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Sunday marked the end of yet another riveting and record-breaking season of the Premier League. Manchester City were the deserved winners by a mile, securing the title with a record 100 points in the bag.
Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester United joined them in the top four whereas Chelsea and Arsenal secured the Europa League spots. Burnley were the surprise team of the season while Newcastle United and Crystal Palace beat all the odds to finish the season on a high.
Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne hogged the limelight throughout the campaign with delightful performances one after the other. In this piece, we will find out the top 10 players of the season that produced standout displays week in week out for their respective sides and defined the word "consistency":
#10 James Tarkowski (Burnley)
Burnley finished seventh in the league and qualified for a European spot after 51 long years. The Clarets' defence caught the eye as they conceded just 39 goals in 38 games - sixth best in the league. And the major factor that led Burnley to hold the fort at the back was centre-back James Tarkowski.
He read the game brilliantly, was brilliant in the air and was a leader at the back for his side. Good performances throughout the year saw him earn an England cap in March and is now expected to make the World Cup squad as well.
Along with Ben Mee, Tarkowski formed a solid partnership at the back for Burnley which kept 11 clean sheets for Sean Dyche's side. With 43 blocks and 143 headed clearances, the 25-year-old was also statistically one of the best central defenders in the league.
#9 Ederson (Manchester City)
One of the signings of the season, Ederson was highly influential for Manchester City in their romp to the title. Only a few others have had an influence on a team more than the Brazilian custodian. Perfect to the Pep Guardiola system, Ederson proved to be a masterstroke for the Blue side of Manchester.
Setting the tempo for his side from the back, City literally played with 11 outfield players this season with Ederson between the posts. His calmness on the ball and his command over his box was instrumental in City dominating from the back and keeping 16 clean sheets in the process.
Ederson made 58 saves in the league and helped City concede the lowest total of goals in the division with just 27 attempts getting past him. He also had a distribution accuracy of an 87% in 34 league matches.
#8 Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
Arguably the best player in the Premier League outside the top six, Zaha was the catalyst that kept Crystal Palace in the Premier League after a horrible start. Since his return from injury, Palace looked a different unit with Zaha deployed as a striker in a 4-4-2 system.
A total of 7 goals and 2 assists do not justify the impact that Zaha had on this Palace side. He scored goals at crucial intervals for his side, dropped deep to get more involved and had opposition on the back foot whenever he ran with the ball. Zaha was a menace in the 18-yard box and was always a threat for the opposition.
Zaha formed a brilliant understanding with Andros Townsend and also had a hand in creating 43 chances for his teammates. He also won 107 take ons in 26 league matches which proved his prowess in 1v1 duels.
#7 Leroy Sane (Manchester City)
The PFA young player of the year, Leroy Sane was the spark in Guardiola's title-winning side. In his first season in England, Sane proved his worth and was the best left winger in the league by a mile.
With 9 goals and 12 assists, the German forward was a brilliant mixture of blistering pace combined with productivity in the final third. His off the ball movement along with his partnership with Kevin De Bruyne was key in City's unlocking of teams that sat back.
#6 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
This season was Harry Kane's most productive campaign in his Spurs career. Though he has been mercilessly trolled for claiming a goal against Stoke City, it must not be forgotten that Kane has been one of the most consistent players in the Premier League for the past four seasons.
Kane finally breached the 30 goal mark this season and missed out on the golden boot by just two goals. A majority of his goals came when Spurs needed it the most - either equalizers or the ones that gave them the lead just as was the case against Leicester City on Sunday.
This season also saw an improvement in Kane's overall game. He was looking to get more involved in Spurs' buildup this season and considerably improved his link-up play with Alli and Son. His cross-field assist to Son against Bournemouth was one of the best of the season.
#5 Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)
Many had predicted Roberto Firmino to struggle for goals as Liverpool's no.1 striker. The Brazilian hassler not only proved his detractors wrong but just had his most successful season in his professional career.
Firmino scored 15 and created 7 more in the Premier League and was the fulcrum of this Liverpool side that gave the likes of Mane and Salah the perfect service. He can be said as a perfect Jurgen Klopp player - a Gegenpress expert who harries the opponents with his unbelievable energy.
Along with his goals and assists, Firmino has been the creative spark for Liverpool and was also the crucial cog for them in winning the ball back. Firmino created 52 chances but also made 50 tackles and 15 interceptions - a rare breed of numbers for a team's no.9!
#4 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Undoubtedly, Raheem Sterling can be said as the most improved player in the Premier League. This season saw the real potential of the English wizard who thrived under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola. Creating and scoring in equal measures, Sterling was an integral member of this record-breaking City side.
Sterling's improvement was seen in his finishing, his decision making and also in his spatial awareness. Along with his pace, the winger has now added goals to his game which will ultimately aid him in the upcoming World Cup.
Sterling scored 18 goals this season and also produced 8 assists. More importantly, the forward scored extremely crucial goals for Manchester City such as his injury-time winner against Bournemouth that had kept the invincible dream going on at that time.
#3 David De Gea (Manchester United)
Once again it was the David De Gea show in England! The shot-stopper continued his dominance as the league's best goalkeeper and performed consistently as ever for Manchester United. This season could even be called De Gea's best ever during his stint in England.
The Spaniard helped United keep 18 clean sheets in the league. He made 115 saves in 37 matches - a high number that is often associated with the goalkeepers of the bottom half teams. With a below par defence in front of him, De Gea often had to bail his side out single-handedly and he did that expertise.
Staggeringly, De Gea made 4.2 saves for every league goal conceded this season - a number double than the average 2.1 saves made by Premier League goalkeepers. Looking by these numbers, it is safe to say that De Gea dragged United to the second spot in the table.
#2 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
The Belgian midfielder was the best player of the best team this season. Playing in a slightly deeper role, the 2017/18 season saw one of the most influential performance ever by a midfielder for his side. It can be safely said that without De Bruyne, City could not have won the title in such an elegant manner.
Combining his touch with his insane vision, De Bruyne picked teams apart like a man possessed. Some of the assists that he delivered this season were of the highest quality. His pass to Leroy Sane in a 7-2 win over Stoke City where he didn't even the see the run of the German remains the pass of the season.
With 15 assists to his name, De Bruyne also won the award for the highest assists in the Premier League. The Belgian played 88 key passes in 38 matches and also created 103 chances.
Though he could not win any individual awards against Mohamed Salah, there is no doubt over the fact that Kevin De Bruyne was one of the best players in Europe, let alone in the Premier League, this season.
#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Were there any doubts over who would top this elite list? Salah took the Premier League by storm this season, scoring a league record 32 goals in the process. The Egyptian was the best signing of the summer and courtesy of his goals, swept all the awards at the end of the season.
Liverpool's fast-paced football complemented Mohamed Salah beautifully whose pace coupled with his close control tormented the defenders to great lengths. Salah's newfound prolific finishing also helped him become the MVP of the Premier League.
Be it his stunners against Spurs and Everton, his solo Messiesque goal against Watford or his late winner against Crystal Palace - Salah consistently delivered for the Reds. He also scored against 18 teams in the league this season, making another record in the process.
Salah redefined goalscoring in the Premier League this season and deserves every award and every praise that is coming in his way. From a Chelsea reject to a Liverpool icon - the journey of Mo Salah might just be starting!
