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#3 Juan Mata (Chelsea & Manchester United)
The Premier League in its history has witnessed some elegant midfielders and Juan Mata is one of them. The former Chelsea maestro is the only Spanish midfielder on the list still playing in the Premier League.
Mata is a remarkable human being and an even more amazing player. He rose to fame during his stint at Valencia in La Liga. Premier League club Chelsea signed the Spanish midfielder during the 2011-12 season.
With his sweet left foot, Mata is capable of a lot of things. The Spanish attacking midfielder has great vision, amazing creative abilities, superb control of the ball, and some blissful passing range. With all these attributes, Mata had an instant impact at Chelsea.
He played only two and a half seasons with the Blues but was a key player for them during that duration, winning Chelsea's Player of the Year in each of the two seasons. He has made 82 Premier League appearances for the London club, scoring 17 goals and assisting in 32 times. He also made it to the 2012-13 PFA Team of the Year.
Mata's creative abilities attracted interest from Manchester United as the Spaniard signed for them in the 2013-14 season. He has been with the Red Devils ever since for almost nine years now. Having made 189 Premier League appearances for United, Mata has scored 34 goals and made 32 assists. His time at United now seems limited but Mata's contributions in the Premier League will remain immense.
#2 Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal & Chelsea)
Cesc Fabregas was at Barcelona's youth academy but joined Arsenal once he realized he wouldn't get enough chances with the Catalan club. It took some time for Fabregas to get to play regularly with Arsenal's first team.
But once Fabregas settled, there was no looking back. He brought the Barcelona way of creativity to the Premier League. With his intricate passing, superb vision and amazing technique to create chances, Fabregas ran riot in the opposition defense.
He led the Arsenal attack unexpectedly well and was a big sensation with the Gunners. He has made 212 Premier League appearances with the north London club, scoring 35 goals and making 72 assists. He then returned to Barcelona after spending eight years with Arsenal.
The flaws in his game were exposed at Barcelona but the Spaniard did win trophies with the Spanish giants. Struggling with game-time, Fabregas left Barcelona after three years and joined Chelsea in the Premier League.
This time though, the Spanish midfielder was more experienced and mature with his approach. He spent five years with the Blues, winning the Premier League twice in this duration.
His game style this time was more direct and more efficient. He has made 138 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, scoring 15 goals and registering 42 assists. Undoubtedly, Fabregas will go down as one of the greatest ever midfielders in the Premier League.
#1 David Silva (Manchester City)
David Silva is probably quite underrated when it comes to midfielders in Spanish football history. Silva started his career with Valencia in La Liga. After the Abu Dhabi group took over Manchester City in 2008, Silva was signed by the club in 2010 as a long-term prospect.
It was the start of something special. Silva, along with Yaya Toure, was an absolute delight to watch in midfield. The Spaniard, with his silky ball-control and nimble foot-work, glided past defenders with utter ease.
Not to forget, the midfielder had an exquisite passing range and amazing vision to find passes not that easily imaginable to everyone.
Silva won the Premier League four times with Manchester City. He ended up in the PFA Team of the Year on three separate occasions. Silva had such an important role in making Manchester City what it is today. He is no less than a legend at the club. In his 10 seasons with the club, Silva has made 309 Premier League club appearances, scoring 60 goals and assisting in 107 other goals.
No other Spanish midfielder has had such an impact at a Premier League club. It is very difficult for any Spanish midfielder to achieve what Silva has achieved with Manchester City. It is likely that Silva will remain the best Spanish midfielder in the Premier League for a long time given the magnitude of his success at the Etihad.
