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We are nearing the end of an action-packed February and are slowly creeping into the business end of the season.
Every footballer grows desperate to prove their worth in the final few months, but it’s far from a walk in the park. Many superstars fail to get their teams over the line in the final stages and very few are able to hold firm and deliver.
The players below have not only been in excellent form in February but have also proven to be invaluable for their teams since August.
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Now, without further ado, let us check out the five best players in the world right now:
#5 Riyad Mahrez – Manchester City
From ruling the flanks at Leicester City to breaking ankles at Manchester City, Riyad Mahrez has come a long way over the last four years.
Unwavered by the competition for places at the Etihad Stadium, Mahrez has always delivered when called upon, influencing the game with goals, assists, and intelligent passes.
The right-winger has been in great form for the reigning Premier League champions. His ball control, dribbling, and incisive passing have helped the Cityiens greatly, both in England and Europe.
In the Premier League alone, Mahrez has registered seven goals and four assists in 18 appearances. The Algerian. meanwhile, has started every Champions League game so far, scoring six goals and providing an assist in seven appearances.
The 30-year-old scored a goal and provided an assist in Manchester City’s 5-0 win over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday night.
The emphatic win in the first leg has all but confirmed City’s place in the quarter-finals.
#4 Bernardo Silva – Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s star pupil, Bernardo Silva, has once again earned rave reviews in the Premier League this season. The Portugal international has mesmerized every on-looker with scintillating passing, clever movement, and decisive goal contributions.
Given the Premier League champions' insatiable hunger for success, competition for places is something every City star is forced to deal with. Silva has been one of the very few stars who have been able to deal with it without any fuss.
By keeping his head down and following his coach’s instructions to a T, the Portuguese has emerged as a regular, playing 24 English top-flight games this season.
The 27-year-old has excelled both as a central midfielder and an attacking midfielder. Apart from dictating the team’s tempo in the Premier League, he has also pitched in with seven goals and an assist this season.
Guardiola has used Silva extensively in the Champions League as well and has been handsomely rewarded for it.
The former Monaco man has two assists and two goals to his name so far, and we are backing him to add a few more.
#3 Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich
Robert Lewandowski is arguably the best striker in the world right now. He may not be as good a dribbler as Mohamed Salah or as quick as Kylian Mbappe, but he certainly has an all-important killer instinct. The moment one lets him have a sniff at goal, he is as good as done.
Lewandowski, who was chosen as "The Best Men’s Player" by FIFA earlier this year, is the current leader in the European Golden Shoe rankings.
Having scored 26 goals in the Bundesliga alone, the 33-year-old is leaps and bounds ahead of any other centre-forward out there.
Since the start of the year, Lewandowski has scored seven times in the German top-flight, with three of those coming in the last two games.
He did draw a blank in Bayern’s unlikely 1-1 draw with RB Salzburg in the first leg of their Champions League Round of clash. But we are backing him to bounce back strongly in the return leg in March.
#2 Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
Liverpool right-winger Mohamed Salah has scored for fun in the 2021-22 campaign. The Egypt international has netted 24 times across competitions in the current campaign, emerging as the Reds’ primary goalscorer.
After leading Egypt to the AFCON final, where he lost out to Sadio Mane’s Senegal on penalties, Salah returned to Liverpool with a vengeance.
The 29-year-old seems hungrier than ever to prove his mettle and is already proving to be decisive for the Merseyside giants in front of goal.
Salah scored the second goal in Liverpool’s Champions League Round of 16 first-leg win over Inter Milan on Tuesday night. The performance itself wasn’t groundbreaking, but the way he kept coming at the opposition was noteworthy.
Salah has now extended his goalscoring streak to eight consecutive away games in the Champions League.
#1 Kylian Mbappe – Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain No.7 Kylian Mbappe has been immense for the French giants since the start of the season. He has easily been their standout performer in February, producing clutch performances on cue.
Despite playing alongside one of the best in the world in Lionel Messi, the 23-year-old has held his own. He has linked up with him without breaking a sweat and has often benefitted from the Argentine genius’ clever playmaking skills.
Mbappe has also been tireless on the pitch, always prepared to unleash his breakneck pace even in the dying minutes of the match. Last week itself, we were treated to a couple of match-winning displays by the 2018 World Cup winner.
He first scored an injury-time winner against Rennes in Ligue 1 on Friday. The France international then repeated the feat with a solo effort against Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg clash on Tuesday night.
Had it not been for the young Frenchman, PSG would have been subjected to two disappointing goalless stalemates.
Also Read: Ranking Liverpool's 5 best players against Inter Milan | UEFA Champions League 2021-22 Round of 16
