The 2016/17 season has been an eventful one so far. It witnessed the rise of some clubs from the depths of obscurity, while also observing the fall of some giants. On one hand, RB Leipzig announced themselves to the world, while AS Monaco brought an end to the league dominance of Paris Saint-Germain en route to winning their first Ligue 1 title since 1999-00, on the other, Manchester United finished 6th in the Premier League despite spending out a record sum of £89.3 million for the services of one, Paul Pogba.
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Even Leicester City, who had a maiden fairytale Premier League triumph last season, flirted with the dreaded relegation zone for a good while, before finally securing a mid-table finish.
However, despite the triumphs and the misfortunes, some individuals stood out with their performances and today we take a look at the 10 footballers who have had the biggest impact during the course of the 2016/17 season.
So without gilding the lily any further, we bring to you the 10 best footballers of the season, based on ratings:
[Note: The ranking has been done based on the average whoscored.com rating of the footballer during the course of the season, wherein only league football stats have been considered.]
#10 Emil Forsberg (Rating: 7.73) – RB Leipzig
The star of RB Leipzig’s breakthrough season, Emil Forsberg, finishes 10th on the list of the best footballers of the season. No mean feat, given that half of the footballing world didn’t know who the Swede was or how well he played before the start of the season. Not anymore!
The 25-year-old racked up an incredible 18 assists, along with 8 goals in 29 league appearances for the Bundesliga runners-up and was the main reason why any club apart from Borussia Dortmund, threatened the monopoly of Bayern Munich in Germany.
While a lack of European distraction did help the Swedish international, to cement his place among the European elite, Forsberg will have to repeat his heroics in the upcoming season and may be one up it by helping Leipzig do the impossible – maybe win the Bundesliga title?
#9 Arjen Robben (Rating: 7.73) – Bayern Munich
Had the fleet-footed Dutchman been born 10 years before or after his actual birthdate, he would definitely go down as one of the best wingers of his generation, if not the best. Due to the super-human exploits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi during the last decade, the incredible consistency and panache with which Robben cuts from the right wing and lays defenders flat-footed before curling it into the top corner has largely gone unnoticed.
Yes, Robben is a one-trick pony, but instead of being the jack of all trades, he opted to be the master of one, and boy isn’t he one hell of a master?
The Bayern Munich sensation has destroyed some of the best defenders during the last decade with his impeccable timing and blistering pace, and shows no signs of stopping. The 33-year-old has amassed 12 goals coupled with 7 assists in the league so far this season and continues to be a nightmare for defenders as he enters the twilight of his career.
#8 Alejandro Gomez (Rating: 7.74) – Atalanta
Papu Gomez, as he is known to his fans, is yet another not-so-famous footballer who has taken the world by storm. The Atalanta forward was one of the main reasons why his side were challenging for a Champions League spot until very recently.
The 29-year-old’s stats also make for good reading as he has notched up 14 goals along with 10 assists in the Serie A. To further understand his importance to his side, you need not look any further than the number of Man of the Match awards that the Argentine has won, 10 in total. Finishing 8th on the list of the best footballers of the season is no ordinary achievement for the 29-year-old, who until last season was not even a household name.
Fun Fact: Gomez was one of Lionel Messi’s teammates when Argentina lifted the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2007.
#7 Alexis Sanchez (Rating: 7.75) – Arsenal
The Chilean sensation is one of the most polarizing footballers in the world right now, who is equally loved and loathed by Arsenal fans. Sanchez has carried the Gunners on his own on many occasions this season and has been directly involved in more goals than any other Premier League footballer, having scored 23 goals and assisted another 10 so far.
The 28-year-old has contributed to an astonishing 47 goals (28 goals, 19 assists) in 49 appearances for Arsenal this season and his exclusion from the Premier League Team of the Season was shocking, to say the least. With less than 14 months left on his contract with the Gunners and with a new deal nowhere in sight, his future is definitely up in the air and should Arsene Wenger’s side fail to secure Champions League qualification on the last day of the season, it is almost certain that the Chilean will depart for pastures new.
Sanchez will be a massive addition to any team in Europe, as he continues to torment defenders with his quick-thinking, trickery and above all relentlessness.
#6 Edin Dzeko (Rating: 7.78) – AS Roma
When Manchester City loaned Edin Dzeko to Roma, before eventually selling him, many believed that it was because the Bosnia and Herzegovina international was past his prime, or maybe his return of 15-18 goals a season was his best. However, after a difficult first season with the Giallorossi, Dzeko has truly found his footing in Italy and has been one of the most prolific scorers in the league.
