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We have witnessed some exhilarating Premier League football in the past 26 game weeks. Manchester City and Liverpool are battling it all out for the title while Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are chasing the remaining Champions League spots.
City have matched their record-breaking last season in terms of the quality of football they have been played. Though it is a Herculean task for them to outdo their unbelievable statistics from last season, some say Pep's brand of football has improved further this season.
Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool have been toe-to-toe with Manchester City, boasting the league's best defensive record and only succumbing to a lone defeat at the Etihad. Clinical going forward and solid at the back, this season could finally turn out to be the season fans have been craving at the red half Merseyside for a long time.
Tottenham Hotspur are only five points behind City and Liverpool, but many are still not convinced that they are serious title-challengers. This Spurs side has what it takes to win the title but their lack of experience on the bigger stages could plague even their most remote chances of Premier League glory.
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Chelsea were off-to-a-flyer in the beginning months of Sarri's reign, however, recent weeks have exposed the holes in this Chelsea side: lack of mentality, depth and motivation. Arsenal are still undergoing their transition from Arsene Wenger to Unai Emery. They have had their moments of joy, but are still a long way from competing with the best.
With the English Premier League entering its final stretch, we take a look at five players who have had a significant impact this season. These stand-out players are ranked according to their contribution to the team in terms of statistics and performance.
#5 Eden Hazard
The Belgian superstar's name is a no-brainer when it comes to listing the Premier League’s finest players of all time. Season after season, Eden Hazard has showcased his brilliance and world-class ability on the biggest stages.
Having said that, the former-Lille man has been scrutinized for his lack of goal-contributions in recent times. Being a forward with his capacity, Hazard has a relatively sub-standard tally of goal involvements compared to his counterparts.
However, this season, under Maurizio Sarri's attack-minded gameplay, Hazard has been absolutely prolific leading the assists chart with 10 ahead of the likes of Eriksen, Sané and Sterling. In terms of goal-involvements, Hazard (22) is just below Mohamed Salah (24) and Sergio Agüero (23).
The silver-ball winner of last year's World Cup has single-handedly bailed out Chelsea on several occasions. Chelsea had a fast start in the early months of this season, proving to be genuine title contenders, but over the last couple of months, their wheels have come off. Hazard, meanwhile, has been the standout performer in Chelsea's stop-start season. He is their only hope of achieving a Champions League spot.
Reports suggest that Real Madrid have been enquiring about the Belgian forward and his departure from Stamford Bridge come the end of the season looks highly likely. The Premier League will surely miss him.
#4 Mohamed Salah
“One-season wonder” Mohamed Salah has proved his haters wrong in yet another prolific Premier League season. In Liverpool’s best start to a PL season, Salah has been omnipresent among both goals & assists for the Reds. Firmino and Mane, Salah’s two partners-in-crime, have been overshadowed by the Egyptian’s telling contributions in key games.
Salah scored 32 goals in his first season in England, breaking a record tally of 31 set most-recently by Uruguayan superstar and former-Liverpool man Luis Suarez in the 2013/14 season.
It has been Liverpool’s first title-charge since that same season when City marginally eclipsed them following the Reds' damaging defeat to Chelsea and the famous 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace.
Signs of a title challenge were surfacing even last season at Anfield, but this might be Liverpool their best chance to get hands on the much-awaited Premier League title. Jürgen Klopp will need Mo Salah to keep firing on all cylinders in the remaining games if they wish to avoid any repeat of the travesty fans witnessed five years ago.
#3 Sergio Agüero
Fans and pundits have run out of superlatives to define the Manchester City talisman over the years. In his seven seasons in the country, Sergio Agüero has scored 160 Premier League goals, including 11 hat-tricks and also boasts the best goals-per-minute ratio in the league’s history. He has won three titles in that span and is currently spearheading his club to a fourth.
The Argentine is currently leading the goals-chart (17) alongside Liverpool's Mohamed Salah. In a staggering statistic, Agüero has scored eight goals in four appearances versus the top-six sides at home this season: one each against Liverpool and Manchester United, and recent hat-tricks against Arsenal and Chelsea.
In a recent interview, Premier League record goal-scorer Alan Shearer labeled the City forward as a "better goalscorer" than Thierry Henry after the former equaled his league-highest 11 hat-tricks. Many have also touted Agüero as the “best foreign player” to ever grace the country over the likes of Denis Bergkamp, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry.
Many pundits and fans feared that Aguero's time at Manchester City was up following Pep Guardiola’s arrival. The former Athletico Madrid forward has proved to be one of the game's finest out-and-out goalscorer but claims suggested that Pep’s strikers are more rounded to press and defend, someone like Gabriel Jesus.
Defying the critics, Agüero has adapted to each Guardiola's philosophies which in turn has improved his all-round game drastically. Not only does he take vital positions to score goals, he tracks back, links-up with the midfielders and also switches to the left-wing if needed. Manchester City fans are hoping Agüero can keep up his red-hot form till the end of the season.
#2 Raheem Sterling
The Manchester City high-flying winger has been a central figure of the Premier League bandwagon this season. It is no doubt that Pep Guardiola has completely revolutionized the English forward who has always been, in recent seasons, a scapegoat for his club and national team.
Sterling came on his own last season and played a defining role in Manchester City’s historic “centurion” Premier League season. With 29 goal contributions in 33 Premier League games, Sterling instantly became a fan favorite among the City faithful after a few underwhelming years at the Etihad.
This season has been similar in terms of impact, and some might say even better. Sterling already has 12 goals and 9 assists to his name, and with 11 games to go, he could easily outdo last season's heroics given his current run of form.
Sterling was also subject to racial abuse earlier this season in Manchester City’s defeat at Stamford Bridge. At the age of 24, Sterling has proved to be a significant role model for athletes both on-and-off the pitch.
The Jamaican-born forward has had his ups-and-downs in the recent past, but he has clearly laughed-off his critics and continues to be Manchester City's main man in their pursuit of a consecutive Premier League title.
#1 Virgil Van Dijk
If there is any difference between the Liverpool of last season and the Liverpool of this season, it is their Dutch centre-back Virgil Van Dijk. Quintessential for Klopp's team, Van Dijk has proved to be colossal at the heart of the Liverpool defence. Though all the plaudits often go to their deadly front-three, Van Dijk has been the unsung hero in Liverpool's title-charge.
As goal-hungry as they are with the likes of Mané, Firmino and Salah, Liverpool's leaky defence last season prevented them to push for the title. This season, however, the arrival of Brazilian GK Allison has helped the likes of Van Dijk become stalwart at the back. The Reds have conceded the fewest goals (15), five goals lesser than the next-best Manchester City (20).
Van Dijk is the perfect prototype of a modern-day defender: strong, athletic, intelligent and an immaculate passer of the ball. He is also a Liverpool captain, a motivator and an exceptional leader. Much of how Liverpool’s season has panned out so far has to be credited to Van Dijk’s resilience at the back.
With each passing year, defenders are getting less recognition for individual awards and prizes. It will be a remarkable story if Virgil Van Dijk is crowned the Player of the Year come May.
