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The Premier League's busy winter period has come to a close, and the early part of 2019 brings some rest for the players in the form of relatively less stressful FA Cup games. Premier League players have a chance to rejuvenate themselves and get prepared for the second half of the League. The league is a two-horse race at the moment with Liverpool in the lead at 54 points while Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are trailing the reds by four points. The Premier League is always considered to be unpredictable, and with this title race looking to go right down to the wire, anything can happen. So expect the unexpected.
Some quality players have stood out and made strides in the last few Gameweeks while there are a bunch of players that have been consistently performing all Season. Using Sportskeeda's unique player ranking formula, we are going to count down the top 10 players in the Premier League as of game-week 21. Some disclaimers though - players that haven't played at least 60% of their respective Club's minutes which is earmarked at approximately 1100 Premier League minutes will not be in contention to make the list. Which is why the likes of Anthony Martial, Pedro, and Aaron Ramsey didn't make the cut.
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So let's get straight into it!
#10 Paul Pogba - Score: 23.1 (New Entry)
Paul Pogba has looked like a changed man since the departure of Jose Mourinho. The Frenchman's beef with the former United Manager wasn't exactly confidential information. Ever since Mourinho's sacking, Pogba has done precisely what every Manchester United fan has been craving for - he is scoring Goals, he is creating Goals and is playing like an absolute champion.
In the four games under caretaker manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Pogba has scored four Goals and assisted three. The World Champion has led the Midfield and Solskjaer will be hoping to bring the best out of him in the games to come. If Pogba can keep this level up week in and week out, you can expect Manchester United to seriously push for a top 4 position this season.
#9 Harry Maguire - Score: 23.4 (+1)
Despite spending a large chunk of last month nursing an injury, Harry Maguire has managed to move from 10th to 9th place on this list. Arguably, Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk has been vital for his team at the top, but Maguire has not only scored a goal more than Van Dijk but also has almost the same number of tackles and clearances as the Dutchman having played nearly four hundred minutes lesser. His massive impact has flown under the radar.
Maguire truly has great potential, and Leicester City has done well to hold on to him until now. Maguire is evidently miles ahead of his Leicester teammates when it comes to quality defending, and the temptation to play for top Clubs and earn big money will be extremely hard to resist. I have a good feeling that Manchester United will not be the only big Club to try to acquire this talented 25-year-old in the near future.
#8 Ryan Fraser - Score: 23.4 (New Entry)
Ryan Fraser has turned into one of the Premier League's most dangerous and consistent 'creator-in-chief'. Fraser is actually level with Chelsea's Eden Hazard when it comes to assists, with the Scott and Belgian both creating nine goals apiece for their respective clubs. To go along with that, Fraser has also found the back of the net five times this Season. To add to these brilliant stats, Fraser has also created 42 chances this season - only Mohamed Salah, David Silva and Eden Hazard have created more.
Fraser has been blessed with blistering pace and is very agile on the ball. The Scottish International is five foot four inches tall and looks exceptionally tiny but boy he packs a punch! He is probably one of the most underrated players in the Premier League and for those of you who haven't watched him play, make sure you do catch him the next time Eddie Howe's Bournemouth field this talented Scottish Forward.
#7 Sergio Aguero - Score: 26.8 (-3)
Sergio Aguero spent some time out with a groin injury in 2018 and had missed six games in the process. But his goalscoring record is still outstanding, scoring 10 goals and assisting another 5 in 17 appearances this season. Aguero has established himself as Manchester City's big match player and seems to deliver the goods every time they have needed it.
He is Manchester City's record goalscorer and was his usual lethal self in the thrilling 2-1 win over Liverpool at the Etihad - scoring from a tight angle and contributing immensely to City's overall offensive play. Manchester City has inched closer to Liverpool now and if Pep Guardiola wants to derail Jurgen Klopp's ambitious Premier League title chase, Sergio Aguero will need to remain fit and be the splendid goal machine that he has been for many years now.
#6 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Score: 27.1 (+2)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been nothing short of sensational for Arsenal this Season. While the Gunners' defence has been crumbling like puff pastry, things have looked onwards and upwards for their forwards. Aubameyang has scored 14 Goals this season and has created three more for Unai Emery's new-look Arsenal team.
