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As the English Premier League season enters its final few months, there are bound to be many kinds of analysis of the entirety of the season. While the title race is expected to be fought until the very last day, there are many midfielders who have displayed their true talent and potential this time around.
Surprisingly, most of the midfielders from this list are not amongst the top six teams and that just further highlights how the other fourteen teams are trying their best to rope in or develop players with better talent and varied skill-sets.
This is naturally enabling them to compete better and break it into the top eight spots somehow. Without further ado, let us have a look at the five most impressive central midfielders from the Premier League this season.
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#5 Etienne Capoue
Etienne Capoue has been a constant presence in Watford’s midfield this season, acting as a shield and breaking down opposition’s attacks through immense tenacity. He generally undertakes the role deeper into the midfield and uses his game-reading awareness to intercept passes regularly.
The French international has registered 2.9 interceptions per match in the Premier League this season, along with having tackled 2.7 times on an average too. He is a gritty midfielder who is strong aerially and uses it to the team’s benefit while defending set-pieces too.
Capoue’s overall playing style might not stand out amongst the rest but he is probably the fulcrum around which the team functions cordially. His tireless defensive approach means that the other players have the freedom to move around and play higher up on the pitch.
While Capoue stands out in these attributes, he could surely work better to contribute on the other side of the pitch too.
So far this season he has scored once and assisted thrice, whilst having delivering only 0.3 key passes on an average. However, for his consistently impressive performances for Watford, Capoue fittingly deserves a place in this list.
#4 Joao Moutinho
Not many promoted teams are able to adjust swiftly to the rigorous demands of the Premiership but Wolverhampton Wanderers sit at a comfortable seventh position in the league table for many reasons.
While their impressive investment should definitely be credited for it, Joao Moutinho’s contributions from the middle of the park should not be forgotten. The Portuguese has been an exceptional player for Wolves and has adapted brilliantly to the Premier League’s style of play.
He is equally proficient in both defence and attack and works as an engine in the middle by carrying the ball forward and tracking back whenever required. He has notched one goal and seven assists this season and has also delivered two key passes per game.
Defensively, he has tackled his adversaries 3.1 times on an average in each game, whilst intercepting the ball 1.2 times too.
His experience has been vital for Wolves too, as Moutinho’s composure and level-headedness has been beneficial for the team during certain crunch moments of the game. For his seamless adaptability and the tendency to carry out his work on the field constantly without any fuss, Moutinho finds himself in this list.
#3 Declan Rice
If there is one standout young player amongst the many in the Premier League this season, it should be Declan Rice. Rice primarily played as a centre-back last time around. However, he made an excellent transition to the centre of the midfield this season.
He is a brilliant reader of the game and very swift and incisive with the ball at his feet. He has become a regular presence in West Ham’s midfield this season and has definitely earned his place in the side due to his mature displays and visible improvement in his game.
Rice fills the important hole in front of the backline. To fulfil it, a lot of patience and concentration is required. With such crucial responsibilities up his shoulder, Rice has demonstrated his true temperament and showed that he is here to stay.
He has scored two goals and has an 85.2% passing success rate in the league.
The 20-year-old tackles thrice in each match on an average and could arguably fill up Mark Noble’s role in West Ham’s midfield if the Hammers manage to keep him from moving to other bigger clubs in the league. Pellegrini has commented that Rice is one of the best holding midfielders in England.
#2 Fernandinho
Pep Guardiola has built a trademark, exquisite setup at Manchester City. However, the key to its success lies at hands of a Brazilian midfielder in whose absence their season stumbled to quite an extent. Fernandinho carries out the role right in front of the central defensive duo to utmost perfection.
He is quite literally the man whose presence is directly detrimental to how City would perform on that given day. Firstly, like most of the midfielders on this list, Fernandinho has an exceptional acumen of the game.
His sense of positioning is accurate almost every time and he does not refrain from resorting to tactical fouls whenever he is caught off-guard too.
He screens City’s defensive line by breaking down the opposition’s offensive moves and is a tireless worker, covering every blade of grass to ensure that his adversaries never have a free run at the backline.
From an offensive perspective, he is quite able to initiate attacks on his own, by either moving it swiftly to the wings or playing some sumptuous through-balls, which needles past the midfield to reach the required person.
Fernandinho has scored once and assisted thrice this season, but his importance to City is beyond these numbers. He is the focal point around whom the whole team functions so beautifully.
#1 Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba’s season can actually be divided into two halves. Before the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he was inconsistent, patchy and was even dropped from the team on certain occasions.
However, ever since the Norwegian took over the reins, Pogba has completely transformed himself to become the creative force behind United’s remarkable resurgence. From a statistical perspective, he has been undoubtedly the best midfielder in the league this season.
With 11 goals and nine assists, Pogba has racked up figures that most forwards would dream to acquire. Since late December onward, the Frenchman has been immensely consistent and tenacious with his approach towards the game.
He has grown into becoming a leader of the side and runs United’s gameplay through his unparalleled skill sets. The sheer amalgamation of grace and power in his style of play makes him a treat to watch on full song.
Pogba has the ability to turn the fortunes of the games within a matter of seconds and he did so with a resplendent assist to Marcus Rashford in United’s 1-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur back in January.
This is just a single example of his even more impressive performances throughout the course of the second half of the season. For being an integral force behind United’s revival this season, Pogba has arguably been the best central midfielder of the lot.
