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The Premier League has been home to brilliant central midfielders for years now and this season has been no different. These men dictate the tempo of the game and hold the defense and attack together. They carry out varied responsibilities on the pitch and are the heart of the team, the central core that keeps the men around ticking.
The 2018/19 season of the Premier League has come to a fantastic end. Manchester City pipped Liverpool to the crown on the final game, in a season which saw 2 teams cross the 95 point mark. The year also saw the rise of English football, as both the Europa League and the Champions League finals have English teams fighting each other for the grand prize.
Central to all the success has been the quality of the central midfielders in the league. As such, Sportskeeda brings you the top 10 central midfielders in the Premier League this season. The list contains some stellar names and only two teams manage to contribute more than one man in this list. But who is the best central midfielder in the Premier League this season? Read on to find out.
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#10 Abdoulaye Doucouré (France, Watford)
The Frenchman has been steadily climbing up the ranks among the central midfielders in the league in recent times. Doucoure joined Watford from Stade Rennais in the January of 2016 and was sent on loan to Granada.
He returned from loan in the summer of the same year and soon found his feet in the Premier League. Since then, Doucoure has gone from strength to strength and has caught the eye with his stellar displays in the middle of the park.
The 26-year-old plays as a defensive midfielder for Watford, but has the ability to drive forward with power and speed. And this is why despite carrying out a more defensive role, Doucoure is a threat going forward.
He likes to make late runs into the box and is also good with the ball at his feet. This season, the Frenchman has averaged 2 tackles and 1 interception per game. He has 35 appearances in the league and has run 11.28 km on an average.
Doucoure has averaged 55 passes per game and has 59 accurate long balls to his name. He has registered 5 through balls and has created 8 big chances, despite his deep-lying role. The Frenchman finished the season with 5 goals and 6 assists and is the 10th best central midfielder in the league this season.
#9 Lucas Torreira (Uruguay, Arsenal)
Lucas Torreira joined Arsenal in the summer of 2018, after a strong outing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He had a pretty decent debut season, where he appeared 34 times for the Gunners, picked up 2 assists and scored 2 goals.
The Uruguayan is a livewire in the midfield who likes to be involved around the park. He is very good in his tackles and interceptions, and is an extremely hard worker on the field. Torreira likes playing short passes and prefers to move the ball around, but gets fouled quite often. He is very good in his defensive duties and is equally adept at playing a defensive midfield role. The Uruguayan has averaged 1.2 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game in the league.
Torreira has averaged almost 47 passes per game and has 60 accurate long balls to his name. He has a tackle success rate of 60% and has created 3 big chances in the league. He is 9th in our rankings at the end of the season.
#8 Declan Rice (England, West Ham United)
The English youngster rose through the ranks at West Ham United, catching the eye in the youth teams and subsequently earned his debut in the 2016/17 season. He was heavily involved last season but broke into the scene this year. Rice started in all of his 34 appearances for the Hammers this season and was substituted off just twice! For the record, he just turned 20 in January this year.
Rice has averaged around 45 passes per game in the league, creating one big chance, 2 through balls and registering 98 accurate long balls. He is a defensive midfielder who likes to tackle but is equally comfortable playing a more forward role.
The Englishman has averaged 2.9 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game, but has given away just 0.5 fouls per game on an average in the league! Despite his deeper role, Rice has scored 2 goals in the league this season.
The Englishman is a tireless worker on the pitch and is full of running. Rice has averaged 10.61Kms per game in the league this season, which is outstanding for a player of his age. The Englishman is blessed with wisdom beyond his years and it is not a wonder that Manchester United are rumoured to be pretty interested in bringing him to Old Trafford this summer, because he has been one of the best central midfielders in the league this season.
#7 Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands, Liverpool)
The Dutchman joined Liverpool in the summer of 2016 and became an important member of the first team immediately. Wijnaldum is a central midfielder who can carry out a deeper role as well as excel in a more attacking position. His varied abilities have been an asset for Jurgen Klopp, who has used the Dutchman to the fullest of his capabilities.
Wijnaldum missed just three games in the Premier League this season, as Liverpool pushed the title race to the last day of the season. The Dutchman had 35 appearances in the league, 32 of which were starts.
He scored 3 goals as well, as Liverpool came up short, but gave a fantastic account of themselves. He was also the chief architect of that fantastic comeback win against Barcelona in the semi final of the UEFA Champions League.
The Dutchman has averaged 1.2 tackles per game in the league this season and has given away just 0.5 fouls per game. He has averaged 51 passes per game, has created 2 big chances, registered 5 through balls, but has also missed 4 big chances.
He is a hard worker on the pitch and has run 9.51 km on an average per game in the league. Wijnaldum is very good with his passing and likes to make late runs into the box.
#6 Étienne Capoue (France, Watford)
The Frenchman missed 3 games due to a direct red card suspension but has 33 appearances for Watford in the Premier League, all of which were starts. Capoue scored once and picked up 3 assists in the league; despite starting from a deeper position, he has an eye for the goal and likes to shoot from distance. He has also scored 2 goals in the FA Cup and 1 in the League Cup this season.
Even though Capoue has the ability to influence the game while going forward, his main work in the team has been providing stability and steel in the midfield. The Frenchman is very good at breaking up play and has been stellar for Watford as the defensive screen in the midfield.
He likes tackling and is also extremely strong in the air, which makes him a tough competitor in the middle. He has averaged 2.8 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per game in the league this season and has given away 1.4 fouls in a game on an average.
The Frenchman is quite decent with his passes too and has averaged 53 passes per game on an average. He has created 2 big chances and has registered 5 through balls and 115 accurate long balls. Capoue is quite industrious on the field and likes to cover the entire ground.
