#3 Diego Costa – Chelsea
If there was one player who played a significant part in Chelsea winning matches in the first half of the season, then it was Diego Costa. The Spaniard spearheaded Chelsea’s title challenge in 2016 with 14 goals and five assists in 18 league games and looked set to be named the Player of the Year. Costa scored five winners and three equalisers in that period, becoming the most important player for Chelsea.
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However, a training ground bust-up and a mega bid from China seem to have turned his head and injuries have also played a part in his dip in form. He has not scored in the last four league games, which is a first in his Chelsea career and a combination of the above factors could have led to a miss in the awards nomination.
Nevertheless, his terrific performances in the first half of the season, that helped Chelsea build a platform on which the team is marching ahead in 2017, definitely deserved a mention.