His returns of 27 goals and 6 assiss in 35 league games this season are exceptional numbers and he is one of the biggest reasons why Luciano Spalletti’s side are still in the mix for the Scudetto. He is the league’s top-scorer ahead of top marksmen like Dries Mertens, Andrea Belotti, Mauro Icardi and even €90 million man Gonzalo Higuain.
To compare that to his returns from last season, when he scored a paltry 10 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions, gives us an idea of how much the 31-year-old during the course of the season. Dzeko has also won the most number of aerial duels of the top 10 footballers, showcasing his heading prowess.
#5 Eden Hazard (Rating: 7.79) – Chelsea
The fortunes of Eden Hazard and Chelsea appear to be intertwined in a special way. He was crowned the PFA Player of the Year in 2015 when he helped Chelsea win the Premier League under Jose Mourinho but faded away faster than Jose Mourinho departed Stamford Bridge after a shambolic season, as the Belgian netted only 6 goals during the entire season, his worst return since 2008-09.
However, under Antonio Conte, the 26-year-old has found a new lease of life and has thrived down the left flank, and sometimes through the middle as he has contributed with 15 goals and 5 assists in 35 appearances in the league itself. The Belgian has won 12 Man of the Match awards this season, bettered by only one footballer on this list.
#4 Luis Suarez (Rating: 7.81) – FC Barcelona
The mercurial Uruguayan’s stock may have fallen during the 2016/17 season but according to our friends at whoscored.com, his goals and assists were enough to warrant him a rating of 7.81, which ranks him behind only 3 footballers in the world.
Despite not being at his sensational best this season, Suarez has still notched up 36 goals and 20 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions this season – an incredible feat to say the least. In the league itself, the former Liverpool man has scored 28 goals while assisting 13 more, and is second in the race for the Pichichi. However, he is unlikely to win it unless he scores 8 goals in the final game of the season.
#3 Thiago Alcantara (Rating: 8.28) – Bayern Munich
Thiago Alcantara has undoubtedly been the best midfielder in all of Europe, at least as far as ratings go. The former Barcelona star has been the creative spark in an aging Bayern Munich midfield and has been head and shoulders above all his teammates, including Robert Lewandowski.
His returns of 6 goals and 5 assists in 27 league appearances may not suggest this but more often than not he has made Barcelona regret letting him leave for a paltry some two years ago.
The Blaugrana have had an almost non-existent midfield this season and a player of the mould of Thiago is exactly what has stopped them from challenging for top honours this season, not that they didn’t just that it was one man’s crusade as against a functional team challenging for it. Despite not being a physically dominating presence in the middle of the park, he has won an average of 1.7 aerial duels per game, astonishing.
#2 Lionel Messi (Rating: 8.46) – FC Barcelona
Man, superman, Lionel Messi – read the headline of a Guardian article some 7 years ago and it still holds true today. The more you write about the Argentine, the more you question your vocabulary, nay you question your ability to write.
Messi has been head and shoulders above his teammates this season and is the reason why Barcelona are still in contention - albeit with an outside chance - to win La Liga as we inch closer to the final game week of the season. The diminutive Argentine has scored an incredible 35 goals along with 9 assists in the league itself, while also scoring another 16 goals coupled with 9 assists in other competitions.
The 29-year-old is also the footballer with the most Man of the Match awards in this top 10 list, having won it on 15 occasions. If by any chance, Barcelona do win the title this season, it will surely go down as the season when Messi single-handedly won Barcelona the league. If they don’t win the title, his performances will go down in the annals of history as one of the best in a losing cause.
#1 Neymar (Rating: 8.52) – FC Barcelona
Neymar has himself admitted in a recent interview that this has been his best season ever, despite this not being statistically his best ever season. The Brazilian sensation has scored 13 goals in the league this season, coupled with the 11 assists that he has provided, which has warranted that he command a whoscored rating of 8.52 – the best in all of Europe.
Many footballers over the last 5 years have been haield as ‘the next Messi’, or ‘the second coming of Messi’ but it is Neymar who has come the closest to replicating the on-field exploits of the Argentine and according to whoscored, has even surpassed the Argentine this season. The Brazilians dribbling has massively improved this season and on many occasions, he has acted as the creative fulcrum of the team – whether that has given desired results or not is a debate for another time.
He was the spark that Barcelona needed to do the impossible – as they overturned an almost unassailable 4-goal deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. In the league also, the Brazilian has not shied away from responsibilities and as instead thrived in the role, driving the Barcelona team forward with his pace and trickery down the left flank. Courtesy of his exploits this season, he is the best footballer of the 2016/17 season, at least as far as ratings are concerned.
