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Every season there are players who burst on to the scene. Some sustain it till the end of the campaign, while some players tail off as the season progresses. This season in the Premiership, there are quite a lot of new players who have been the game changers for their sides.
As we come to the final two months of another engrossing season in the Premier League, we try to analyse and pick ten players who have hit a rich vein of form and emerged as a driving force for their clubs this year.
#10 Fabian Delph
At the beginning of the season, Delph was tipped to be one of the players to leave Manchester, however, he couldn't quite get himself a move elsewhere. He was all set to sit on the bench with a World Cup looming.
The turning point in his season came on the 23rd of September against Crystal Palace, when Benjamin Mendy sustained a long-term injury. Delph scored a goal in that game and he has never looked back since.
He went on to the start the next 13 games in the league for Pep Guardiola's side as the left-back. His aggressive nature, coupled with his passing ability makes him a perfect suit to his team's style of play.
The 28-year-old has been on the sidelines for the last couple of months, although he is expected to return back to action in the coming weeks. If he can maintain the same level of performances in the climax of this campaign, he will sure be on the plane to Russia, come June.
#9 Abdoulaye Doucoure
Doucoure is the top scorer for Watford this season, he has 7 goals to his name. The Frenchman was one of the of best players in the first two months of the campaign.
The 25-year-old has started every game barring one in the PL, and it is not just the goals that stand out, the midfielder has attempted 67 tackles, which is more than any of his teammates, and also more than the likes of Nemanja Matic and Granit Xhaka.
He has completed 1,873 successful passes, which surpasses the tallies of some top players like Mesut Ozil and Christian Eriksen. He controls the proceedings in the middle of the park and starts most of Watford's attacks.
He has this incredible ability to power his way past players, almost 'Yaya Toure-esque', which makes him one of the best players in his position in the PL. It won't come as a surprise if he ends up at a bigger club next season.
If he continues to perform at his best in the upcoming weeks, he has a very good chance of earning a call-up from Didier Deschamps to join the 23-man squad for the World Cup.
#8 Andrew Robertson
Arguably the best crosser of the ball in the Liverpool side, Robertson has had a stellar campaign at left-back, after joining from Hull for a reported fee of 8 million euros.
The Scottish international began the season as an understudy to Alberto Moreno, however, the Spaniard's downturn in form gave an opportunity for Robertson to establish himself in the starting 11. He did so with great aplomb, and won over the hearts of the Kop swiftly.
The buccaneering full-back has bagged three assists and has delivered numerous other delightful crosses for his teammates to profit from. He has been a live-wire in the field, he's often the first man to hunt for ball from the opposition. He has put in a number of eye-catching performances, most notably, the one against Manchester City, which ended their potential invincibility.
#7 Harry Maguire
When Harry Maguire joined Leicester City for an initial fee of 12 million euros, not many expected him to achieve the heights of success he has for the Foxes.
He was the lone shining light in Hull's relegation campaign last season, he has taken his performances up to quite a few levels with his new club.
The 25-year old has played the full 90 minutes in every game, and has been the backbone of Leicester's defense. With 2 goals and 4 assists to his name along with numerous tackles and interceptions, the Englishman has been brilliant on both sides of the pitch.
He instigates most of Leicester's attacks, his composure on the ball is very commendable, and that could well give the green signal for Gareth Southgate to pick him in the eleven for the 'Three Lions'.
#6 Nick Pope
At the beginning of the season, only a handful of people would have known Nick Pope, however, following an injury to their club captain-Tom Heaton, he was drafted into the eleven as cover.
Ever since he was put into the starting eleven, he has starred for 'The Clarets', and has kept 10 clean sheets in 26 starts.
Burnley has the fourth best defensive record in the league, and Pope has been one of the reasons for their success at the back, the goal-keeper has made 89 saves with a saves per game ratio of 3.3, which is up there with the best.
The 25-year old is an excellent shot stopper, his ability to come off the line to mop up things is very impressive, such characteristics of his has meant that Tom Heaton has been kept out of reckoning since returning from injury, a month ago.
#5 James Tarkowski
Truth be told, James Tarkowski had big boots to fill, when Michael Keane was sold to Everton in the summer of 2017. The 25-year old has been rock-solid at the back for Sean Dyche's side.
He has made the fourth highest number of blocks (37) in the Premier League along with innumerable clearances and tackles. More of the same and he would go on do big things at club level as well as for his country for years to come.
He was given his first cap for England in the recent international break, against Italy, the center-half had an impressive outing, which was tarnished slightly by a controversial penalty decision against him.
#4 Ederson Moraes
One of the major shortcomings for Pep Guardiola's men last season was the lack of a good goal-keeper. Claudio Bravo was a real disappointment in goal for 'The Citizens' last season. However, Ederson has been a virtuoso for the 'champions-elect'.
He starts each and every attack with effortless poise and has the skill to produce some incredible passes that no keeper in the world, besides Manuel Neuer, can even envision. Adding on to that, the distance he gets with his throws is better than any other keeper in the planet.
The Brazilian has helped Manchester City maintain the best defensive record in the league this term, he has kept 14 clean sheets, a number that is bettered only David de Gea.
With a save percentage of 70, the 24-year old has undoubtedly been one of the unsung heroes for City.
#3 Andreas Christensen
Chelsea has often been criticized in the past for ignoring players from their academy, John Terry remains to be the only successful player from their youth system. However, Andreas Christensen has put in awe-inspiring displays, which tips him to be the next big player from the Blues' academy.
The 21-year old was in and out of the side in the opening months of the campaign, but, following a 3-0 drubbing by Roma in October, Christensen has been a mainstay in the center of Chelsea's three-man defense.
The Danish professional footballer experienced a much needed learning curve during his two-year stint with Borussia Monchengladbach. He was voted the German club's player of the year in his debut season.
Since returning back to Chelsea, he has cemented his place in the side and has signed a new long-term contact with the club. He has helped his side keep 14 clean sheets in the league.
Injuries have plagued his position in the side since the turn of the year, having said that, if he puts in the levels of performances he has in this campaign, he could become a successful player for the next decade and more.
#2 Pascal Gross
Perhaps the player who is single-handedly taking 'The Seaguls' to safety, Pascal Gross has been the talisman for his side since joining from FC Ingolstadt for a mere 3 million euros in the summer of 2017, as per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal_Gro%C3%9F.
The German had created more chances than any other player in the Bundesliga in the 2016-17 season, for a team that got relegated.
The 26-year old has had a hand in 13 goals (8 assists and 5 goals), which is close to 50% of Brighton's goals. The number of opportunities fashioned by him is in line with the best players in the league.
His expertise from set-pieces has helped his side find the back of the net from corners and free-kicks frequently. He has to conjure up similar performances if his side are to stay in the top-flight for another year.
#1 Mohamed Salah
When Salah first played in the Premier league, with Chelsea, he was described as 'naive'; so when he was bought by Liverpool in 2017, he had a point to prove.
In eight months, the Egyptian has gone from being one of the biggest flops in the premier league history, to a world-beater. The 25-year old is the front-runner for the top scoring charts; he has hit the back of the net on 28 occasions, and notched up 9 assists along with his goals.
The 'Egyptian Messi' has been a treat to watch this season; he now has the record for the most number of left-footed goals, in the history of the competition, with 23. He has been the only player in the PL to have come up with match-changing performances from the start of the campaign, up and till now.
He is the odds-on favorite to win the PFA player of the year award, and it won't be surprise to witness him being the next player from Liverpool to leave for Barcelona or Real Madrid.
