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The 2015/16 Premier League season is now a month old, and what has been really surprising to see so far is the bridge in the gap between the so-called ‘Big 6’ and the rest of the teams.No one would quite have anticipated Crystal Palace and Leicester to currently occupy the Champions League places. Claudio Ranieri has improved the dynamics of the Leicester City squad which has helped them fetch impressive results early in the Premier League campaign.Alan Pardew, much loved and respected at Selhurst Park, has been absolutely spot-on with his new signings, and the evidence of that can be seen from their work-ethics on the field. His side will right now be cock-a-hoop after overcoming defending champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge- inflicting only a second home defeat for Mourinho in 100 league games.But what really has stunned most Premier League followers is the indifferent start defending champions Chelsea have suffered during their early weeks of this season. An un-inspiring draw against Swansea followed by a thrashing at the hands of league leaders Manchester City prompted Jose Mourinho to snatch the services of Barcelona surplus Pedro from Manchester United.Though he showed an instant impact in Chelsea’s 3-2 win at West Bromwich, questions were being repeatedly asked about their exposed and unstable defence. Further doubts were cast on that part of the pitch when they suffered a second defeat in 3 games at the hands of Palace at home. Currently 8 points adrift off the top of the table, it will take a real Mourinho master-mind to turn Chelsea’s fortunes around if they have to pose a serious challenge to the other Premier League contenders.As we head into the international break, we look at 5 players who have stood out beyond expectation, and are the early front-runners for the PFA Player of the Year. Let’s take a closer look at their strengths and contributions to their teams:
#1 Bakary Sako - Crystal Palace
This Malian attacking-midfielder, brought in on a free transfer following his release from Wolverhampton Wanderers, has been absolutely sensational in the final third for Crystal Palace. His presence has provided a threat towards the opposition goal that Palace lacked over the last season. Two goals and an assist in his first two starts for the Selhurst Park outfit has proven the positive influence he provides to the team.
In addition to this, he also has the highest pass completion rate (88.7%) than any of his Eagles’ team-mates (min. 150 minutes played), showing that he creates key chances up-front. which has made him the player to fear as far as opposition defences are concerned.
With an attacking line-up of Sako, Wilfried Zaha, Yannick Bolasie and Jason Puncheon, Palace fans can expect their side to find the back of the net on more occasions than in previous seasons.
Although manager Alan Pardew has played down his side’s chances of challenging for a European spot this season, it definitely appears as if the Palace faithful could be treated to much more than just the objective of staying in the Premier League by achieving the benchmark of 40 points. With goalscoring defenders like Joel Ward in their tank as well, expect goals galore at Selhurst Park over the course of this season.
Crystal Palace pass completion rates (min. 150 minutes played)
| Player | Pass Completion (%) |
| Bakary Sako | 88.7 |
| James McArthur | 88.7 |
| Yohan Cabaye | 87.3 |
Crystal Palace shots/game(min. 2 games played)
| Player | Shots/Game |
| Bakary Sako | 5.5 |
| Yohan Cabaye | 2.5 |
| Jason Puncheon | 2 |
#2 Eliaquim Mangala - Manchester City
After a disastrous 2014-15 campaign, Eliaquim Mangala is finally responding to his £31.8m price tag this season. Heavily lambasted for his weakness while going one-on-one with an opposition player and tendency to scuff the offside trap, Eliaquim Mangala seems to have returned to his old ‘rock’ figure which made him the heart of the Porto defence.
His liability in defence was confirmed when he played 3 Manchester United attackers onside while handling a set-piece delivery for Chris Smalling to find the target unchallenged for United’s 4th goal, a match which the Red Devils eventually won 4-2.
Come the 2015/16 season, and with an average of 5 key clearances per game and around 3 key interceptions every 90 minutes (highest in his team) and 4 games without conceding a goal alongside a much improved Vincent Kompany, Mangala has made a mockery of his critics over the past month with his concentration and solidity in front of Joe Hart in the goal.
With another CB Nicklas Otamendi joining the table-toppers from Valencia, Mangala’s biggest challenge over the next 9 months will be to hold off first-team competition from the Argentine (who made the most successful clearances in La Liga last season) and keep him on the bench for as long as possible. This trio of quality centre-backs has assured boss Manuel Pellegrini of a stronger defensive performance as compared to last season.
