5 Best players of the 2018/19 Premier League season

After 380 Premier League fixtures, we finally got the champions of England. It was a tight contest between Manchester City and Liverpool but on the last day of the season, City prevailed.

Manchester City were crowned as champions for the fourth time since the introduction of the league in 1992. They have also now won the title in back-to-back seasons and are the first English men's football club in history to complete the domestic treble this year.

The season saw many players step up their game and perform exceptionally well for their clubs.

A few familiar names and some unfamiliar made their presence known over the season. Here's a look at the five best players of the Premier League 2018/19 season, ranked according to their performance and impact on the league.

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#5 Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva didn't make us miss Kevin de Bruyne this season with a terrific performance.

Bernardo Silva was signed from Monaco in May 2017 for a reported fee of £43 million by Manchester City.

With Kevin de Bruyne in full flow last season, Bernardo had very little to do. But De Bruyne struggled with injury problems this season and Pep needed someone to fill in his boots and Silva didn't disappoint him.

Although Silva's numbers are not as good as KDB's last season, he had a more than significant role in City's title triumph. He was soon an automatic selection in the first eleven.

Of Guardiola's outfield players, only Aymeric Laporte has started more games than Silva, 34 compared with 31.

But Silva's five substitute appearances meant that he has appeared in 36 of City's 38 league games. Only keeper Ederson has made a bigger contribution to the club's title defence.

Virgil van Dijk may have run away with the Premier League player of the season honour but Bernardo Silva made a compelling case to be considered for an individual award with a season of breathtakingly high quality. In 36 appearances for the club, Bernardo Silva has scored 7 goals and assisted 7 times.

#4 Sadio Mane

Sadio Mane's contribution to Liverpool's success this season is more than significant.

Liverpool might have missed the Premier League title this season by just one point, but still, it was an incredible season for them where they reached 97 points. There were few players responsible for such a brilliant performancefrom Liverpool and Sadio Mane is definitely one of them.

Mane, with 22 goals in 36 matches, was the joint Golden Boot winner of the season alongside his teammate Mohamed Salah and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Mane as a winger was one of the main weapons for Jurgen Klopp in the entire campaign.

Liverpool signed Mane on 2016 for a transfer fee of £34 million from Southampton, making him the most expensive African player in history at the time.

Since joining Liverpool, he has become one of the top players of the Premier League and a Golden Boot this season is perfect evidence of that.

A fan favourite for the Reds, Mane just seems to be getting better and better every season at Anfield. His goals often come at important times for the club and prove to be match-winning ones. Most probably than not he breaks the deadlock and scores the first goal for his team.

#3 Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard has been at his mesmerizing best all throughout the season.

The biggest positive for Chelsea in 2018/19 season has to be Eden Hazard. The Belgian forward had one of the best seasons of his footballing career and it is quite evident when he dances past the defenders at ease in the Premier League.

Eden Hazard was at the top of the game pretty much all throughout the season. He finished the season as the top assists-man with 15 assists to his name, followed by the 16 goals.

He has the biggest goal contribution of any player in the Premier League this season with 31 goals and assists combined.

Hazard’s exclusion from the PFA Premier League team of the year came as a shocker. With dominating displays on the left flank on almost every match Hazard single-handedly took Chelsea to the third place of the league table.

But unfortunately, this could be the last season that Hazard is seen in the Premier League, as he looks set to move to Real Madrid this summer.

#2 Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling was the most valuable player not only for his club but in the entire Premier League 2018/19.

Not many years ago Raheem Sterling was ferociously booed by fans all over England. He was criticised heavily by coaches and former players for his game and his attitude.

Fast forward to 2019, Raheem Sterling played as good as anyone in the Premier League and just missed out on the Player Of The Season honours.

Sterling has made drastic improvements in Manchester City, especially since, the arrival of Pep Guardiola as the manager of the club.

His game has moved several levels up since, playing under Pep and is now one of the most valuable players of the league.

At the beginning of Sterling's professional career, he used to take some wrong decisions on the pitch. But now he's the guy who makes the perfectly timed run and scores tap-in along with some screamers with the right foot. He has been City's main weapon in the attacking half for the past two years.

Sterling has been an automatic selection in Guardiola's team all throughout the season. He featured in 34 matches out of City's 38 matches where he scored 17 goals and 10 assists. These stats prove that he has been quite the force for his team.

#1 Virgil Van Dijk

Virgil Van Dijk, the great wall of Liverpool.

The Premier League's player of the season award, the PFA player of the year award and right now, the best centre-half in Europe, it is none other than Virgil Van Dijk who takes the top spot on our list.

Liverpool has finished the Premier League at the second spot and made it to the Champions League final two seasons in a row and a lot of credit should surely go the Dutch defender.

The Dutchman was signed in January 2018 from Southampton for a fee of around £75 million which was criticised initially.

But in just one and a half seasons, he has justified his price tag and cemented himself as one of the most solid defenders in the world at the moment. Van Dijk has transformed the once porous Liverpool defence into a solid, tightly-knit unit.

Van Dijk has been one of the first names in the team sheet for Liverpool this season. .

The most astonishing fact about Van Dijk is that he has not been dribbled past in the league since way back in March 2018.

Along with such defensive prowess, the 6 feet 4 inches tall defender is always a threat in the set pieces. He has scored 4 crucial goals for his team this season in the league.

With 74% tackle success, 89.7% pass accuracy, 76.3% duel win and 74.9% aerial duel win, Virgil Van Dijk is not only the best defender in the Premier League but also in the entire world right now.

He is now also a serious contender for the Ballon d'Or honour which is the highest individual award in football.