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Manchester City have dominated the league over the past couple of seasons and show no signs of slowing down. The squad is filled with stars, thanks to the huge influx of money pumped into the club because of their mega-rich owners, which has enabled them to bring in the very best from all over the world.
Other teams in the league don't stand much of a chance against the behemoth that Man City have become. Last season they broke numerous records and racked up 100 points - previously unheard of in the Premier League.
In this list, we're going to take a look at five of the most likely candidates for Player of the Year, based on their performances and general stats throughout this campaign.
#5 Fernandinho
Fernandinho is one of those players that simply don't get enough credit. He operates from the heart of the midfield and allows the attacking stars to enjoy the limelight, but it's really he that pulls the strings.
He will turn 34 in May yet still plays like a midfielder in their peak, getting up and down the field rapidly and showcasing stamina that has to be seen to be believed. Whilst he's mainly a defensive midfielder, we have seen him utilized in the central midfield role as well, doing a great job in both.
From the 27 matches that Fernandinho has been a part of, he's scored once and set up three goals for his teammates. With him being playing so deep, it's always going to be unlikely that he'll get many assists or goals in a season, but the fact he does so anyway is a testament to how well-rounded he truly is.
As a result of his contributions to the Man City squad, Fernandino gets the fifth-place slot.
#4 Aymeric Laporte
With Laporte in the side, Manchester City have kept a staggering 18 clean sheets. There's no doubting how crucial he is to the defensive structure now, despite a rocky start to life at the Etihad.
Laporte plays with the composure of an experienced defender who's seen and done it all, and yet he's only 24 years old. He has a maturity to him that separates him from the rest and would make for a great captain in the future.
Manchester City splashed out almost £60m for Laporte in January 2018 and many thought that it was a huge gamble, given that he'd only ever played in Spain; but his transition to the Premier League has been very smooth and reflects just how naturally gifted he is at his craft.
Aymeric Laporte gets the fourth-place slot for being by far one of City's best defenders this season.
#3 Bernardo Silva
Last season Bernardo Silva was very hit-or-miss; there was no consistency to his play and he was prone to being superb in one game to nothing short of appalling the next. However, Pep Guardiola seems to have put a stop to that now, for this season Bernardo has been exceptional.
The Portuguese winger has netted six goals and assisted a further eight so far this season, illustrating just how much of an impact he has in the City side now. Before, he was often brought on as a late substitute, but now he features from the get-go and serves as a thorn in the side of the opposition.
With a market value of around £70m, Bernardo Silva has certainly improved tremendously in all aspects since he was signed from Monaco in 2017 for £45m, and the fact he's still only 24 years old means that he has a lot of time on his side in terms of further development and progress.
Bernardo Silva seems a solid option for the third-place slot on this list.
#2 Sergio Aguero
It goes without saying that Sergio Aguero is a player of supreme ability and that's something which is reflected in his goal tally each and every season. Even now, as of writing, Aguero sits at the helm of the Top Scorers list in the Premier League with 19 goals from 27 appearances. Add to that his six assists and you can see why he's so highly admired by football fans in general.
Aguero may be 31 in June but his age doesn't seem to be slowing him down one bit; if anything, he's just become more composed on the ball than before. He also now has enough experience in front of goal to know how to beat goalkeepers nine times out of ten.
The Argentine has been firing on all cylinders for years now, ever since he first joined the Cityzens in the summer of 2011 from Atletico Madrid. He certainly has the credentials to be considered one of the best strikers to have ever graced the Premier League, which is why Aguero has made the list - but still, he isn't first.
#1 Raheem Sterling
Without a shadow of a doubt, Raheem Sterling is one of the best players in the Premier League right now, and certainly has a good shout in being considered for the top ten in the world, too.
Sterling has developed so rapidly that nobody can quite believe it; not only does he win games for Manchester City, but he's also a crucial part of the England squad, and that was shown through his string of sublime performances in the World Cup this summer.
The 24-year-old has bagged 15 goals and 11 assists from just 28 games - these are simply remarkable stats for a player who plays on the right wing. An all-out striker would be more than proud to have that sort of goal tally in a division as prestigious as this one.
Sterling's ability is now reflected in his updated market value of £108m, but we all know that it would take a lot more than that to pry him from the Etihad now. If Neymar is worth £200m, then Sterling must be somewhere in that region, too.
