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The first half of what has been an unbelievable Premier League season has been done and dusted. As 2016 beckons, one thing is absolutely guaranteed – a grandstand finish to the campaign.The happenings of this season have been nowhere close to mainstream – be it Leicester’s incredible rise from the bottom of the table in January to title-contenders in December, or Chelsea’s equally astonishing dip in form from the Champions tag in May to relegation candidates at present, or Louis van Gaal’s jibes at the media, or headline transfer sagas or even the great war-of-words between Jurgen Klopp and Tony Pulis – these 5 months of Premier League action have literally given everything a football fan could have expected, thus living up to its billing as the ‘best league in the world’.Football is definitely a team sport, but it is moments of brilliance from a single or couple of individuals which can shape the game and decide the result at the end of 90 minutes. We pick out 11 such players who have positively influenced their respective side’s progress this season and are likely to do so in the second half of their respective campaigns.Criteria for selection into the XI1. The player should have made at least 15 league appearances for his club.2. No more than 3 players from a single team shall make it into the first XI.3. Only the best players from each position shall feature in the XI.Formation4-1-3-2Disclaimer: The views expressed here are that of the author and not of Sportskeeda.
#1 Goalkeeper
Jack Butland (Stoke City)
Since selling Asmir Begovic to Chelsea in the summer, Jack Butland’s rise from a second-choice keeper of a mid-table club to Joe Hart’s contender for the English Numero Uno spot in between the sticks speaks for itself. His brilliant reflexes to keep out certain goals and presence of mind in and around the penalty area to make vital clearances have been the key factors behind Stoke City’s defensive solidity this season.
With Ryan Shawcross out for the early weeks of the season and Phillip Wollschied not in the best of form, the 22-year old has done a fantastic job for Mark Hughes to cover up errors in the back-line and keep Stoke City alive in games.
| Appearances | 19 |
| Total Saves (including clearances) | 74 |
| Clearances outside the penalty area | 28 |
| Clean Sheets | 8 |
| Goals conceded per game | 1 |
Who narrowly misses out?
Heurelho Gomes (Watford)
David de Gea (Manchester United)
Petr Cech (Arsenal)
#2 Defenders
Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)
The Barcelona youth product has been nothing short of sensational for Arsenal at right-back – his searing pace down the wings causing pretty much every opposition left-back to be on his toes. While letting his sprint speed do the talking up the field, he never forwent his defensive responsibilites, making tackles and interceptions aplenty to tick pretty much every box containing a full-back’s qualities. Arsene Wenger will be immensely proud of the rapid rise of the Spaniard from the reserve ranks to an asset in Arsenal’s bid to become the Champions of England for the first time since winning it unbeaten in 2003-04.
| Appearances | 17 |
| Successful Dribbles | 23 |
| Successful Tackles | 32 |
| Clearances | 46 |
Nacho Monreal (Arsenal)
For a 29-year old to tirelessly hare up and down the pitch day-in and day-out like a remote-controlled object is applaudable, and Spanish left-back Nacho Monreal deserves a pat on the back for doing just that. While constantly threatening down the flanks by making inroads towards the left bye-line, to run back after that and defend a potential counter-attack reflects his work-ethic. Being the only outfield player to appear in every league game this season for Arsenal, the manager will hope Monreal’s fitness keeps track with his on-field displays as the Gunners aim to lift the Premier League title having last done it 12 seasons ago.
| Appearances | 19 |
| Successful tackles | 43 |
| Clearances | 55 |
| Chances Created | 18 |
| Crosses Blocked | 12 |
Chris Smalling (Manchester United)
From being a liability under David Moyes to an undroppable member from Louis van Gaal’s squad, the 26-year old centre-back’s rise from the ashes has been amazing. Not only has he been a rock at the back with his accurate tackling and last-ditch clearances, he has also managed to inculcate his defensive attributes into makeshift centre-back Daley Blind, which has also resulted in the Dutchman cementing his place in the first XI. His physical threat up field during set-pieces makes him a complete centre-half and is arguably one of Europe’s best defenders at the moment.
| Appearances | 18 |
| Successful Tackles | 34 |
| Interceptions | 41 |
| Goals conceded/game | 0.77 |
Scott Dann (Crystal Palace)
One of Crystal Palace’s most invaluable members in the squad. The 28-year old’s assurance in front of Wayne Hennessey’s goal has been one of the Eagles’ many plus points of the season under Alan Pardew. Standing at 6’ 2’’ tall, his authoritative figure in the Palace back-line has made it all the more difficult for opposing attackers to unlock their defence, which has helped them bag 6 clean sheets and sit pretty in the automatic Europa League qualification spots in the league table. In addition to this, it is his goal-scoring ability from set-pieces – including his winner against Liverpool (of whom he’s a fan) at Anfield – has rubberstamped his place in the Premier League Team of the season thus far.
| Appearances | 18 |
| Total Clearances | 102 |
| Shots Blocked | 23 |
| Goals Scored/Assists Provided | 3/1 |
Who narrowly misses out?
