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As you know the EA Sport’s FIFA 16 player ratings are out and after the last segment of this series where we looked at the top 10 highest rated players from the Spanish La Liga. It is now time we took a sneak peek at the big guns from the English Premier League.There have been a few significant changes compared to the list from last year after a busy transfer window that saw highly rated players like Robin van Persie, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Kevin de Bruyne change clubs.Here’s a look at the top 10 players in the EPL.
#10 Thibaut Courtois - Chelsea
Signed from Belgian club Genk, Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet in a frighteningly short period of time. But with an overall rating of 86, the Belgian international has not seen any change from the last instalment of the game. 84 In diving, 88 in reflexes, 87 in handling and 86 in positioning, Courtois’ numbers are excellent.
The Belgian was called to the Chelsea first team at the beginning of last season after three incredible years on loan with Spanish club Atletico Madrid where he won one La Liga, one Copa del Rey and a Europa League title. Replacing club legend Petr Cech for the No.1 spot, Courtois’ performance between the sticks were admirable as Chelsea went on to win the Premier League and the League cup.
The former Genk man signed a new five-year contract extension with Chelsea in 2014 keeping him at Stamford Bridge at least until 2019.
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#9 Diego Costa - Chelsea
Chelsea’s Diego Costa had a phenomenal start to his life in England since completing his big money from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea. The Brazil born Spanish international scored seven goals in his first four games for Chelsea, beating a tally of six goals set by Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and former Newcastle and Portsmouth forward Micky Quinn.
Costa’s overall rating of 86 on FIFA 16 saw an upgrade of one point from the last edition. With 88 in physical attributes, 82 in pace, 83 in shooting and 79 in dribbling, the former Atletico man boasts decent numbers despite being a subject of debate among many fans.
He ended his first season at Stamford Bridge scoring 21 goals in the league that helped Chelsea steer clear of their closest rivals and win the league for the fifth time in their history. Chelsea who have had a terrible start to their campaign this season would be hoping to rely yet again on their talismanic forward to bang in the goals.
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#8 Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City
New Manchester City signing Kevin de Bruyne has seen a massive upgrade to his overall ratings in this FIFA edition. The Belgian who has had a rating of 81 in FIFA 15 has had a 5 points boost bringing his overall figure to 86. Quite impressive, Kevin!
The former Chelsea starlet signed for City for the gargantuan sum of £55 million setting a new cub record and became the second most expensive player in English football history after Angel Di Maria, who cost Manchester United a whopping £59.7 million.
With 86 in passing, 84 in dribbling and 83 in shooting, almost all of De Bruyne’s attributes have seen minor upgrades from last year. The Belgian had a phenomenal season with Bundesliga club Wolfsburg last season scoring 16 goals and registering an incredible 27 assists in all competitions.
De Bruyne was rewarded for his performances with the prestigious Bundesliga Player of the Year Award.
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#7 David De Gea - Manchester United
Manchester United’s David De Gea is the highest rated goalkeeper in the Premier League with an overall rating of 86. De Gea’s numbers have seen an upgrade of three points from the last instalment.
Indispensable to Louis van Gaal’s plans, the Spaniard has been United’s best player for the last two seasons. With 89 in reflexes, 88 in diving, 86 in kicking, 83 in positioning and 81 in handling, the former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper is to be counted among the best goalkeepers in the world.
De Gea’s heroics in front of the goal last season helped United reach one of the coveted top four places as they finished fourth and secured Champions League football for the following season. After months and months of speculation linking him with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, and a failed transfer believed to have collapsed in the dying minutes of deadline day, the 6’4” goalkeeper signed a four-year contract extension with an option of extending for a further year at Old Trafford.
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#6 Alexis Sanchez - Arsenal
Alexis Sanchez might as well go down as one of Arsenal’s greatest ever signings. The Chilean had a debut season even Diego Costa would be envious of. Alexis scored an impressive 26 goals in 42 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions – that is brilliant from someone who is not a striker in his debut season in a new league!
The former Barcelona winger’s overall rating of 86 went through an upgrade of just one point – still causing uproar among the Gooners – from the last FIFA edition. 87 In pace, 88 in dribbling and 83 in shooting, Alexis possesses the hallmarks of a modern day attacker.
The Chilean helped Arsenal finish third in the league and win the FA Cup after scoring from long range in the 4-0 rout of Aston Villa at Wembley. He then returned to his homeland in the summer to play in the Copa America where the Chileans played Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the final and Alexis scored the winning penalty to lift the Copa America trophy.
