Who will be Golden in the EPL?

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With both Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tévez gone, Manchester United fans should see a lot more goal celebrations from Wayne Rooney. Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images The Limey's Mailbag Keep the banter flowing to The Limey. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

Deadly, lethal, prolific -- just a few adjectives often used to describe Team Limey's nightclub performances on a Saturday night. Back in the real world, these are apt descriptions of the elite goal-scorers discussed in this week's column. More specifically, we're looking at who we think will be donning the Golden Boot as the English Premier League's top scorer this season.

It's basic logic that high-scoring teams reside towards the top end of the league. Indeed, over the last eight seasons, the EPL's top scorer has played for one of the sides finishing in the top four. There's a plethora of striking talent across the "Big Four," and whether a player becomes the league's top scorer isn't just down to individual talent; it's also driven by his team's formation and strategy and the other personnel in the squad.

The departures of Carlos Tévez and Cristiano Ronaldo (the league's top scorer in 2007-08 and runner-up last season) from Old Trafford have triggered a rearrangement of Manchester United's attack. Over the last two or three seasons, Ronaldo excelled as United's chief scorer, while Tévez (when he actually played) lined up in the central role. That forced Wayne Rooney to play wherever he could fit, which usually meant a roaming role on the left or right side of the attack, not a position which would provide the goal return we anticipated from Rooney when he first burst onto the scene.

So far this season, Rooney is playing in a central role and has scored four goals in four league matches. He's also on fire for England, with 10 goals in his last eight outings. Brimming with confidence, and determined to have a strong season ahead of next summer's trip to South Africa, Rooney is a prime candidate to finish on top of the scoring pile.

After successfully deploying Dimitar Berbatov there late last season, Sir Alex Ferguson has vowed also to play the Bulgarian further forward. Berbatov bagged 15 goals in '07-08, a total that, after a disappointing time at Old Trafford last season, he'll be keen to improve. A lethal marksman, Berbatov is an outside contender for top scorer; his lack of pace and Rooney's eye for goal may though hold him back, however. Conversely, bettered only by Robin van Persie's 11 for Arsenal, Berbatov created 10 assists last season and may prove invaluable to Rooney's statistics.

The Rooney-Michael Owen partnership never quite worked for England, and we can't see why it will gel this season for the reigning EPL champions. Given his record alongside Rooney and his recent fitness problems, Owen is expected to be used sparingly by Ferguson as an impact substitute and therefore has to be ruled out as a genuine candidate for the Golden Boot. Owen's now fragile confidence won't be improved by England boss Fabio Capello again not selecting him for the England squad.

At Liverpool, Fernando Torres is the main man and, realistically, the only player at the club with a chance of winning the Golden Boot. Steven Gerrard scores regularly with his bursting runs, and from free kicks and penalties. His tally, though high for a midfielder, won't beat all comers.

As Liverpool's only out-and-out goal-scorer, Torres is in a strong position to improve on his '07-08 haul of 24 EPL goals. However, "El Niño" has started the season slowly and looks tired, the Confederations Cup possibly taking effect. With the likes of Andriy Voronin and David N'Gog as backups, Rafa Benítez will want to keep Torres on the field as much as possible. The main concern is when he will have the chance to recharge his batteries and whether too much rests on his young shoulders.

At Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti has diversified away from the single pronged attack favored by his predecessors, José Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari. Anceloti's Italian approach has involved the deployment of both of Chelsea's main forwards -- Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba -- who happen to be two of the most deadly strikers in EPL history. With Chelsea's offensive record, both will score freely, but in terms of the top scorer's table, playing as the only central striker pays dividends. This week's ruling preventing Chelsea from signing anyone over the next two transfer windows will prevent further internal competition. That should mean that Anelka will be pacified by the renewed contract he's demanding.