Balogun's on fire! Arsenal loanee topples Mbappe to become Ligue 1 top scorer with hat-trick for Reims

Reims' Folarin Balogun bagged a hat-trick against Lorient on Wednesday afternoon, making him Ligue 1 top scorer with 14 goals in just 18 starts.

Leads Ligue 1 with 14 goals
Mbappe could overtake him later Wednesday
Arsenal loanee is USMNT eligible

WHAT HAPPENED? Balogun scored just before half-time and twice in quick succession midway through the second half to momentarily overtake Kylian Mbappe in the Ligue 1 Golden Boot race.

The Arsenal loanee is on fire of late, and has now scored five goals in his last three games. He netted a dramatic late equaliser against PSG, leaving Mbappe, who failed to get on the scoresheet, left to rue missed opportunities.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Balogun has been a steady provider of goals for Reims this season, scoring 14 times in Ligue 1 to push his team towards an unlikely top-half finish. Although he is currently atop the Ligue 1 scoring charts, Mbappe could retake his lead with a brace against Montpellier later Wednesday.

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WHAT THEY SAID?: “He is a super complete striker," Reims manager William Still said after his late heroics against PSG. "He is able to play with his back to goal, in depth. It is technically very clean. He scores, he is decisive.”

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