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Premier League 2018/19 season is about to come to an end. Chelsea have been pretty much struggling half the season after a good start following the change of manager. Maurizio Sarri was expected to transform the London outfit into a more attacking side but, the Blues have seen some embarrassing defeat against Manchester City, Everton, and Bournemouth in the process.
However, the London side has been able to regain a bit of stability recently and even recorded 3 consecutive clean sheets in their last 4 games. They also have the upper hand to progress into the next stage of Europa League and still in the race for top 4 in the Premier League.
Several players have consistently become standout performers despite the Blues' turbulent season. Here we will rank 5 of those players who deserve to be a top candidate for Chelsea's player of the year.
#5 Willian
Perhaps many are not noticing that the Afro Brazilian has been Chelsea's second top assister behind Eden Hazard. He has set up his teammates 6 times and has scored 3 in the league so far. He has also gone on a rampage in the Europa League, amassing 7 assists with further 3 goals for the club in just 9 starting appearances in the competition.
He has been linked with several European giants such as Barcelona and Manchester United due to his enormous talent and eye-catching displays. He is a rare-breed of winger who can be a lethal playmaker and run with blistering pace at the same time.
He has created a massive 2.5 and 3.2 key passes on average in Premier and Europa Leagues respectively. However, he still needs consistency as he is yet to be able to secure a Premier League starting spot regularly. His goal contributions also need improving to be able to clinch a higher rank on this list.
#4 Antonio Rudiger
The German defender lost his place to Garry Cahill several times last season even though Chelsea spent a huge €35 million to get him in 2017. However, he has gradually risen to prominence since and now becoming one of the fans's favorite players.
He is one of only a few players that have adapted seamlessly to Sarri's highly-offensive system. He is a reliable defender who rarely makes mistakes due to his impressive passing accuracy and has a great sense of leadership.
He has completed an outstanding 91.4 percent of his deliveries on average in all competitions. His pinpoint passes and efficient defending has helped Chelsea a lot in building their attacks smoothly from the back.
His traits have also made Chelsea a lethal counterattacking threat to a more dominant opposition. Unfortunately, his overall defensive stats are somewhat abysmal and, there are more complete Chelsea players who deserve to be above him on this list.
#3 Cesar Azpilicueta
The Spaniard has been pretty much the heartbeat for Maurizio Sarri's side this season. He has almost featured in all of Chelsea's matches and doing the dirty work for the highly-offensive Sarri team. His defensive stats have far surpassed Rudiger and David Luiz who used to be Chelsea's main center back despite the Spaniard playing as a fullback.
He has recorded a solid 2.6 tackles and 1.1 intercepts per game in the Premier League, including 13 tackles against Manchester City at the Stamford Bridge in December. Aside from his resolute defending, he has also impressed in attacks as he has been directly involved in 5 league goals and delivered 87.4 percent of his passes on average.
A complete defender who consistently excels at both attack and defense throughout the season, Azpilicueta surely deserves to be considered as one of the strongest candidates for player of the year award.
#2 N'golo Kante
It would be really hard for anyone to imagine Chelsea's midfield without Kante. The Frenchman is the Blues's undisputed best midfielder throughout the season. Sarri might have played him out of position but, the World Cup winner has adapted very well to his more-offensive new role.
His goal involvements have risen dramatically compared to last season as he has scored 3 and further assisted his teammates 4 times in the league this campaign. He has consistently been the better player for his club amid Chelsea's tumultuous display.
Critics have been pretty much quiet over the Frenchman seeing how Jorginho, Ross Barkley, and Mateo Kovacic have all been slammed relentlessly due to abysmal displays. Hence, it is normal that Kante has become Chelsea's most important and most wanted players alongside Hazard this season.
#1 Eden Hazard
It is understandable that the Blues are willing to keep the Belgian star at all cost amid very strong interest from Real Madrid. Hazard has pretty much become Chelsea's version of Lionel Messi for years. The 28-year-old has 'singlehandedly' carried his team to beat their opponents on numerous occasions.
A superbly lethal player who is nearly impossible to defend against, Hazard can score or assist at will. He is now on the run to become the Premier League top scorer and top assist maker at the same time.
He has amassed 16 league goals and further provided an outstanding 12 assists so far. Judging by his contributions for the club this season, Hazard is the most likely winner for Chelsea's player of the year award without further explanations.
