Harry Kane vs Diego Costa vs Sergio Aguero: Premier League Golden Boot has three main contenders... but who will win it?

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The Premier League Golden Boot is one of the most sought-after individual prizes in the game - and this season’s competition is delicately poised for the final run-in.

The three main contenders - Chelsea’s Diego Costa on 19, Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane on 19 and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero on 17 - are all in with a chance of winning it.

Will it go down to form? Will it be rocked by injury and suspension? Will it have the fairytale conclusion that so many would love to see?

Sportsmail takes a look at the runners and riders in the race for the Golden Boot...

The race for the Golden Boot seems to be between Harry Kane (left), Diego Costa (centre) and Sergio Aguero

Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur

Can Harry Kane’s whirlwind season continue right until the end or will it run out of air? 

His hat-trick against Leicester in Tottenham’s last league match just goes to show how quickly the goalscorers chart can change as he leapt to catch Diego Costa within the space of 90 minutes.

Ultimately, any Englishman and most neutrals would want to see Kane top at the end of the campaign, regardless of which team they support, given his story.

Kane’s main downfall will be his lack of experience. Hopefully his youthful exuberance will not fade into nervous tension. Costa, 26, and Aguero, 26, are seasoned experts compared to the 21-year-old, more aware of what is required to find the back of the net after a long campaign when the thighs ache and the quads burn. 

Tottenham Hotspur's Kane was 500/1 to be the Premier League's top goalscorer at the start of the season

This zonal map shows where Kane scored his 19 goals this season for Tottenham in the Premier League

This pitch view map shows where Kane scored his goals from around the 18-yard box for Tottenham

Diego Costa, Chelsea 

The snarling, street-fighting Chelsea striker is joint-top of the goalscorers chart, but has played fewer games to reach his total goals tally and has one more to play than his two main rivals.

Forget Kane and Aguero, however, Costa’s main adversary is himself.

His aggressive style of play means he is the most likely of the three to pick up a suspension. He is already on eight domestic yellow cards for the season and was retrospectively banned for three matches for a stamp on Liverpool’s Emre Can.

Chelsea also have a tougher run-in than Tottenham and Manchester City. They still have to face Manchester United and Liverpool at home and Arsenal away. 

Having said that, Costa has already scored against Arsenal and Liverpool this season and is yet to face United who have had an unstable defence.

Chelsea striker Costa is among the best signings of the season and has 19 goals in the Premier League

This zonal map shows where Costa scored his 19 goals this season for Chelsea in the Premier League

This pitch view map shows where Costa scored his goals from around the 18-yard box for Chelsea

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City

He is the rank-outsider, but one who you would bet against at your peril. 

Aguero is trailing the other two by two goals, but he has scored four in one game this season, against Tottenham who he will face again in City’s remaining eight games.

Of the three strikers, Aguero is by far the best finisher who can conjure a goal, or two, from nowhere in a game.

He has already scored eight times against the last eight teams City have to face - the same amount as Costa and Kane’s record put together in their last fixtures of the season.

Injury will be Aguero’s main concern. The knee injury he suffered in December cost him a month out and he has failed to consistently string together games since he moved there four years ago.

Manchester City striker Aguero has 17 goals and is just two behind the leading Premier League goalscorers

This zonal map shows where Aguero scored his 19 goals this season for City in the Premier League

This pitch view map shows where Aguero scored his goals from around the 18-yard box for City

My Golden Boot Guestimate…

This is, obviously, no exact science. You can analyse all the statistics, numbers and records in the world and the enigma of chance will always rear its head.

For example, Costa has scored more of his goals, eight, against teams currently sitting from sixth to 10th, but only plays one of those, Stoke. Kane has netted eight of his strikes against teams now in the bottom five, and has two of those, Aston Villa and Burnley, remaining. 

Conversely, Aguero has a more even spread against teams throughout the table. And Aguero has a far better early-season record against City’s last teams than the other two. But then Aguero has not scored in five games, Costa has two in last two and Kane six in his last four.

My heart says Kane, but my head goes with Costa, so I choose the Chelsea man. 

AND THE OUTSIDE BETS FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE GOLDEN BOOT...

Charlie Austin, Queens Park Rangers (15 goals)

Left foot: 2

Right foot: 10

Head: 3

Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin is four behind the top goalscorers on 15 for the season

 

Olivier Giroud, Arsenal (13 goals)

Left foot: 8

Right foot: 1 

Head: 4

Arsenal are well represented in the top five goalscorers this season so far with Olivier Giroud on 13

 

Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal (13 goals)

Left foot: 0

Right foot: 11

Head: 2

Alexis Sanchez is another Arsenal star among the top Premier League goalscorers with 13 to his name

The graphics used for Kane, Costa and Aguero's goals were provided by Squawka