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After netting nine goals in his first seven Premier League games, City forward Erling Haaland has started the season in spectacular form.

While it is not his strongest opening to a campaign - he scored 11 goals in his opening seven appearances in two seasons ago and 10 last season - it still puts him three strikes clear in the initial race for this term's Premier League Golden Boot.

The reality that not one of his nine strikes have been spot-kicks makes it even more impressive.

Why Haaland Stands Out

Certainly, injury could definitively intervene in the destination of the Golden Boot, but there are two key factors why Haaland is so heavily favored for the prize so soon in the campaign.

Firstly, the total of conversions he has already scored - and, of similar importance, the quantity and caliber of opportunities he's receiving.

Secondly, the sluggish beginning his typical competitors for the prize have made.

xG Statistical Breakdown

A footballer's xG statistic (xG) indicates how many goals a top-flight footballer has traditionally converted from the total and standard of scoring situations he's encountered.

This doesn't represent a statistic haphazardly selected by statistical experts, but by English top-flight records.

When examining at footballers' expected goals in the Premier League so far this campaign from normal play, the Norwegian striker is getting so many more excellent scoring situations to score than every other footballer.

Indeed, even if Haaland were no better at finishing chances than anyone else in the division, he would nevertheless have converted significantly more goals as the remainder of the league.

Scoring Situation Assessment

That is demonstrated by examining the number and quality of scoring situations that players have had in the top flight so far.

Haaland has attempted 29 efforts so far this term, 12 more than all other attackers.

This is actually not that remarkable for him - he had in fact attempted more open-play attempts at this juncture in the last two seasons (30 in 2023-24 and 34 in the previous term).

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

This statistic indicates is that footballers have traditionally scored the efforts he's registered at a 27 percent conversion rate.

Among footballers attempting at minimum ten attempts, only Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has had easier chances to convert per attempt - thanks to a several close-range conversions against the Hammers and Seagulls.

City striker's xG statistic of 0.27 per shot is significantly greater than the 0.17 xG rating per attempt he had at the beginning of the previous campaign.

To summarize, the scoring situations he has had in the current season have been notably easier to find the net from in a reorganised City team than those at the beginning of last season.

Past Performance Analysis

Starting a season so impressively is, as previously stated, not unusual for Haaland. Post seven fixtures last campaign he had scored 10 goals - a quartet more than any other player and six more than Mohamed Salah.

But it was the Reds attacker who claimed the top scorer award with 29 conversions, seven additional compared to the Etihad attacker.

During the current term, while Haaland has started in blistering form, Salah has netted fifty percent fewer goals and had half the chances (xG) than at this juncture last term.

Actually this has been the most subdued opening to a English top-flight campaign the Pharaohs star has made.

Rivals' Slow Start

It's not merely Salah who has started slowly either. Upon reviewing at the highest eleven attackers in the Premier League last season, Haaland has scored as many goals as the other 10 players put together so far.

Be it because of physical problems - several key attackers - extended transfer dramas in one particular striker's situation or just due to the fact that their clubs have faced difficulties (several proven attackers), Haaland's likely rivals in the race for the Golden Boot have underperformed so far.

Continental Scoring Title Battle

Although the Norwegian appears the obvious frontrunner for the Premier League scoring title, what about the European top scorer prize that is awarded to the attacker netting the highest number in the continent's elite divisions?

That contest is considerably more open at this early stage because Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have also started in superb fashion, with eleven and nine strikes correspondingly.

The reality Haaland has registered multiple conversions and has the greatest expected goals of the trio without yet taking any from the penalty spot makes him the frontrunner.

Yet given that the two continental superstars are some of the most excellent goal-scorers in European football in terms of outperforming their chance quality metrics, the race is certainly on.