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With nine goals in his opening seven fixtures, Pep Guardiola's attacker Erling Haaland has started the season in spectacular form.

Although this isn't his strongest opening to a season - he registered 11 strikes in his initial seven matches in 2022-23 and double digits last year - it nonetheless positions him three goals ahead in the initial race for this campaign's English top-flight Golden Boot.

What makes this none of his nine goals have been penalties renders it particularly impressive.

What Makes Haaland Special

Naturally, fitness issues could potentially disrupt in the destination of the Golden Boot, but there are two reasons why Haaland is such a clear frontrunner for the award so quickly into the term.

To begin with, the number of goals he has currently registered - and, equally significant, the quantity and caliber of opportunities he's receiving.

And second, the modest opening his typical competitors for the prize have made.

Expected Goals Analysis

A footballer's xG statistic (xG) represents how many goals a top-flight footballer has traditionally converted from the number and quality of opportunities he's received.

This doesn't represent a figure arbitrarily chosen by statistical experts, but by historical Premier League data.

When examining at footballers' expected goals in the Premier League so far this campaign from open play, the Scandinavian attacker is obtaining considerably more excellent scoring situations to find the net than any other player.

Actually, even if Haaland were no better at scoring from situations than anyone else in the competition, he would nevertheless have converted more than twice as many goals as all other players.

Scoring Situation Assessment

That is demonstrated by breaking down the total and standard of opportunities that footballers have received in the English first division so far.

Haaland has taken 29 shots so far this campaign, 12 more than all other attackers.

Interestingly, this is not that remarkable for him - he had in fact attempted more non-spot-kick efforts at this stage in the previous two campaigns (30 in 2023-24 and 34 in the previous term).

What is, however unprecedented even for him is the caliber of opportunities he has had this season. His shots have had an chance quality metric of 0.27 on average.

What that figure means is that players have historically converted the shots he has had at a 27 percent conversion rate.

Regarding attackers registering at ten or more efforts, only Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has had simpler scoring situations to net per shot - because of a few simple finishes against the Hammers and Seagulls.

The Norwegian's expected goals of 0.27 is significantly greater than the 0.17 xG per attempt he had at the beginning of the previous campaign.

To summarize, the chances he has had in the current season have been significantly more straightforward to convert from in a restructured Manchester City side than those at the opening of last term.

Previous Season Assessment

Starting a season so powerfully is, as noted earlier, typical for Haaland. After seven games last term he had scored 10 goals - a quartet more than every other footballer and half-dozen more than Mohamed Salah.

But it was the Anfield star who claimed the top scorer award with twenty-nine strikes, seven more than the City forward.

In the new campaign, while Haaland has begun spectacularly, Salah has scored half the number goals and had half the chances (xG) than at this juncture last term.

Actually this has been the most subdued opening to a Premier League season the Egyptian attacker has made.

Competitors' Modest Opening

It's not merely Salah who has opened quietly either. When examining at the top 11 scorers in the Premier League last season, Haaland has registered an equal amount goals as the remaining ten footballers put together so far.

Whether due to injuries - Yoane Wissa, Cole Palmer and Jorgen Strand Larsen - extended transfer dramas in Alexander Isak's case or simply because their clubs have faced difficulties (Bryan Mbeumo, Chris Wood, Ollie Watkins and Matheus Cunha), Haaland's potential challengers in the battle for the scoring title have not fired so far.

Continental Scoring Title Battle

Although the Norwegian appears the distinct favorite for the Premier League scoring title, what about the Continental scoring award that is awarded to the footballer scoring the most in Europe's premier competitions?

That competition is considerably more open at this opening period because Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have also started in excellent condition, with 11 and nine goals respectively.

The reality Haaland has registered multiple conversions and has the top chance quality metric of the three players despite not attempting any spot-kicks positions him as the likely winner.

However, because the two continental superstars are among the finest converters in European football in terms of overperforming their xG, the race is certainly on.