They don’t stand a chance, but they’re worth a look.

New season in Premier League started, and it’s time to discuss who will be a member of the scorers’ race. It is clear this can be a futile exercise as long as Erling Haaland is at Manchester City. However, it will have some kind of competition. Also, the Norwegian is not immune to injuries and loss of form, even if it seems like something fantastic now. Let’s see who Opta analysts are betting on.

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Unconditional favourite. Especially in the absence of Harry Kane, who left for Bayern. Haaland broke many records last season, scoring 36 Premier League goals, 52 goals in all competitions. Last season, he averaged 23.1 touches per ball Premier League. He has scored 36 league goals against an expected goalscoring figure (xG) of 28.7. Not surprisingly, his average of 1.17 goals per 90 minutes in the top flight was the best in the league for anyone who played at least 250 minutes. It is easy to assume that it is Haaland who becomes the top scorer again. And he’s already got off to a good start, scoring twice against Burnley in the first round.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Salah was considered by some to be a one-year miracle as he scored 44 goals in his first season at Liverpool five years ago. It turned out that was not the case. Although many believe that the Egyptian was never able to reach its maximum level. However, that doesn’t stop him from scoring a lot. Last season he scored 19 goals, becoming the third top scorer in the league after Haaland and Kane. Interestingly, Salah had a higher xG than Kane, even though he scored much less. An obstacle to Salah’s path to leadership in the goal race will also be the presence of other forwards in Liverpool, to whom Mohamed “carries bullets”. Last season he had 12 assists, and this pre-season he has seven, with two goals scored. So he becomes more of a creator than a scorer.

Callum Wilson (Newcastle United)

The Magpies have reached a new level and, at the same time, the expectations of their players have also increased. The former Bournemouth forward scored 18 goals in just 31 games last season, starting 21 times. Wilson’s goal average per 90 minutes was second only to Haaland (0.86). At the same time, he walked exactly along his xG, which is 17.5. At his peak, Wilson is capable of scoring many goals. In April, for example, he scored eight, which is Newcastle’s record in Premier League history in a single month.

Wilson’s prospects as top scorer are marred by his teammate Alexander Isak, who also performed well last season. And in that he managed to score a couple of goals for Aston Villa in the first round.

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

Last season was by far Rashford’s best at Manchester United. He became the first player Manchester United, who has scored 30 goals in all competitions in one season since Robin van Persie and since the 2012/13 season. Like Wilson, Rashford generally matched his xG, which was 15.8. Interestingly, in the previous season Marcus xG had only 2.9 and four goals in 25 games.

Heilund’s signing could potentially affect Rashford’s scoring. But on the other hand, the appearance of Danish can spur English to an even higher level.

Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)

After moving from Real Sociedad to Newcastle last summer, Isak fitted into the squad quickly and scored two goals in his first three games in the 1940s. But a hip injury kept him out until January. And since his recovery, Isak has already scored seven goals in seven games between mid-March and the end of April. Scheme restructuring has reduced the Swede’s performance, but he has great potential. On the average number of goals per 90 minutes last season, for example, he surpassed Salah (0.59 against 0.52).

Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

Last season for Watkins was impressive. He scored 15 goals despite Aston Villa’s struggles under Steven Gerrard. Olli blossomed when Unai Emery took over the team. His xG was 16.5, so Watkins could have scored more. Perhaps that will be successful this season, as Tielemans and Diaby have joined the team, capable of creating dangerous moments.

Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

Some thought last summer that Nunez would become Haaland’s competitor. However, that didn’t happen and it closed. But Darwin has a new chance to prove that the ridicule was in vain. The Uruguayan scored 15 goals in all competitions last season and nine in the Premier League. However, Nunez has the experience of a shocking second season. In the Portuguese league, he scored six goals for Benfica in his first season and 26 in the following season. Interestingly, Nunes cannot be denied diligence. He scored more than anyone else on goal last season: 4.5 shots per 90 minutes on average.

Rasmus Heilund (Manchester United)

The Dane will be put under pressure by the size of his contract. For him Manchester United paid Atalanta 72 million pounds. United had been looking for a true centre-forward for some time and found him in the person of Heilund. Now he needs rapid growth and adaptation. With all the promise of the Rasmus last season in the Italian league, he scored nine goals with xG 9.5.

Nicholas Jackson (Chelsea)

Jackson’s appearance at Chelsea went largely unnoticed, but it could come as a surprise to the Premier League. The former Villarreal player can become a serious weapon in Pochettino’s team’s attack. In his last 11 La Liga games last season, Jackson scored ten goals. Since 1 April, no player from the top five leagues has scored more goals without a penalty than him. In this stretch, 40 percent of Nicholas’s shots went into goals, he scored a goal every 80 minutes. Chelsea have scored just nine goals in the same span Premier League.

Heung Min Son (Tottenham)

Last season was far from the best for the Korean. He scored ten goals in Premier League, although he shared the top scorer title with Salah a year ago when they each scored 23 goals. So in general, the quality of Son’s game is fine. And with Kane gone, the burden of goals for Tottenham will fall on him. The Korean has scored double-digit Premier League goals in every season except the first. So it’s entirely possible to wait for the Son’s form to explode upwards.