Aleksandrs Čekulajevs' 46 Estonian league goals in 2011 mean he is still Europe's top scorer in the first ESM Golden Shoe rankings of the new year, but the JK Trans Narva man's days at the summit look to be numbered.

Cristiano Ronaldo added another goal to his tally in Real Madrid CF's first game since the winter break on Saturday to take him to 21 for the season. Given the extra weight goals in the Liga carry, two more will overhaul Čekulajevs.

Third-ranked Seydou Doumbia, meanwhile, is unlikely to be there by the time the Russian league campaign resumes in March. FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Arsenal FC's Robin van Persie are within a goal of the PFC CSKA Moskva man's 36-point total, with Mario Gomez of FC Bayern München a further strike off that pace.

With the Premier League the only big domestic competition continuing over the Christmas period, English-based strikers have been given an additional opportunity to shine. Newcastle United FC's Demba Ba seized it; since UEFA.com's last Golden Shoe update on 19 December, the Senegalese hitman has registered four times.

ESM Golden Shoe standings: 8 January 2012

1. Aleksandrs Čekulajevs (JK Trans Narva) 46 x 1 = 46
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF) 21 x 2 = 42
3. Seydou Doumbia (PFC CSKA Moskva) 24 x 1.5 = 36
4. Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona) 17 x 2 = 34
4. Robin van Persie (Arsenal FC) 17 x 2 = 34
6. Mario Gomez (FC Bayern München) 16 x 2 = 32
7. Demba Ba (Newcastle United FC) 15 x 2 = 30
7. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (FC Schalke 04) 15 x 2 = 30
9. Burak Yılmaz (Trabzonspor AŞ) 19 x 1.5 = 28.5
10. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City FC) 14 x 2 = 28
10. Lukas Podolski (1. FC Köln) 14 x 2 = 28

Rules
Only the leading five countries – Spain, Italy, Germany, France and England – in the UEFA rankings have two as their multiplier. This is to emphasise the difference in (international) performance level between clubs from those countries and those of other nations.

A player cannot play first in a summer league (e.g. Norway) and then in a winter league (e.g. Spain) and combine the points totals for each season.