Amongst the Champions League and relegation battles in the Premier League table on the final matchday, the Golden Boot was on the line as well. Jamie Vardy entered Sunday with a two-goal advantage over Danny Ings, and he left the pitch against Manchester United with a one-goal advantage to claim the Golden Boot.
This is the first time in his career Vardy has been able to call himself the top goal scorer in the Premier League. After finishing in fourth and fifth place in the last two seasons in the Golden Boot race, the 2019/20 season was his turn to take the honours.
Jamie Vardy Wins Premier League Golden Boot
A Battle to the Very Last
It appeared Vardy had all but secured the Golden Boot title entering the final matchday. If anyone were to dethrone him on the last day of the season they would need to put together a remarkable performance.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made things interesting when he recorded a first-half brace for Arsenal against Watford. This brought him within one of Vardy’s lead and it looked like he might just spoil the party as he did last season when Aubameyang tied with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Saleh for the Golden Boot.
Elsewhere, Danny Ings converted a penalty for Southampton to throw his name back in the race and just one adrift of Vardy. In the end, neither Aubameyang nor Ings were able to get their 23rd goal of the season to tie things up with Vardy.
Early Season Consistency Pays Off
Vardy’s eight-match scoring streak from matchdays nine through 16 was an incredible run of form. This scoring spree saw him record 11 of his 23 goals. While the goals did not come in droves later on in the season, his early-season performance should not go unnoticed as it paved the way for Leicester City to finish in the top five. The Foxes won every single match that Vardy scored in during that eight-match winning streak and set them up for success.
Of the 16 Premier League matches he recorded a goal in, only two resulted in a loss for Leicester. When Vardy scores, there’s a good chance Leicester are going to come away with all three points. His impact is immense for the Foxes.
Well Deserved
The 2015/16 season saw Vardy finish second in the Golden Boot race with 24 goals. He ended only one goal shy of Harry Kane‘s 25. After a season performance such as that, it seemed only a matter of time within the next seasons that Vardy would be on top.
It took Vardy four years since that memorable season to claim the title. He certainly is very deserving of the Golden Boot after producing season after season of ten goals or more. His consistency is impeccable, and at the age of 33, this might have been the best chance for him to achieve this personal accolade.
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