Manchester City clearances/game
| Player | Clearances/game |
| Eliaquim Mangala | 4.8 |
| Vincent Kompany | 4 |
| Aleksander Kolarov | 3.8 |
Manchester City key interceptions/game
| Player | Key Interceptions/game |
| Eliaquim Mangala | 3 |
| Bacary Sagna | 2 |
| Fernandinho | 1.5 |
#3 Riyad Mahrez - Leicester City
This 24-year-old Algerian winger has made the lives of full-backs torrid during Leicester City’s first 3 games of the season. His energetic runs down the wing and ability to work the ball into the opposition box has made him an early contender for the Premier League’s Golden Boot and Player of the Season.
Along with 4 goals already in his kitty, Mahrez has also enjoyed the most successful dribbles against opposition players (10 so far in the season), and has had the luxury of having attempted more shots on target than any of his fellow Foxes’ players. His creativity with the ball at his feet has also made him the most fouled Leicester player in the League so far (2.5 times per game).
With Jamie Vardy also in fine form in front of goal and Marc Albrighton finally finding his feet as a Foxes’ player on the other wing, Leicester have the firepower to aim for a mid-table finish, unlike last season where they had to pull off an incredible run of form (22 points out of the last 27 available) to stay on the league. Manager Claudio Ranieri will be hopeful to utilize him to the best of his ability to ensure Leicester maintain their strong start to the season.
| Player | Shots/game |
| Riyad Mahrez | 3.3 |
| Jamie Vardy | 2 |
| Marc Albrighton | 1.5 |
| Player | Successful Dribbles/game |
| Riyad Mahrez | 2.5 |
| Jeffrey Schlupp | 2.3 |
| Daniel Drinkwater | 1 |
#4 Bafetimbi Gomis - Swansea City
Following Wilfried Bony’s departure to Manchester City in January, this built 30-year old Frenchman was assigned the goal-scoring duties by manager Garry Monk. ‘Thank you very much Garry’, says Gomis. 4 goals in as many appearances has made him the most dangerous ‘leader-of-the-line’ in the league thus far.
His height and strength to hold off defenders has helped him win crosses from the wings and through balls from the centre of the pitch, and once he does that, he poses an enormous threat in front of goal.
He was all over Daley Blind in the Man United game, and his technique to hold him and Chris Smalling off to score the winning goal proves his threat in the opposition box . His goals/shots rate give impressive readings of 0.31, meaning that he scores approximately once every 3 times he has an effort on goal, which gives a red-alert signal to all Premier League defences, who must find a way to neutralise the contribution this big and burly Frenchman provides to the Swans.
Goals/shots ratio in the Premier League (min. 10 shots)
| Player | Goals/shots ratio |
| Bafetimbi Gomis(Swansea) | 0.31 |
| Mame Biram Diouf(Stoke City) | 0.20 |
| Graziano Pelle(Southampton) | 0.11 |
He is also well served from the wings, with Jefferson Montero and Ghana’s Andre Ayew creating enough chances for Gomis to capitalise on and get the goals for Garry Monk’s side. His ‘lone-wolf’ celebration after he finds the back of the net also makes him a front page candidate for the Welsh newspapers and magazines post a Swansea match.
#5 Morgan Schneiderlin - Manchester United
Spotted by Louis van Gaal as a long-term feature in the Manchester United midfield, this Frenchman was recruited from Southampton, and what a terrific piece of business this has proved to be for the Old Trafford club.
He has played a key role for United in front of the defence this season, with an impressive pass completion rate of 90.3% and also having made more key interceptions than any of his team-mates. He can also be a useful entity in the attacking third if needed, as he proved with his wonderful back-heel layoff for Luke Shaw in the game against Newcastle United.
| Player | Key interceptions/game |
| Morgan Schneiderlin | 3.3 |
| Bastian Schweinsteiger | 2.3 |
| Chris Smalling | 2.3 |
| Player | Successful tackles/game |
| Matteo Darmian | 4 |
| Morgan Schneiderlin | 3.8 |
| Juan Mata | 2 |
Defensive-midfielder role is one of the most underrated positions on a football pitch, and Schneiderlein is a near-perfect example of it. His contribution to the game is compared to the engine of an automobile- if it works, the automobile runs, if it doesn’t, the entire system malfunctions. Such is the invaluable role the French midfielder provides to United’s game with his passes, interceptions and ability to stop counter-attacks.
Man United passing accuracy(min. 180 minutes played)
| Player | Pass Completion rate(%) |
| Daley Blind | 90.9 |
| Morgan Schneiderlin | 90.3 |
| Juan Mata | 88.5 |
