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While the Premier League has not yet run its course to the full, there have been some clear standout performers this season that will be in the running for the player of the year award.
Manchester City, currently sitting at the top of the table, have a number of players performing at an exceptional level on a weekly basis, hence why there are the clear favorites for the title.
Jack Grealish, Harvey Barnes, James Justin and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa are just a few players who deserve mentions for their pivotal role in their own clubs’ fortunes this season.
But here are the three top performers in the Premier League this campaign:
Ruben Dias – Manchester City
Ruben Dias arrived last summer from SL Benfica in a deal worth £60 million. Six months into his Manchester City career, Dias has been one of the outstanding and standout performers in the City squad. It is not an easy feat considering the wealth of talent they possess.
At 23 years of age, Dias has shown the maturity and composure needed to be a future captain of the club and is likely to eventually move into that role.
There might have been moving parts around him in terms of player rotation, but Dias has been able to gel accordingly with anyone by his side. Whether it is John Stones or Aymeric Laporte partnering him, Dias has been able to morph into the central defender Pep Guardiola wants him to be.
With the help of Dias’s defensive acumen, Manchester City had, up until their fixture against West Ham, not conceded a goal from open play since December 15 – a quite remarkable stat in what has been a congested period.
Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United
It appears repetitive to consistently mention Bruno Fernandes’s excellence, but the Portugal international continues to drive his team forward in ways that others cannot.
26 goals+assists in 25 Premier League appearances this season shows the influence Fernandes has had for Manchester United. That he has 35 goal contributions in 38 appearances is an unbelievable statistic having arrived in England 12 months ago.
Most players know what Bruno is going to try and do, but it remains to be seen as to whether anyone can actually stop him. By picking up certain areas of the pitch, Bruno’s intelligence permits him to being able to receive the ball in space and have the time to plot his next move.
Manchester United are unlikely to win the title this season, but Fernandes’ influence is growing with each passing week and will be a huge factor next season.
Ilkay Gundogan – Manchester City
Perhaps not a player many would have expected to have seen on this list, but Ilkay Gundogan has written himself into contention with his performances this year.
With the absence of Kevin De Bruyne through injury, Gundogan was given the license to take up a more advanced position – which he reaped the rewards of.
Since he was given this new position by Guardiola, the German international has found the back of the net 10 times in the Premier League, bringing up his tally to 11 for the season.
While he might be pushed slightly deeper with De Bruyne’s return, Gundogan’s ability to ghost into the box and pick up advanced positions undetected constantly makes him a threat going forward.
He might not have been Guardiola’s first choice in this type of position, but it certainly illustrates how versatile the German is in the middle of the pitch.
