After a great season Manchester City players are the leading contenders for the Player of the Season awards but there are other players who have impressed as well.
With the season nearing its conclusion Premier League players are getting ready to vote for the Player of the Season. There are some obvious candidates to mention but might there be others worthy of consideration?
Manchester City have been setting a relentless pace at the top of the league and playing some of the best football seen since the league began. Not surprisingly they have a host of players in contention for these awards.
Kevin De Bruyne has been simply brilliant this campaign steeping up to the level of the best footballers in the world. He has so far created a league-leading number of assists and has been key to City’s devastatingly effective total football this season.
Another City player who has improved dramatically is England forward Raheem Sterling. After several frustrating seasons where he has too often flattered to deceive, Sterling has delivered the end product this term and become a consistent goal threat.
Then there is David Silva. He has almost matched De Bruyne for his influence and creativity and scored some important goals as well this season. His interplay with the other attacking players has been a joy to watch.
And of course let’s not forget the continuing excellence of Sergio Aguero. Once more his goal-scoring prowess has been in evidence and he has again netted more than 20 goals this season.
But it’s not just Manchester City’s forwards who should get all the credit for the teams’ brilliant football. The way City play also depends on the team having a very effective holding player that allows all of City’s myriad attacking talents to play with such devastating freedom.
Fernandinho has played exactly that role for City this season. He has been the hinge on which City’s brilliant attacking football has been built. Fernandinho’s role has been neglected with all the focus on the forwards but he has been playing with a quiet and consistent authority.
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Moving on from the league leaders, one other player who has been a revelation in this campaign is Mohamed Salah at Liverpool.
After an earlier brief and unsuccessful spell with Chelsea, Salah has returned to the Premier League and produced an outstanding season for Liverpool.
His contribution has meant that Liverpool could sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona and so far at least, have not missed his goals and assists.
At Old Trafford Manchester United’s best player is goalkeeper David De Gea. It’s telling in terms of United’s performances that the team’s top performer is not a forward or midfielder instead it is the man between the posts.
De Gea has underlined his status as the best keeper in the league with another season of clean sheets and shot-stopping of the highest order.
Travelling from the northwest to London and Harry Kane has once again delivered the goals that Tottenham Hotspur have come to depend on.
A complete centre-forward he could win the Golden Boot for the third season in a row, the first time that’s been done since Alan Shearer in the mid-nineties.
Another Spurs player who has impressed is Moussa Dembele. His authoritative form in midfield has been particularly important this season given the injuries Spurs have had at the back. Dembele does the simple things very well and rarely gives the ball away.
What about those players who are not plying their trade at those clubs competing at the top of the Premier League?
Just north of London, Watford unearthed a talented and unexpectedly effective player in Richarlison. The skilful Brazilian forward proved a revelation in the first few months of the season as Watford began the season well.
Although the team’s form has dropped off since then, Richarlison has continued to impress. He’s now on the transfer radar of some of the league’s biggest clubs.
So those are a few of my contenders – are there any I’ve left out?