Rondon and Perez competing for top scorer crown

Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez are in a tight race for Newcastle United’s Golden Boot this season.

While the general attention at Newcastle United is on staying out of the relegation battle, there is another competition that is starting to turn heads on Tyneside. In total, 11 different players have scored at least one goal for the Magpies this season, but the race for being the club’s top scorer is truly only between Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez.

The race between the Venezuelan frontman and last season’s top scorer is close. Rondon currently leads the team with eight goals and Perez is only two shy of that tally with six goals. Rondon has averaged eight goals in each season with West Brom, but he is on track to hitting double figures with Newcastle. Perez led the team with eight goals last season and he is on track to beating his record as well.

It is not that important to see who will lead the club in scoring at the end of the season. The key thing for Rafa Benitez is to see his attacking players score goals and get results for the team. However, we cannot let this tight race pass us by without predicting who will claim the scoring crown on Tyneside.

Rondon vs. Perez

The thing that makes this race so interesting is the fact that both of these players are trying to prove themselves to different people for different reasons. Rondon is looking to turn his loan deal into a permanent contract at Newcastle. The only way for that to happen is if he scores goals on a regular basis and leads the team in this category. He needs to impress Rafa Benitez, Mike Ashley and the Toon Army.

Perez is also playing with a chip on his shoulder as he received a lot of criticism for his poor form in the first half of the season. The Spaniard is aiming to prove that he deserves to start for Newcastle and consistency is the only thing that will keep him in the starting eleven.

As mentioned earlier, Rondon has eight goals while Perez is catching up with six goals. Newcastle’s number nine has scored against Bournemouth (2), Everton (2), Huddersfield Town (2), Watford and Manchester City. Perez has the found the back of the net against Watford, Wolverhampton, Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town and Everton (2).

It would not surprise me if Perez caught up to Rondon, but like most of the people who voted in our Twitter poll, my prediction is that Rondon will maintain his lead through mid-May. He is a dynamic scorer who can score in different ways against any team.

Final Prediction

• Salomon Rondon – 12 goals
• Ayoze Perez – 9 goals