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#5 Mesut Ozil - Arsenal
Mesut Ozil’s FIFA 16 ratings is a subject of controversy. The German’s overall rating of 87 went through an upgrade of one point from the last instalment despite not having the best of seasons last year. With 86 in dribbling and 85 in passing, the former Werder Bremen star embodies the quintessential trequartista that we all love so much.
Arsenal’s club-record signing and the most expensive German footballer of all time at £42.4 million, Ozil’s transition to English football has not been as easy as he would have hoped for. Five goals and nine assists in 26 games in his first season in England does not reflect a bad season, but the former Real Madrid player’s performances dwindled as the season progressed.
But the German made a decent start to last year’s campaign and along with fellow attacker Alexis Sanchez, formed a formidable partnership that saw the North London side win the FA Cup and finish third in the league table.
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#4 Cesc Fabregas - Chelsea
Cesc Fabregas, like so many other Chelsea players, had a phenomenal 2014/15 season. The Spaniard was one of Chelsea’s best players as he registered an impressive 18 assists in the league – more than any other player.
The former Arsenal midfielder’s performances were rewarded with an overall rating of 87 – an upgrade of three points from the last FIFA instalment. 90 in passing, 81 in dribbling and 78 in shooting – Fabregas’s numbers are fairly justified.
Much like his teammate Diego Costa, Fabregas’s performance dwindled in the second half of the season but that did not stop him from winning his first Premier League title in his ninth season in England – his first with Chelsea!
The Barcelona La Masia graduate also won the League Cup after beating fellow London club Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at Wembley.
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#3 Sergio Aguero - Manchester City
According to these FIFA ratings, Manchester City’s talismanic forward Sergio Aguero is the best striker in the Premier League. The Argentine enjoyed a stunning campaign personally despite finishing second in the league table behind champions Chelsea. The former Atletico Madrid striker took home the Golden Boot award after scoring an incredible 26 goals in 33 games for the Citizens.
Aguero’s overall FIFA rating is 87 and some of his key figures read: 89 in pace, 89 in dribbling, 87 in shooting and 77 in passing. No wonder he cruised past defenders last season!
The Argentine striker’s overall rating got an upgrade of just one point from the game’s last instalment, and some fans have debated the numbers citing he should have had a higher rating.
Manchester City have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the new campaign this season – 5 wins in 5 games and 11 goals scored in the process.
Buy FIFA 16 here – Rs 500 off!
#2 David Silva - Manchester City
David Silva is one of Manchester City’s greatest ever players. A bold statement to make, but ever since the Spaniard made his debut for the Sky Blues in the 2010/11 season, their identity has changed. Their existence has been more pronounced in the European scene and in Silva they have one of the best no.10s on the planet.
The Spaniard’s overall rating in FIFA 16 is an impressive 88 – a one point upgrade from the last edition. Some of his key attributes are rated as: 89 in passing, 89 in dribbling and 74 in shooting.
Described as the ‘Best player in the Premier League’ by former City teammate Edin Dzeko, Silva can operate anywhere across the three man attack behind a striker. But the former Valencia playmaker, like all City players, rued their missed opportunity last season to retain their Premier League title.
Silva has made a brilliant start to this season and City are on a roll registering five wins in five games in the Premier league this season. He was also instrumental in Spain’s wins in the Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Buy FIFA 16 here – Rs 500 off!
#1 Eden Hazard - Chelsea
Chelsea’s Eden Hazard is the English Premier League’s best player with an overall rating of 89. One of the architects of Chelsea’s league winning campaign last season, the Belgian scored 19 goals in all competitions for the Londoners. Hazard’s statistics read: 90 in pace, 92 in dribbling, 84 in passing and 82 in shooting.
Often touted as a heir to the throne after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi start to decline (wouldn’t bet on that!), Hazard has improved by leaps and bounds since completing his big-money move from French club Lille to Chelsea.
Hazard was rewarded for his terrific performances with the prestigious PFA Player of the Year Award. The 24-year-old was also voted Chelsea’s Player of the Year for a second year running becoming only the fifth player in Chelsea’s history to achieve this feat.
The Belgian signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract extension with Chelsea earlier this year, securing his long-term future with the Blues.
Buy FIFA 16 here – Rs 500 off!
