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#1 N'golo Kante
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.
