The premier league has seen some world class midfielders since its inception-Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, Xabi Alonso to name a few.The role of a midfielder in football has evolved vastly during the last decade of the Premier League. There have been many influential performances in the middle of the park throughout the season and these midfielders have been a vital cog for their club’s performances and results.
Here are the Top 5 midfielders in the Premier League this season:
5) Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
Everton finished 8th in the Premier League and they have one man to thank-Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Icelandic midfielder has scored 13 goals and notched up 6 assists this campaign. After struggling in his first season at Goodison Park, Sigurdsson has come to life this season and justified his 45 million euros price tag.
4) Lucas Torreira (Arsenal)
Arsenal signed Lucas Torreira from Sampdoria to bring some much-needed bite and tenacity to the Arsenal midfield. The Uruguayan had formed a solid partnership with Granit Xhaka during the first half of the season. Combining brilliant reading of the game with hard tackling, Arsenal has found a long due replacement for Patrick Vieira in the form of Lucas Torreira.
3) Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Man City successfully defended the Premier League title and they Fernandinho is one of the biggest reasons for the triumph. The Brazilian has been the unsung hero for Man City in a team full of superstars. Fernandinho reads the game very well and senses danger quickly to destroy attacks. His ability to cover distances and screen the back four has given more freedom to the likes of David Silva, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.He has performed consistently this season and for a player who is 34 years old, he has shown experience and maturity in abundance as well has athleticism.Pep may find it difficult to find a long term successor in the summer.
2) Ruben Neves (Wolves)
Ruben Neves was signed in 2017 when Wolves were in the championship.However, since he made his debut it was clear that Neves is a Champions League quality player. Playing in a deep-lying midfield position alongside Joao Moutinho, Neves has controlled the tempo of Wolves play with exceptional game reading and his range of passing.His set-piece ability and long-range stunners are a joy to behold for football fans.
1) Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
During the 2017/18 season Bernardo Silva found playing time hard to come by. However, this season he has been one of the first names on the team sheet for Man City. During Kevin de Bruyne’s absence Bernardo Silva stepped up for his team and Pep Guardiola labelled him as undroppable. His ability to find spaces between the defence and midfield has made him tough to mark for the opposition. Bernardo Silva has always been a creative player throughout his career, but it his work rate off the ball which has endeared him to the City supporters.
Honourable Mentions: Paul Pogba,Joao Moutinho,Georginio Wijnaldum,David Silva,Wilfred Ndidi,Luka Milivojevic,Declan Rice.
