No top-flight player has scored 40 goals in an English top-flight season since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. As Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah and Sergio Aguero all close in on that target, our experts analyse how they have done it.

Harry Kane

Biggest strengths

Kane’s ball striking is superb. Even when he misses that target, he has usually hit the ball cleanly. When Mauricio Pochettino gives his players an afternoon off, Kane will often contact the rest of Tottenham’s attacking players to organise an hour of extra shooting practice. But the session is not players wildly lashing balls towards an empty net.

Kane’s shooting practice is strictly set to between 100 and 150 balls in the hour and all shots must be taken from inside the box and replicate genuine shooting positions that come up during games. He is not put off by missing, as he once again proved at Crystal Palace.

Who does he rely on most?

Dele Alli has developed telepathy with Kane that often sees the pair link up to score, but Kane is not dependent on one team-mate or one particular type of chance. If Alli is having an off day, then Kane is just as likely to score from a cross from either Keiran Trippier or Ben Davies.