https://t.co/chpcCoHSRW
Hasselbaink was also the division's top assists provider, tied at 13 assists with Arsenal magician Denis Bergkamp. He shared the honor with Manchester United's new signing Dwight Yorke and Liverpool's Michael Owen. The latter won it for the second time in a row.
This was Yorke's first season in the United shirt. He had moved from Aston VIlla for a fee of €19.25 million. All the forwards were tied at 18 goals.