Premier League: Arsenal star a popular top scorer pick

Alexis Sanchez's goalscoring output has increased in 2014

Only Robin van Persie has been backed more enthusiastically than Alexis Sanchez in the Premier League top scorer market...

The departure of last season's Premier League top scorer Luis Suarez to Barcelona - who say that he is 100% their player even though we're not 100% sure the deal has been 100% completed - has created an open race for the prize.

Two-time claimant Robin van Persie, who was dethroned by the sensational Uruguayan in 2013/14 (ranking a lowly 15th after injuries limited him to just 18 starts and 12 goals), is the early favourite, but he is far from a runaway leader at 6.611/2.

The outstanding marksmen of Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea all join the Dutchman in single-digit territory, with Sergio Aguero rated at 7.87/1, Daniel Sturridge valued at 9.28/1 and Diego Costa entering the bidding at 9.28/1 too.

Aguero has never topped the divisional scorer standings for any of his three clubs, Sturridge was runner-up to Suarez last term - which was the position from which Suarez usurped van Persie - while Costa will glean optimism from netting six more 2013/14 league goals than Studger.

However, the forward proving second-most popular with punters after RVP is Arsenal glamour signing Alexis Sanchez. Though the 35 million Chilean is fifth in the betting at 16.5n/a, a massive 20.7% of the money in the market has been staked on him.

Two obstacles stand in his way: he shares Aguero's lack of chart-topping experience, plus no foreign import has ever before been the Premier League's most prolific performer in their debut campaign.

On the flip side, the 25-year-old is enjoying the hottest scoring spell of his career, notching 13 times in the first half of 2014 for Barcelona as he almost single-handedly snatched La Liga's top spot off the more deserving Atletico Madrid.

It was his third double-digit league season in four, with the 19 strikes marking his highest tally yet. No club have engineered as many Premier League top-scorer triumphs as the Gunners, whose total of five ties them with Man United.