The 3 Best mid-fielders in the Premier League right now

Chelsea v West Ham United - Premier League
Chelsea v West Ham United - Premier League

The importance of good mid-fielders to a football team cannot be measured in words. A midfielder contributes to the defense, creates chances, brings the rest of the team into play, assists goal scorers as well as score goals themselves. The Premier League has been home to some fabulous mid-fielders through the years and this year too, there are quite a few brilliant talents on display.

A host of new players joined the Premier League this season and a handful of good mid-fielders were also added to the mix. Jorginho, Keita, Fred and Fabinho, to name a few, have just joined the Premier League and even though they have done fabulously well, it is not enough to dislodge the 3 shortlisted here. Paul Pogba has scored two goals in two games in this season, yet hasn't done enough.

Kevin De Bryne's injury has ruled him out for 3 months, or else he would have definitely made this list. In his absence, we sum up the three best players in the Premier League right now. These are three players who do not always hog the limelight, but they are fabulous at what they do and they have the consistency to be among the best midfielders in the World.


#3 Christian Eriksen

Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham - Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham - Premier League

The Dane joined Spurs from Ajax in the summer of 2013 and has been an integral part of the Spurs team ever since, and is perhaps, Premier League’s most underestimated and underappreciated footballer. In 2017, Eriksen had the highest number of assists in all of Europes’s top five leagues and also created more chances than anyone else. It seems unbelievable, but it is true.

He has the fantastic ability to adjust his game as per his manager’s requirement, which means that he can play from the sides, as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. Pochettino recognizes his potential and the Dane is given freedom to roam. He constantly moves around the field, finding pockets of spaces, which makes marking him quite the headache for the opposition.

Eriksen has been instrumental in the rise of Harry Kane and dictates the proceedings of the game for Spurs, by controlling the pace of the game as required. Eriksen has a fabulous footballing brain, his understanding of the game is as good as his decision making and Spurs have reaped the benefits of his skillsets over the years.

This season, Eriksen has started both games for Tottenham, and they have won both games comfortably. Eriksen completed 122 passes, with 169 touches on the ball. He had seven shots, with two of those on target. He attempted two through balls and also registered two interceptions and one tackle. He is yet to score or assist so far, but with Eriksen running the orchestra, one can expect Tottenham and Harry Kane to have another strong season ahead.

#2 David Silva

Manchester City v Huddersfield Town - Premier League
Manchester City v Huddersfield Town - Premier League

David Silva joined Manchester City from Valencia in 2010 and since then has been consistently excellent for City. He has played 250 games in the league and scored 49 goals. He was already a star before Pep Guardiola joined, but under his Spanish coach, Silva has managed to better himself. A big part of City’s recent domination in the league is the pairing of De Bryne and Silva in the middle of the park.

Silva’s link up play in the midfield is fabulous, but he is also gifted with special ball skills, which see him easily wriggle past opposition and affect the game. He is a play-maker of the highest qualities and with a proper team around him now, has been at the base of the free flowing football that City have made their own.

Recently, Silva's role has been modified by Guardiola to play him as a number 8 and Silva has stuck to the task like a man possessed. He has embraced his role and has been influencing the game like never before now, allowing Pep to play two play-makers, De Bryne and Silva in his team together. This ability to adapt, as displayed by Silva, is the hallmark of a great player.

Silva has featured in just one game this season, playing only 64 minutes, but he has already found the net, courtesy a beautiful free-kick that can be watched and re-watched again. In those 64 minutes, Silva touched the ball 64 times, and completed 53 passes.

He had two shots and also registered one interception. In absence of De Bryne, Silva will have a bigger role to play this season, but even when the Belgian returns, Silva will still be Guardiola’s main man, silently working his magic and keeping his team ticking.

#1 N'golo Kante

Kante won the World Cup with France this summer
Kante won the World Cup with France this summer

Kante has won the Premier League twice, back to back, with two different clubs. Technically, he was the backbone of both of those title winning teams, and even now, can seamlessly slot into any team in the world. To top it all, he is a World Champion, winning the FIFA World Cup 2018 with France.

Kante has been the best defensive midfielder in the league by miles for few seasons now and he thrived under Antonio Conte’s system very well. But when Maurizio Sarri arrived over the summer and brought his trusted lieutenant Jorginho with him, Kante’s role was about to be changed, casting doubts over the effectiveness of the Frenchman under Sarri’s system.

However, Kante is a champion and champions adapt without too much fuss. Kante found himself in a new role in the right side of the central midfield and he has already looks at home.

Despite his change of position, Kante covered 12 kilometers in the game against Arsenal, which is the average distance he normally covers. But what makes things very interesting is that he had three shots against Arsenal alone, which is almost four times more than his normal average in a game.

He also created four other opportunities and had an impressive five touches on the ball. Last season, he just scored one goal in total. This season, he already has one goal in his kitty with just two games played. Kante already has 140 touches on the ball and has completed 115 passes. He has three interceptions and four tackles and also has four shots to his name.

Kante seems to have added a lethal touch to his game under Sarri. Opponents now have to deal with him higher up in the pitch and that is not a good thing. Sarri’s pressing football also allows Kante to do what he does best, but the after effects of winning a ball now is even more devastating. Sarri himself admits that his team will need time to finally take shape, but Kante will definitely still be the heart of Chelsea, he will get better and he will blow everyone away.

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Edited by Abhinav Munshi