Premier League 2018/2019 : 6 early contenders for the PFA Player of the Year

We are rapidly approaching the midway point of the Premier League season, that much dreaded Christmas period where games come in thick and fast and managers have a hard time trying to rotate their players in a bid to keep them match fit.

The table is beginning to shape up, with the serious contenders separated from the pretenders. Manchester City as expected are making serious strides to retaining the title they won so emphatically last season with Liverpool being the early pacesetters off the back of a much improved defense.

The London clubs complete the top five, as the battle for Champions League places is heating up more than ever before with every dropped point having the potential to be the difference between Wednesday and Thursday night football next season.

Elsewhere, Manchester United are having a disastrous season and lead the rest of the chasing pack. Wolves have unarguably been the surprise of the season although Bournemouth have not done too badly themselves.

Burnley have fallen off some way from the highs of last season where they qualified for European football (albeit ended prematurely) and currently find themselves in the relegation spots, while Fulham haven't seen returns on their massive investments and are currently the bottom club in the division having been the first to part with their coach.

The EPL is home to some of the world's best players which means the battle for individual honors is always stiff and this season is no exception, as although there have been big name disappointments, others have lived up to their billing and there have also been some surprise performers. In this piece, we take a look at six players who are leading the way in the race to be named the Premier League's best player.

Honorable Mentions - Harry Kane (Tottenham), Sergio 'Kun' Aguero (Manchester City), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal), Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)

#6 Callum Wilson (AFC Bournemouth)

Not many expected too much from Callum Wilson at the start of the season, as the 26-year-old had been solid but unspectacular throughout his time on the south coast with Bournemouth.

However, Wilson has gone about his business under the radar, contributing with eight goals and five assists from 16 matches to help The Cherries sit 11th on the log.

Wilson's impressive form earned him a debut callup to the national team and he kept with his Midas touch by scoring a goal on his debut in a friendly against the United States in October.

Callum Wilson has been a bargain buy for fans of Fantasy Premier League and if he is to keep up with this impressive form, you can be sure to see him among the names considered for the PFA Player of the Year award come May next year.

#5 Richarlison

Richarlison has been one of the stars of the season

Having been in the Premier League for only a season following his arrival at Watford from Fluminense, Everton were convinced of his performances enough to pay £50m for his services and reunite him with former manager Marco Silva.

Such amounts are becoming commonplace in an ever increasingly lucrative EPL, but many still expected the Brazilian to struggle at Goodison Park.

As it happened, the 21-year-old put those claims to rest, getting a brace in his debut match and has been s teady performer as Everton go about their quest to be the best of the rest.

So far, Richarlison has scored eight goals from 15 matches and his impressive form earned him a debut cap for Brazil and scored a brace in just his second national match.

Even though it is not expected that Richarlison would keep up his standards till the end of the season, there is no reason to believe otherwise.

#4 Mo Salah

Everybody is by now very familiar with Salah's stats last season, as the Egyptian had one of the most memorable debut seasons in PL history and was deservedly named the PFA Player of the Year at the end of last season having broken a plethora of goalscoring records.

The manner in which he transcended from above average to world class got many people snickering and labelling him a one season wonder, expressing doubt that he could maintain such high standards this season (as unless you're named Ronaldo or Messi, such numbers only come once in a career).

Salah struggled at the start of the season, leading many to lend more credence to his one season tag, but neither Salah nor Klopp doubted the Egyptian and the 25-year-old has rediscovered his mojo in recent weeks, becoming the fastest man in Liverpool history to notch 50 goals for the club.

Last weekend, the Egyptian international scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition away to Bournemouth to take his tally for the season to 10 goals and four assists from 17 matches this season.

Salah's upturn in form has been a crucial factor in The Reds remaining unbeaten and if Liverpool is to win a first league title in three decades, the Egyptian King would have a huge role to play.

#3 Eden Hazard

2018 has been a rollercoaster one for Eden Hazard. He headed into the World Cup in indifferent form, but put that behind him to captain his country to her best ever World Cup finish, putting in some scintillating performances particularly in the quarterfinal ouster of Brazil and his displays were enough to win him the World Cup Silver Ball as well as a place in the FIFPro XI for the first time.

The 28-year-old returned to Chelsea and continued with his impressive form, having the best goalscoring start to a season in his Chelsea career as he thrived under the expressive football played by Maurizio Sarri.

He topped the scorers chart early on with seven goals from ten matches and was the forerunner to be named the PFA Player of the Year for the second time in his career.

However a back injury derailed his progress and the Belgian went 12 matches without scoring for club and country (although he was still creating assists and chances).

Hazard has been deployed in a false nine role of recent as Sarri attempts to implemet his Napoli pattern where Dries Mertens flourished despite not being a traditional center-forward and like his compaatriot, Hazard is excelling and broke his long goal drought with a goal against Brighton at the weekend in addition to creating an assist (first player in Europe's big five leagues to reach nine assists, although Messi beat him to ten)..

In the victory over Manchester City, Eden Hazard was at his imperious best and was the man responsible for creating the two goals scored to down the Cityzens.

So far this season, Hazard has starred with eight goals and nine assists (which means that he has had more goal involvements than the entirety of last season) and would undoubtedly be one of the forerunners to be named PFA Player of the Year come May next year.

#2 Raheem Sterling

Many people expected that Raheem Sterling would not be a part of Pep Guardiola's plans as he was seen to be too technically deficient to cope with the tactically demanding playing style of the Catalan.

However, that has proven not to be the case as Pep has nurtured Sterling and made him a cornerstone in his all conquering side.

Sterling has shown marked improvements from his previous ways and even though there are still rough edges around his finishing, he is undoubtedly a more refined player.

Sterling was one of the stars of the show as City ran away with the league title last season, scoring 18 and assisting 11 goals in 33 matches (which was more than his figures in the previous two seasons combined).

So far this season, Sterling seems on course to match or perhaps even surpass his figures from last season as he has posted nine goals and six assists from 14 matches to help City sit second in this tightest of Premier League races.

#1 Virgil Van Dijk

AVan Dijk has been a colossus at the back for Liverpool

A lot of eyebrows were raised when Liverpool splashed out £75m to being Van Dijk to Anfield, making him the most expensive defender in history, but the Dutch international has proved to be worth every penny.

Before his arrival, Liverpool had a joke for a defense, with numerous comical errors costing the team points and titles, but there has been a marked difference since his arrival at Melwood.

Van Dijk possesses an excellent ability to read games and is also adept at positioning himself so that he rarely has to make a tackle, while alsop bringing his leadership abilities to the fore in marshalling his fellow defenders.

The trasnsformation at Liverpool has been massive since his arrival, as The Reds have been forged into a stable defensive unit. Under Van Dijk's watch, Liverpool have conceded just seven goals in 17 matches, with just one of those coming at Anfield.

These are numbers which would scarcely have been believable less than a year ago and is the reason why Liverpool currently find themselves unbeaten and top of the league as they begin to dream of a first league title since 1989.

It is a well known fact that great defenses win titles and if Liverpool can maintain their standards and win the Premier League, then a lot of it would be down to the impact of the 26-year-old Van Dijk and this could see him become only the second defender in the Premier League era and first since John Terry in 2005 to be named the PFA Player of the Year,

Edited by Emeka Monyei