2) John Obi Mikel (Chelsea)
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John Obi Mikel endured a tough time at the start of the season when being coached by Jose Mourinho, as he was constantly overlooked by the Portuguese. He was sporadically used by the then Chelsea Manager, but this all changed with the coach’s demise.
Under the new interim Manager Guus Hiddink, he almost immediately became the most important player in the Chelsea Midfield. He outperformed Nemanja Matic and kept him out of the first-team picture by stringing in excellent performances.
Mikel averaged 49.7 passes per game, only bettered by Fabregas with 76.4 while Nemanja Matic managed 48.7 passes per game despite clocking more minutes in total. The Nigerian also has the best pass percentage in midfield, a feat not even matched by Cesc Fabregas.
The Nigerian was responsible for Chelsea steadying their sinking ship, and he also got out the best of Cesc Fabregas. His rise in form led to the overall rise in the team’s form.
His main assets are his relative composure on the ball and breaking up opposition attacks. He was also used by Hiddink as a makeshift centre back to great effect.