#5 João Moutinho (Portugal, Wolverhampton Wanderers)
The Portuguese has been one of the signings of the season and has orchestrated the proceedings for Wolves from the center of the park. Moutinho is a very good passer of the ball and likes to dictate terms from the deep. He is a central midfielder who loves defending and is very adept at working as a defensive screen of the back four. The Portuguese is an expert at set pieces too and has been one of the key players for his club this season.
Moutinho appeared in all 38 games for his club in the Premier League, managing 35 starts and 3 substitute appearances. He has averaged 3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game in the league, while also giving away 1.4 fouls per game on an average.
His contribution in the final third is no less spectacular; Moutinho averaged 2.2 key passes per game in the league. He has averaged 49 passes per game, has created 7 big passes and has also registered 4 through balls. Moutinho also has 124 accurate long balls to his name
The Portuguese scored 1 goal and picked up 8 assists in the league, and despite his age, has averaged 9.59 km per game! The 32-year-old has been one of the best central midfielders this season and is fifth in our rankings.
#4 Paul Pogba (France, Manchester United)
Pogba is the highest scoring central midfielder in the Premier League this season, finding the net 13 times in the Premier League this season. The Frenchman has also registered 9 assists as well and has enjoyed one of his most fruitful seasons in the Premier League so far. He had 34 starts in the Premier League this season and came off the bench on one more occasion.
The Frenchman has been the creator in chief for Manchester United this season. Caught in the midst of a managerial turmoil in the middle of the season, Pogba had cut a sorry figure during the last phase of Mourinho's reign.
Solskjaer's arrival, though, broke the shackles and the Frenchman played some of his best football in the first three months of Solskjaer's reign. Even though he looked jaded at the later stages of the season, he still has been one of the best midfielders in the league this season.
Pogba has averaged 3 shots and 1.6 key passes per game in the league this season. He has completed 1.7 successful dribbles per game and has been fouled twice in every game on an average. He has averaged 59 passes per game, has registered 15 through balls and has created 7 big chances.
He has hit the woodwork thrice and has also missed 7 big chances. He has 165 accurate long balls to his name. Contrary to the popular notion, Pogba has run hard on the pitch and has covered 9.96 km per game on an average.
The Manchester United midfielder is the 4th best central midfielder in the 2018/19 season.
#3 James Maddison (England, Leicester City)
The 22-year-old joined Leicester City in the summer of 2018, from Norwich City. He hit the ground running and quickly became the creative hub of the team. Maddison is a quick, skillful midfielder who is very comfortable with the ball at his feet.
The Englishman is great at set pieces and has scored 3 goals from free kicks this season. He is very dangerous near the opposition box, where his ability to spot a pass comes in handy. However, he does not shy away from his defensive duties either.
Maddison has averaged 1.3 tackles per game in the league, even though he has mostly been used in an attacking role from the midfield. The Englishman has averaged 39 passes per game but has 2.8 key passes per game to his name.
His crossing has also been noteworthy, and he has registered 205 crosses this season alone. Maddison has 36 appearances in the Premier League, 35 of which have been starts and he has scored 7 goals and registered 7 assists.
The Englishman has recorded 2.3 shots per game and has been a constant goal threat for Leicester City. He has also complimented Vardy very well in attack and has formed a decent partnership with his countryman. Maddison has recorded 22 through balls and has created 13 big chances this season. He is the third best central midfielder in the league this season.
#2 Bernardo Silva (Portugal, Manchester City)
The Portuguese midfielder joined Manchester City from Monaco in the summer of 2017, but it was in his second year that Bernardo Silva became invaluable for Manchester City. As midfield kingpin Kevin de Bruyne picked up an injury early into the season, City looked to be in a mess.
Up stepped Bernardo Silva and such was his impact that come the end of the season, City hardly missed de Bruyne. The Portuguese was equally comfortable in the midfield and as a part of the front three and he quickly took up the reins of the City attack and inspired them to glory.
Bernardo Silva is a clever footballer who is brilliant with the ball at his feet. His passing is exquisite, his dribbling could unsettle the best of defenses. City had a magician in their ranks, who cast his spell on the opposition and mesmerized the whole world on the pitch. Silva averaged 1.7 shots, 2 Key passes and 1.4 dribbles per game in the league. He had 36 appearances in the league, picked up 7 assists and scored 7 goals.
The Portuguese averaged 47 passes per game, created 10 big chances and registered 10 through balls in the league. There are very few midfielders in the world better than Bernardo Silva, but unfortunately for him, one of them is his teammate, who has forced the Portuguese to the second spot in this list.
#1 Fernandinho (Brazil, Manchester City)
The Brazilian rarely comes to the limelight but is central to everything good that has happened to Manchester City in recent times. His industry and knowledge of the game allowed Pep Guardiola to revolutionize the way City played football, by opting for two No. 10s to partner Fernandinho in the midfield. The Brazilian has been so good that the Manchester City bandwagon has shown no signs of stoppage despite injuries to key players.
Even though Fernandinho carried out a defensive role in the team, he still picked up 1 goal and 3 assists in the league, from 29 appearances. However, his main role in the team was shielding his defense and winning the ball back, something he was exceptional at. The Brazilian has averaged 2 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 1.4 fouls per game. He has registered around 71 passes per game.
Despite the fact that he is 32-year-old, Fernandinho is a tireless worker on the pitch and has run 9.75 km on an average per game. The Brazilian has embodied the Pep Guardiola style of play, by using short passes to play the ball out of the back. However, Fernandinho is extremely good with his tackles when required and has registered a tackle success rate of 75% in the season.
The Brazilian has been the key to Manchester City making history by winning the first English domestic treble. He is the best central midfielder in the Premier League from the 2018/19 season.