He was ranked at number 8 in the last Premier League player rankings, and his consistent Goalscoring has moved him up two spots to 6th place. If Aubameyang's goals keep coming thick and fast, Premier League fans are in for a treat. The Gabon International has tormented defenders in England since arriving last January and has scored a mind-boggling 25 Goals in the 2018 calendar year for Arsenal.
Unai Emery will be hoping Aubameyang's impressive performances offensively can inspire his shambolic defence to pull up their socks and be a lot more solid at the back.
#5 Raheem Sterling - Score 27.9 (-3)
Raheem Sterling had a brilliant start to this league season and was even ranked second in the last Premier League player rankings, but the Englishman has failed to maintain the high standards he set for himself in recent weeks. During a brief period in mid-December around the same time when Aguero was sidelined with an Injury, Raheem Sterling had a massive dip in form which eventually translated to a slump in Manchester City's performances as well.
City suffered three defeats to Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leicester City with Sterling putting in a few sub-par performances. The Englishman still has been directly involved in 16 Goals this Season (Scored 9 and assisted 7) which is the most by any Manchester City player. To add to that, Sterling boasts of an 85.4% successful pass percentage. Expect the winger to kick into full throttle at the back end of the season as City step up the chase on league leaders Liverpool.
#4 Mohamed Salah - Score: 28.0 (=)
Mohamed Salah has reaffirmed his place as Liverpool's talisman and the 'Egyptian king' has been running down the wing doing his thing. Ok, the rhyming wasn't intentional, but you get the point, right? Salah has scored 13 and assisted 7 and has been directly involved in 20 Goals, more than any other player in the Premier League as of now. He may not hit the numbers he hit last Season, but these numbers are still sensational.
Salah is an integral part of Liverpool's lethal front three of Mane, Salah and Firmino and this season, he has been involved a lot more creatively. He has looked a more complete player when compared to last Season. The reds are on top of the Premier League table, and this is probably Liverpool's best chance to bring the Premier League trophy to Anfield. Salah will need to be at the top of his game if they are to lift the title in May.
#3 David Silva - Score: 28.2 (+4)
Surprise, Surprise! David Silva has the best passing percentage (88.6%) on this list, and the Manchester City legend has been sensational. Silva really controls the game from midfield and has also pitched in with 6 goals and two assists as well. It's terrific to see football evolve over the last few months and players like David Silva finally getting their due.
Silva has always been exceptional, and it's heartening to see fans realising his value now. He's calm on the ball, his passing is precise, and he is the heart of Pep Guardiola's wonderful Manchester City side. David Silva has also gone on to create 50 chances in the Premier League this Season. A midfield legend in every sense, the day he'll leave Manchester City might be when fans realise that David Silva is one of a kind and virtually irreplaceable.
#2 Leroy Sane - Score: 28.8 (+1)
Leroy Sane has done exceptionally well this season and is now becoming a regular starter in Guardiola's XI after some initial difficulties. If not for Riyad Mahrez, Sane would've gotten a lot more game time but owing to his reduction in minutes, his goal and assist to minutes ratio is seriously impressive. Sane has scored 7 Goals and assisted another 7 having played only 1168 minutes - this means that Sane contributes with an assist or a goal every 83 minutes!
That's a stat that Guardiola will undoubtedly be aware of. The fact that Manchester City will have to be at their absolute best to maintain the title race with Liverpool should mean more chances to Sane. The German International certainly has a big future, and under Pep Guardiola he is destined to become world class. The fuzzy-haired 22-Year-Old is certainly someone every football fan in the world should look out for.
#1 Eden Hazard - Score: 31.4 (=)
The Belgian maestro retains his top spot and Chelsea’s dependency on him is increasing week after week. The Chelsea talisman is Maurizio Sarri’s number one player at the moment and is thriving in his false nine role having scored 10 Goals and assisted another 9. But what keeps the Belgian atop the rankings is the fact that he has also created 51 chances this season which is more than any other player in the Premier League.
When you add his high 84% pass success percentage to the mix, you can see why he deserves his #1 spot on our Premier League power ranking. Hazard has probably had his best start to a Premier League season this year, and it's a shame that he doesn't have a high-quality forward to share the load with the way Manchester City and Liverpool's attackers do. Rumours are surfacing that new signing Christian Pulisic has been signed on as a replacement for Eden Hazard. The Chelsea Board must do everything in their power to keep the Belgian or else with the Club's current form, they may find it exceedingly hard to win any kind of silverware.
