Is Kylian Mbappé’s Golden Boot document underneath menace? TERMAN WEBSITE

“Eventually, now we have to get used to taking part in with out Kylian Mbappé.” May this phrase, spouted with rising regularity by Paris Saint-Germain supervisor Luís Enrique, put pay to Mbappé’s probabilities of profitable the Ligue 1 Golden Boot this season? 

Mbappé has received the Golden Boot in every of the final 5 Ligue 1 seasons, together with one season through which he shared the accolade with AS Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder (2019/20). 

Regardless of lacking the opening recreation of the Ligue 1 season, in opposition to FC Lorient, attributable to being ostracised by PSG’s hierarchy, it didn’t take lengthy for Mbappé to hit the entrance within the race for the Golden Boot. With 21 objectives in simply 23 video games, the France captain remains to be the overwhelming favorite, nevertheless, his introduced departure may put a spanner within the works. 

“He’s THE goalscorer, THE participant of the group […] He’s the participant and also you then construct the group round him.”

Jean-Louis Gasset has praised in-form Marseille ahead Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (34).

👕 37 video games
⚽️ 23 objectives
🅰️ 8 assistshttps://t.co/xvvB22WAVT

— Get French Soccer Information (@GFFN) March 11, 2024

Since informing Nasser Al-Khelaifi that he would go away the membership upon the expiry of his contract on the finish of the season, Mbappé has been used sparingly in Ligue 1. He got here off the bench to attain in opposition to FC Nantes at the beginning of February; he was then substituted with out scoring in opposition to Stade Rennais and AS Monaco, coming off at half-time in opposition to the latter. 

Mbappé then didn’t begin in opposition to Stade de Reims on Sunday, approaching with simply 17 minutes to go and failing to get on the scoresheet as Les Parisiens went on to attract 2-2. With only one purpose in his final 4 video games, his cost in direction of the Golden Boot is stalling. 

David and Aubameyang shut the hole to Mbappé

In the meantime, different prolific strikers have entered purple patches. Having scored only one purpose in his opening 12 Ligue 1 video games for Olympique de Marseille, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has 5 in his final three. He’s now on 11 for the season in Ligue 1, one behind Alexandre Lacazette, who like Olympique Lyonnais, has been revived because the flip of the yr. 

Nonetheless, the most important menace is arguably Lille OSC’s Jonathan David. The Canadian striker was sorely missing in kind earlier within the marketing campaign, with LOSC’s president, Olivier Létang stating in November that it might be good for the ahead to go away on worldwide responsibility to be able to rediscover his confidence. 

🚨 Jonathan David est le MEILLEUR BUTEUR EUROPÉEN TCC en 2024 🤯🤯

Avec 14 BUTS, l’attaquant lillois devance un sure… Kylian Mbappé (13 buts). 🥵❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/fRldWKBSEY

— Actu Ligue 1 (@ActuL1_) March 11, 2024

And rediscover it he did. David has eight objectives in his final six video games in Ligue 1 and 14 total for the season. He’s now the highest scorer in Europe’s high 5 leagues in all competitions in 2024, with an unimaginable 14 objectives, yet another than Mbappé. Nonetheless, in contrast to Mbappé, the Lille ahead is nearly assured to start out all video games between now and the top of the season. David, Aubameyang, Lacazette and co. have a niche to shut to Mbappé, however it’s maybe not an insurmountable hole. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle