Premier League: 10 greatest individual seasons in history

Ranking the 10 greatest individual seasons ever in the Premier League history!
Ranking the 10 greatest individual seasons ever in the Premier League history!

The Premier League folklore is packed to the rafters with legendary players, most of them being strikers. Some impressed, some flattered to deceive while some just tore the record books with brilliant campaigns.

There have been many such cases where players put up memorable performances over the course of a Premier League season that they almost eclipsed the collective efforts of their team.

On that note, let's have a look at the ten greatest individual seasons in Premier League history:

Honourable mentions: Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur, 2012/13), Yaya Toure (Manchester City, 2013/14), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, 2011/12), Harry Kane (2016/17 and 2017/18).

10 greatest individual seasons in the Premier League:

#10 Robin van Persie (Arsenal, 2011/12)

Robin Van Persie's final season with Arsenal was also his best for the club.
Robin Van Persie's final season with Arsenal was also his best for the club.

Let's start off with the most underrated campaign by a player.

Robin van Persie's incredible tally of 30 goals with 14 assists wasn't discussed enough at the culmination of the 2011/12 campaign and remains underappreciated even today.

Manchester City hogged all the headlines at the time for their dramatic title victory but van Persie was scripting a fairytale of his own. The Dutchman had no silverware to show for his efforts, yet Manchester United came calling for his services later that summer.

#9 Frank Lampard (Chelsea, 2009/10)

Frank Lampard was a class apart during Chelsea's double-winning season of 2009/10.
Frank Lampard was a class apart during Chelsea's double-winning season of 2009/10.

Chelsea's 'double' winning campaign of 2009/10 saw Frank Lampard record his best season figures.

He became just the second midfielder to score over twenty goals in a Premier League season. Lampard netted 22 times in all, while also chipping in with another 14 assists.

Few Premier League midfielders have ever had a run at goal like Lampard, and yet, the Chelsea midfielder was snubbed a the PFA's Player of the Year Prize ceremony.

#8 Thierry Henry (Arsenal, 2003/04)

Arsenal's 'Invincibles' season had the indelibe imprints of Thierry Henry all over.
Arsenal's 'Invincibles' season had the indelibe imprints of Thierry Henry all over.

Arsenal's historic 'Invincibles' season of 2003-04 had Thierry Henry at the heart of the club's success.

The Frenchman was brilliant throughout, netting left, right and centre. Henry's partnership with Denis Bergkamp was at its peak that season.

Henry scored 30 times overall, more than anyone in the top-flight, and further contributed six assists, and the best part is, this still wasn't his greatest Premier League season.

#7 Didier Drogba (Chelsea, 2009/10)

Drogba rediscovered his best in 2009/10 after an injury-riddled year
Drogba rediscovered his best in 2009/10 after an injury-riddled year

Didier Drogba bounced back from an injury-riddled campaign in emphatic fashion in the 2009/10 Premier League season.

Not only did the legendary Ivorian keep himself fit, he was firing on all cylinders too. Drogba's return to his best yielded 29 goals and 10 assists as the Blues were crowned Premier League champions once again.

To put the icing on the cake, Drogba's tally also included an incredible hattrick on the final day against Wigan Athletic. It took his season goal tally well beyond that of Wayne Rooney as Drogba won the Golden Boot too.

#6 Robin van Persie (Manchester United, 2012/13)

Robin Van Persie's debut season at Manchester United was one to remember.
Robin Van Persie's debut season at Manchester United was one to remember.

Manchester United's statement signing in 2012, Robin van Persie wasted little time in impressing his new employers.

The Dutchman fired the Red Devils back to Premier League glory by playing an instrumental role in the campaign.

With 26 goals and 15 assists, Van Persie was at the top of his game and also ensured the best possible sendoff to the club's legenday manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

#5 Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, 1994/95)

Alan Shearer was the driving force behind Blackburn's historic Premier League triumph in 1994.
Alan Shearer was the driving force behind Blackburn's historic Premier League triumph in 1994.

Arguably the greatest English striker in Premier League history, Alan Shearer is also the only player to net at least 30 goals in three consecutive seasons.

So frankly, any of those seasons could've made this list. But the 1994/95 season was something special, even by Shearer's staggering standards.

He netted 34 times as the Riversiders won the Premier League title against all the odds. Shearer's strike partnership with Chris Sutton too was historic and is still remembered as one of the best ever.

#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, 2007/08)

Cristiano Ronaldo consolidated his world-class status in the 2007-08 Premier League season.
Cristiano Ronaldo consolidated his world-class status in the 2007-08 Premier League season.

Cristiano Ronaldo's evolution into the world's best player achieved its apotheosis in the stellar 2007/08 Premier League campaign.

The Portuguese winger helped Manchester United to the Premier League and Champions League double, en route to lifting his first of five Ballon d'Or trophies.

Ronaldo also won the Golden Boot that season for netting 31 times in the league, streets ahead of anyone else, as he tore defences asunder and wrote himself into the league's history books forever.

#3 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, 2017/18)

Salah made an epic return to the Premier League in 2017/18
Salah made an epic return to the Premier League in 2017/18

Liverpool's €42 million outlay for Mohamed Salah in 2017 was lampooned in several quarters given his forgetful stint with Chelsea.

However, the Egyptian ace proceeded to silence all his critics with a record-breaking run that saw him fire 32 goals, an incredible tally that involved just one penalty!

He also made 10 assists that season, as Salah announced his return to the British shores in some style.

#2 Luis Suarez (Liverpool, 2013/14)

To say Luis Suarez was unstoppable in 2013-14 would be an understatement
To say Luis Suarez was unstoppable in 2013-14 would be an understatement

Liverpool came agonisingly close to winning the Premier League in 2014. The driving force behind the club's amazing run that season was Luis Suarez, who was simply a cut above the rest.

The peerless Uruguayan netted 31 times, made 12 assists and also created 22 big chances. Even though the Reds blew up their title chances with a late collapse, the prospects of even finishing inside Champions League spots wouldn't have occurred had it not been for Suarez and his stellar form.

#1 Thierry Henry (Arsenal, 2002/03)

Thierry Henry's best season at Arsenal didn't come during the 'Invincibles' run
Thierry Henry's best season at Arsenal didn't come during the 'Invincibles' run

Even before the 'Invincibles' happened, Thierry Henry was breaking records and setting new milestones.

In the 2002/03 Premire League campaign, the French star scored 24 goals and as if that was not enough, assisted another 20 times! It remains a Premier League record for the highest number of assists laid in a single campaign, though that's under threat from Kevin De Bruyne this season.

Nevertheless, Henry's monumental efforts didn't translate into league success for Arsenal, unfortunately.

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Edited by Bhargav
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