Theo Walcott backs surprise star to beat Erling Haaland to Premier League Golden Boot
Theo Walcott has backed Dominic Solanke to win the Premier League Golden Boot ahead of Erling Haaland this season. Speaking on Sky Sports' 'How long ref' show, Walcott made the claim during the 'Wildest Take' segment.
Solanke completed a blockbuster £65 million move to Tottenham Hotspur from Bournemouth this summer. The 26-year-old made his Spurs debut against Leicester City but missed the next game against Everton due to an ankle injury.
Solanke is yet to get off the mark, but Walcott is banking on the striker to win the Golden Boot this season. Walcott said (via The Boot Room):
“Solanke, now at Tottenham, might well be the top goalscorer.”
Last season, Solanke racked up an impressive tally of 19 league goals in 38 appearances. He finished nine goals behind Haaland, who won the Golden Boot for the second successive season.
At Spurs, Solanke is likely to get better service with the likes of James Maddison around but finds himself well-behind Erling Haaland. The talismanic Norwegian has scored four times in two league games, including a hat-trick in City's 4-1 win against Ipswich Town.
Solanke is expected to return in the north London derby against Arsenal on September 15. It would be quite the occasion for the 26-year-old to open his account for Spurs.
Spurs have splurged on Solanke, so fans expect the player to get going as early as possible.
Gary Lineker points out what makes Erling Haaland unplayable
Gary Lineker has explained why Erling Haaland is a nightmarish prospect for defenders. The Norwegian has been rampant since his move to English football in the summer of 2022.
He has scored 94 goals and provided 14 assists in 101 games across competitions for City, including 67 goals in 68 games in the Premier League. Analysing Haaland's style of play, Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast (via GOAL):
"I thought it highlighted as well the importance of the way Haaland plays and plays so high. Because if he constantly spins behind, defenders will get nervous so they drop a little bit deeper. Therefore, your midfield players will have more space behind.
"Whereas if he did drop 20 yards into midfield, then he actually crowds it out more, so there’s no space for those midfield players. So it’s very important."
Erling Haaland remains Manchester City's best bet to find the back of the net. Julian Alvarez's departure has put an added responsibility on the superstar striker.