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The Premier League has entered its final phase and the stage is set for Manchester City or Liverpool as they tussle it out for the crown this year. The chase is intensifying as Liverpool sealed their game against Tottenham in the dying moments of the match. With just 6 games left to play, everything is becoming more and more evident as to who will seal their place in the top 4, who will end up as the highest goalscorer, who will have the most assists and most important of all, who will end up with the PFA Player of the Year award.
Mohamed Salah is the player who won it last season and will still be in contention for the auspicious accolade once more this term but he will be up against his own teammates as well as players from the top 6 teams.
Players like Eden Hazard, Paul Pogba, Harry Kane, Son and Aubameyang have had a roller coaster season as Hazard's Chelsea, after roaring in the initial stages went in a rut, whereas Pogba rejuvenated after Ole replaced Mourinho and Kane was troubled with injuries but there have been players who have put in blistering performances throughout the season.
Here we take a look at 5 players who are in the contention to lift the PFA Player of the year award this year:
#5 Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah is in running to retain his PFA Player of the year title. He is chasing a big feat as the only players to have successfully retained their titles before are none other than Thiery Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Egyptian won the award last year after he had a record-breaking debut season with Liverpool.
The former Roma winger has made 32 appearances for the Reds in the Premier League this season starting 31 of those and has scored 17 goals. Apart from the 17 goals, the Egyptian has 8 assists registered to his name. The Liverpool number 11 has a goal per game ratio of around 0.5 as he scores a goal in every 161 minutes.
Salah started the season slowly but picked up his pace gradually as the season progressed. He has battered the mid-table teams but has failed to impress against the top 6 sides. The Egyptian's only remarkable performance against the top 6 came when the Reds faced Arsenal as he scored one and set up one.
#4 David Silva
David Silva over the years has been one of the most consistent midfielders in the world and lies in the same bracket as of Modric, Kroos, De Bruyne and Pogba.
The Spaniard has been one of the most instrumental players for Pep as City keep their Premier League title challenge alive. Silva has been the one who orchestrates play for this Man City side. He pulls the strings for them and maintains the tempo of the game.
Apart from orchestrating play, the Man City midfielder has scored 6 goals and assisted 6 as well. The 33-year-old has created 13 big chances for his teammates to convert which is the second highest in the league as he only trails Ryan Fraser who in turn has created 21.
The former Valencia man took hold of the Citizens' midfield when Kevin De Bruyne was sidelined for months. Silva has been one of the best midfielders in the league this year and is giving the forwards a tough fight for the PFA POTY accolade.
#3 Sergio Aguero
Sergio Kun Aguero has been one of the best strikers in the world of football for quite some time now and he has proved it on various stages of his illustrious career.
The Argentine is currently leading the goalscoring charts with 19 goals to his name. Apart from scoring 19 goals, he has assisted 7 goals. The veteran striker does not shy away from taking shots on the goal as he averages 2.7 shots per game. He has a scoring frequency of 105 minutes and has a goal-per-game ratio of 0.7.
The 30-year-old's days at Manchester City looked numbered with the arrival of Gabriel Jesus but with his persistence and exhilarating performances, he has won over Pep Guardiola and now is an undisputed starter. Aguero has battered big teams like Arsenal and Chelsea this season as he scored hat-tricks against them at the Etihad.
Such exemplary performances this season has put his name right up in the list of favourites in running to win the PFA Player of the year award.
#2 Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling is on his peak right now. The Manchester City winger is creating all kinds of havoc for opposition teams. He has grown to be one of the finest wingers in the world under Pep Guardiola. Sterling has been vital to City's success this season.
Sterling has matured well enough and took the team in his stride when big names like Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne were sidelined due to injury.
The England international has 15 goals to his name and is just 4 goals behind Sergio Aguero who leads the goalscoring charts right now. Apart from scoring 15 goals, he has11 assists to his name. Raheem Sterling along with Sergio Aguero have formed a lethal partnership in front of the goal. The 24-year-old has a scoring frequency of 149 minutes and has a goal-per-game ratio of about 0.5.
If the Citizens lift the Premier League title this season, they owe it majorly to Aguero and Raheem Sterling.
#1 Virgil Van Dijk
Virgil Van Dijk is the front runner this year to clinch the PFA Player of the year award ahead of the likes of Raheem Sterling, Aguero and his own teammates Sadio Mane and Salah. Van Dijk can become the first defender to bag the award since John Terry who won it way back in the year 2005. Since then, barring N'golo Kante in 2017, every year a forward has taken the coveted prize home.
Liverpool broke the transfer market to sign Van Dijk as they paid an astronomical fee of £70 million for the Dutchman, breaking the transfer record fee paid for any defender. The sum has rightfully paid off as Van Dijk is leading the Reds from behind.
Van Dijk, along with Alisson is the only player to have started all of 32 games and has helped in keeping 17 clean sheets. Whereas he has also scored 3 goals and set up 1.
The Dutch international in every 90 minutes in the Premier League, wins 6.2 duels, makes 5.3 clearances, records 5.6 accurate long balls and makes 78.8 passes with a passing accuracy of 90.1. However, the most impressive fact is that no player has dribbled past him in any competition this season for Liverpool.
Liverpool's rock and leader who leads from the heart of the defence remains the favourite to win the PFA POTY this year.
