Can 100/1 shot Muniz emulate Solanke’s success?

The Premier League season kicks off on Friday August 16 and the 2023-24 campaign will be a hard act to follow, having produced a record 1,246 goals at an average of 3.28 per match.

While the likes of Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland have dominated the scoring charts in recent years, did you know that a 100/1 shot has placed in the top four of the Golden Boot standings in 13 of the previous 22 Premier League seasons? So who are the strikers waiting in the wings this term?

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Opportunity knocks for outsiders

The Premier League Golden Boot race is generally a hotly contested battle and this season promises to be no different with some big names among the leading contenders.

As mentioned, outsiders have a great record in this market in recent seasons. In 2023-24, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer unexpectedly came second behind former Manchester City team-mate Erling Haaland, while another City star, Phil Foden, took fourth place.

As well as young, emerging players, there’s also the benefit of backing strikers who have been given a new lease of life at smaller Premier League clubs.

A good example of this last season was Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke, who placed (each-way four places) after scoring 19 goals for the Cherries, in turn earning a move to Tottenham Hotspur. Going back to 2014-15, Charlie Austin finished fourth after scoring 18 goals for Queens Park Rangers. 

Young players have also announced their arrival, such as James Beattie, who finished third in 2003-04 with Southampton or Christian Benteke, who took the top flight by storm at Aston Villa in 2012-13.

Other unknowns who have made an impact include overseas signings such as Roque Santa Cruz, who finished fourth when he joined Blackburn Rovers in 2007-08.

When looking at players with the potential to emulate these feats, we’ve listed names that could be hot-shots for their clubs and have the same impact that the likes of Darren Bent and Jamie Vardy had in their early Premier League campaigns.

Muniz a long-shot worth chancing

Fulham are looking to build on last season’s mid-table finish and there’s belief that they can do that with the signing of Emile Smith Rowe and the resurgence of forward Rodrigo Muniz.

Muniz had a breakthrough campaign last season, scoring nine times in the Premier League, and if he can forge a partnership with the creative Smith Rowe he could be a surprise contender.

They hold the key to what Fulham achieve in the Premier League over the coming months and Smith Rowe has the experience at the highest level to be a big hit for the Cottagers.

The sky’s the limit for Muniz and, at just 23, the Brazilian will be looking to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino in becoming a big hit in the Premier League.

Selection: Rodrigo Muniz to be the Premier League top scorer (each-way) @ 100/1 bet365

Big Ben can strike for Saints

Talking of long shots, Ben Brereton Diaz could be a major one given he is likely to go straight into the Southampton starting XI and occupy one of the three forward positions.

The 6ft 1in centre-forward scored six goals in the Premier League for Sheffield United last season, but appeared in just 14 games, giving him an excellent strike-rate.

Before that, he netted 36 goals across the previous two seasons for Blackburn Rovers and, at 25, he already has big-game experience at international level with Chile.

Brereton Diaz averaged 2.5 shots per game in those 14 top-flight games last term and he has the potential to score regularly given the game time and service.

Selection: Ben Brereton Diaz to be the Premier League top scorer (each-way) @ 125/1 with bet365

Rashford can get going

Marcus Rashford fell well below par in the last campaign and that led to the forward missing out on a place in the England squad for the European Championship in Germany.

He will be eager to get back to his 2022-23 form when he scored 17 times in the Premier League for Manchester United. He has had a promising pre-season that included three shots in the Community Shield against Manchester City on Saturday.

At 26, Rashford is entering the prime of his career and if he can put last season behind him he could help United climb the table after finishing in eighth in the last campaign.

Even in his most disappointing season, performance-wise, Rashford still managed to score seven times and having featured in almost every pre-season game, it appears Erik ten Hag is going to keep faith with him as United’s main man.

Selection: Marcus Rashford to be the Premier League top scorer (each-way) @ 100/1 with Ladbrokes

Odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.