Bacary Sagna (Man City)
Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal)
Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham)
#3 Midfielders
Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur)
This versatile 21-year old has been among Spurs’ many wonderkids this season. Deployed mainly as a defensive midfielder (he can also play as a right back or centre back) this season by Mauricio Pochettino, the Sporting CP youth product has been everywhere in the middle of the pitch for Spurs, making vital tackles and interceptions to impede opposition attacks from materializing into potential goal-scoring opportunites while also making important passes to set his own side on their attacking front. His good form – coupled with 19-year old Dele Alli’s equally bright start to life in the Premier League – will be crucial for Spurs as they look to build a team capable of matching the talent of some of Europe’s top clubs playing in the Champions League.
| Appearances | 18 |
| Successful Tackles | 43 |
| Interceptions | 39 |
| Passing Success | 83.4% |
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City)
The fleet-footed winger has been on a level of his own since renewing his contract with Leicester over the summer break. Right from the first game of the season – a 4-2 victory over Sunderland – the Algerian’s pace with the ball at his feet and ability to dribble past opponents within the blink of an eye has wowed football viewers across the globe. His seemingly telepathic partnership with star striker Jamie Vardy has been arguably the biggest reason for the Foxes’ changes in fortune from certain relegation candidates to genuine title-chasers within 365 days. If the 26-year old keeps this dazzling run of form going until May 2016, there’s no reason why the King Power Stadium won’t be blessed with their first ever taste of top-tier glory in their whole history.
| Appearances | 18 |
| Goals Scored/Assists Provided | 13/7 |
| Dribbles Completed | 63 |
| Key Passes | 28 |
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
Since arriving from VfL Wolfsburg for a Man City record fee of £54m, the 24-year old attacking midfielder has been in spectacular form this season. His energy in the attacking third to create openings in opposition defences has been eye-catching to watch. More importantly, it is his dangerous balls from set-pieces via. a free-kick or an outswinging corner that has caused all sorts of headaches for the defending side. With City’s defence still floundering due to Vincent Kompany’s lengthy spell on the sidelines and manager Manuel Pellefrini’s job on the line – the Etihad faithful will hope that their Belgian’s playmaker’s impressive form will just about paper over the cracks and help them regain their Premier League title come May.
| Appearances | 15 |
| Goals Scored/Assists Provided | 5/8 |
| Key Passes | 51 |
| Dribbles Completed | 24 |
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
Unless one is not a football fan, it is impossible to leave this German playmaker out of anyone’s Premier League XI of the season thus far. The 27-year old’s vision of the game to pick out the right man at the right place is second to none as he racks up his assist tally with every passing game. Labelled as ‘lazy’ by many Arsenal fans in his early months at the Emirates for not trying hard enough, he has quickly silenced such critics with near-flawless performances each time he dons a Gunners’ jersey. His mere presence on the pitch binds the whole Arsenal attacking unit together. Striker Olivier Giroud is indebted to the World Cup winning Ozil for helping him re-discover his goal-scoring touch which has seen Arsenal end 2015 at the Premier League summit.
| Appearances | 18 |
| Goals scored/ Assists Provided | 3/16 |
| Passing Success | 88.3% |
| Key Passes | 80 |
Who narrowly misses out?
Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace)
Yaya Toure(Man City)
Ross Barkley (Everton)
Moussa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur)
#4 Forwards
Romelu Lukaku (Everton)
The big Belgian striker seems to have finally found a home in the Premier League in the form of Goodison Park after spells at Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion and his current run of form just about verifies that. With 15 goals in 19 appearances, the 22-year old has been in sublime touch this season. When one takes into account the Toffees’ leaky defence, the importance of Lukaku’s goals for Everton’s chances of finishing the season in the European spots speaks volumes. His height to win aerial duels with opposition centre-halves and physical strength to hold the ball makes him among the most difficult to mark and keep at bay.
| Appearances | 19 |
| Goals Scored/Assists Provided | 15/4 |
| Key Passes | 27 |
| Aerial duels won | 38 |
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
One of the great success stories of this season has undoubtedly been the rise of Jamie Vardy from being an £800 signing by non-league Halifax Town in 2010 to one of Europe’s hottest transfer targets 5 years later. By breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in 10 straight Premier League games – ironically against van Nistelrooy’s former club Man United – the 28-year old has written himself into Premier League folklore. His fantastic interaction with wingers Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton has breathed new life into a Leicester side who looked certain to drop stright back into the Championship during their first season in England’s top-tier. With Claudio Ranieri’s men placed second in the table behind Arsenal on goal-difference, it remains to be seen whether Vardy can maintain this sort of confidence in front of goal to keep Leicester’s title-challenge alive.
| Appearances | 19 |
| Goals Scored/Assists Provided | 15/3 |
| Shots on target/Shots taken (including blocked shots) | 31/65 |
| Key Passes | 23 |
Who narrowly misses out?
Odion Ighalo (Watford)
Troy Deeney (Watford)
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
