5 attacking trios with the most league goals so far this season
Attacking football has become the norm of the game this season, with high-scoring matches becoming a common feature irrespective of the size of the fixture.
However, that is not a surprise, given the amount of attacking talent most top clubs possess in their ranks these days. Nearly every club fighting for European spots in the continent's top five leagues have had three or more primary goal-scorers in their side.
While there is one out-and-out goal-scoring threat in every team, the support of the cavalry is just as important, especially in title races. The 2022-23 campaign has illustrated the same once again, as multiple attacking trios have consistently scored goals across this campaign.
On that note, let's take a look at the five attacking trios with the most goals in their respective leagues so far this season.
Note: Only the top five leagues in Europe have been considered.
#5 Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Eljif Elmas (S.S.C. Napoli) | 41 goals
S.S.C. Napoli officially won the Serie A title last week for the first time in over three decades, with only technicalities delaying their announcement as champions.
The Italian side have been the runway leaders this season since the first ball was kicked nine months ago. While it has been due to a concerted team performance, their attacking brilliance has been at the epicenter of their exploits.
Victor Osimhen (23 league goals) & Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (12 league goals) have been unstoppabble to deal with all season. Their understanding on the pitch has been excellent.
Apart from leading their team to the Serie A title, the duo played a key role as Napoli made it into the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals for the first time ever.
They are the main reasons behind their club scoring 70 league goals this season. However, Eljif Elmas has also been a huge factor in helping Napoli clinch the Serie A this season, thanks to his impeccable versatility.
The central midfielder has deputized in multiple positions in the center of the pitch, while also playing on the left wing on occasion. This has led to him bagging six goals in 34 appearances so far this season, a solid return from a player with less than 1500 minutes to his name this term.
Although the thre players mentioned are not a conventional attacking trio, they have done a splendid job in finding the net to help Napoli win games this season.
#4 Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min, Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur) | 42 goals
Tottenham Hotspur have had a largely topsy-turvy 2022/23 season, with the team's ambitions of securing UEFA Champions League football next term looking unlikely now.
Moreover, they have been looking for a permanent manager over the last month, following the sacking of Antonio Conte and caretaker boss Cristian Stellini. Harry Kane is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract, with no signs of the player accepting a new deal.
Despite the drama surrounding the club, Kane has maintained his goal-scoring consistency, finding the back of the net 27 times in the league so far this season. Had it not been for Erling Haaland's ridiculuous scoring this season, the England skipper would have been the frontrunner for the Premier League Golden Boot.
Kane has had a lot to do by himself this term, with Son Heung-Min's tally falling steeply from 23 goals last season to 10 this term. Given the team's downfall this season, it may not surprise many that Rodrigo Bentancur is the club's third highest scorer in the league, with five goals to his name.
Bentancur is currently nursing a long-term injury and Tottenham have clearly missed their biggest goalscoring threat from midfield.
Like the first team on this list, Spurs have had an unconventional trio providing the goals this season. Kane has continued to be the main man for his side this term, but has lacked support.
If Tottenham do decide to sell the Englishman this summer, the club will have a massive job on their hands to find someone to fill the large shoes he will vacate.
#3 Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) | 43 goals
From unorthodox trios to orthodox ones, Arsenal have lit up the Premier League this season and have arguably been the most improved side in the top-flight.
The Gunners, who finished fifth last season, were not given a prayer by many to even finish in the UEFA Champions League positions this season. Yet, Mikel Arteta and Co. have done the unthinkable by actively competing for the Premier League title this season
Manchester City might just pip them to it now and could confirm the title this weekend. However, Arsenal deserve credit for their turnaround and given the talent and youth in their squad, they are expected to only improve with time.
While their defensive resilience has been commendable for most of the season, their efforts going forward have been nothing short of world-class.
Gabriel Jesus' arrival from Manchester City was hailed to be a game-changer, but the striker got injured for several months after the turn of the year. However, thanks to the existing talent in the squad, Arsenal have coped brilliantly.
The trio of Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, in particular, have been scintillating to watch this season. Odegaard, who is also the captain of the side, has scored 15 Premier League goals this term, the joint-highest for his club, alongside Martinelli.
The pick of the bunch has certainly been Saka, who has not only scored 13 goals in the league, but also assisted 11 times.
The attacking threat each of them have carried this season have been instrumental to their side breaking down nearly each club's defense this season. Arsenal have scored 83 goals so far in the Premier League this season and the aforementioned trio have incredibly scored more than half that tally.
#2 Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. (Paris Saint-Germain) | 54 goals
![[L-to-R] Paris Saint-Germain attackers Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/05/561a3-16838765007579-1920.jpg)
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are arguably the most star-studded team in Europe, despite the internal problems they have had this season.
While their defense and midfield do have a couple of big names, their front force is possibly the most marketable trio in world football.
Lionel Messi, who was recently suspended by the club due to an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia, has banged in 15 Ligue 1 goals this term. The Argentine maestro has also registered 15 assists and sits atop the league charts for the same.
Kylian Mbappe, like he has in recent years, been the club's primary source of goals, with 26 to his name in the league this season. Neymar Jr., before suffering a season-ending injury in February, had also chipped in with 13 goals in 20 games, proving that he still has a lot left in the tank.
The trio looked much better together this season after the growing pains they suffered in the 2021-22 campaign. They have swept teams away in Ligue 1 this season thanks to Mbappe's pace, Neymar's creativity & Messi's all-round brilliance.
This could, however, be the last season the trio play together again, with La Pulga running out of contract this summer. Regardless, they have made sure to produce some great attacking moments in the league this term.
#1 Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez (Manchester City) | 54 goals
![[L-to-R] Manchester City forwards Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/05/39d2c-16838765227491-1920.jpg)
Erling Haaland is inarguably the best centre-forward in world football right now and has scored goals for fun this season.
The Norwegian has already broken the record for most goals in a single Premier League season, with his 36th strike coming against Everton last weekend. To shed more light on his brilliance, the former Borussia Dortmund star has single-handedly scored 39% of Manchester City's league goals (92) so far this season.
Haaland has terrorized defenses continuously and has spearheaded his club's late push to winning the league. However, this has also only been possible due to the presence of other match-winners around him.
Phil Foden, for example, has silently scored 10 goals in 28 league games this season. This includes a hat-trick in a 6-3 thrashing of city rivals Manchester United before the 2022 FIFA World Cup break, a match in which Haaland also netted a treble.
Julian Alvarez, on other hand, has come to the fore at the turn of the year, with the 2022 World Cup winner scoring five of his eight strikes in the last four months. His long-range winner against Fulham at the end of last month showcased the kind of talent Manchester City have on their hands.
Overall, the trio have scored 53 goals in the league so far this season. While Haaland is hugely responsible for that number, scoring over 65% of those goals by himself, his teammates have chipped in throughout the season.