Ballon d’Or 2018: The top 5 Contenders from the Premier League

#3 N’golo Kante

Leicester City v Chelsea - Premier League

The French World Cup winner is the best defensive midfielder in the World for a couple of seasons now. Last season, Kante was pivotal in Chelsea’s extended run in the FA Cup, ultimately helping the Blues win the trophy in May. In the Premier League, he scored 1 goal, registered 1 assist, averaged 63 passes per game and created 4 big chances. He attempted 9 through balls and 89 accurate long balls. But Kante’s biggest strength was his defensive solidity. He attempted 113 tackles with 67% accuracy, recorded 85 interceptions and 26 clearances. He recovered the ball 312 times and did not commit a single error which led to a goal.

Over the summer at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Kante struck a formidable partnership with Paul Pogba at the centre of the park for the France National Team. His energy, drive and work ethics ensured that France ended the Tournament as World Champions.

This season, there were questions of his application in Maurizio Sarri’s tactics, however, the Frenchman has thrown all the doubts through the window and excelled under the guidance of the Italian. He has already scored 1 goal in 8 games, influencing the game from higher up the pitch now. He has attempted 14 tackles with 57% accuracy and has recovered the ball 45 times already. N’golo Kante, as such, is 3rd in our list of Premier League Players in the Ballon d’Or Shortlist.

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