Player Focus: Europe's Most Valuable Goalscorers Proving a Point or Two

When you think of the most important goals in recent memory there are so many that spring to mind. Sheringham and Solskjaer in the 1999 Champions League final, Drogba in the 2012 edition, Sergio Aguero on the final day of the Premier League in the same season and the likes of Andres Iniesta and Mario Gotze in the 2010 and 2014 World Cup finals to name a few.
At this stage of a season there's little chance for as much drama to be generated as any of those strikes managed but there have been plenty of players whose goals this season have certainly proved decisive. There are a number of caveats that can certainly be argued that have had an effect on the following, but there's little doubt as to the players that are netting the most important goals for their respective clubs right now.

We start with Ballon d'Or mainstays Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who continue to break new goalscoring records with every passing week. The former, however, has certainly not been at his imperious best in front of goal this season and his strikes have also perhaps lacked a great deal of value. Messi has scored 10 Liga goals this season but if you were to take them away Barcelona would still have as many points as they do at this stage (31).

Ronaldo, meanwhile, has been near invincible at the business end of things but again, his goals have often come in resounding wins for Real Madrid, of which there have admittedly been plenty. The Portuguese's outrageous tally of 20 league goals have directly heralded just 2 points this season, though it is of course no slight on either player that their team has gone on to win matches handsomely thus far.
Nevertheless there are a number of teams who, without the goals of certain key players, would be considerably worse off - comparatively - than the two Primera Division giants may have been without their superstars.

At the top of the pile in terms of the total number of points that have come as a direct result of any one player's goals is Napoli's José Callejón, whose 8 Serie A strikes have earned his side 8 points already. The Spaniard scored in 5 of his first 7 appearances of the season and each of the 6 goals he netted in that time contributed to the team’s early points tally. In a time when Gonzalo Higuaín was really struggling his former Real Madrid teammate stepped up to the plate and then some, ensuring Rafa Benitez's side were still in the sort of mood to allow them to partake willingly in a questionable calendar shoot come the end of the year.

Staying in Italy, there have been two other forwards whose goals have been invaluable to an otherwise tough start to the season. Jérémy Menez scored for the third game running last time out for Milan, netting both goals in a 2-0 victory over Udinese. The Frenchman's strikes also earned his side a point in the previous stalemates against fierce rivals Inter and high-flying Sampdoria. Meanwhile, young Palermo forward Paulo Dybala has unsurprisingly been drawing admiring glances, netting in his last 4 appearances and, like Menez, directly earning his side 7 points thus far.

Elsewhere, in the Premier League there have also been some notable contributions by a number of players to their teams' points tally to date. The English top-flight's leading marksman has certainly kept his side hanging on to the coat tails of runaway favourites Chelsea, with Sergio Agüero's goals having also helped his side to earn 7 points - one of four players to boast that feat in the Premier League thus far.

Christian Eriksen is one of the others and perhaps one of the most surprising players to feature here. His tally of 5 goals, the last of which came at the weekend against Everton, have perhaps been a little under appreciated in terms of their value to now. Across North London the burden of scoring the goals to keep Arsenal in the hunt for what has become a customary Champions League berth has fallen on Alexis Sánchez. The Chilean's last gasp winner against Southampton in midweek ensured the Gunners picked up all three points, with Sánchez's strikes now responsible for 7 of their modest 23 points after gameweek 14.

Meanwhile, one player whose importance in terms of weighing in with goals is certainly not underestimated is Charlie Austin. The QPR hitman has 7 goals this season, heralding 7 points along the way and, considering Rangers have mustered just 11 points thus far, his role up to now - and likely up until the end of the season - can hardly be overstated.

In terms of a player’s goals being worth so much to a side's aspirations there is perhaps only one individual in Europe's top 5 leagues whose efforts to date have been more crucial. Though, like QPR, Elche sit in the relegation zone the Liga outfit's survival prospects could so easily have looked far bleaker were it not for the goals of top scorer Jonathas, who has 6 to his name. The 25-year-old Brazilian's strikes have earned Elche 7 of a meagre haul of 10 points this season, with all but one of his goals having earned his side at least a point so far.