The Professional Footballer’s association hand out an award to the best player in the Premier League every season. There are several parameters that judge the performance of a player throughout a campaign.
The main factors are goals, assists and the performance of the club in the league. Last season, Eden Hazard’s impressive contribution toward’s Chelsea’s title push won him the PFA player of the year. This season though he has failed to score in the Premier League and the Blues currently sit 10th in the table.
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But others have taken the initiative this season and put themselves in contention for the award. Here are the top 5 contenders for the PFA player of this season.
5) Mesut Ozil
Ozil had a tough first couple of years at Arsenal. The German made a bright start in his first season by assisting Giroud in his first league game. But after a series of good performances, his form slowly started to slip away.
The second season saw a similar story but this time, injury prevented him from taking part in several of Arsenal’s crucial fixtures as they finished third. But this year it has been a completely different story.
The German playmaker has been nothing short of brilliant in 2015/16. The 27-year-old is arguably enjoying the best run of form in his career and has been Arsenal’s best player by a mile. He has already notched up 18 assists and is on the verge of breaking Thierry’s Henry's record of 20 assists in a season.
He helped Arsenal reach the top of the table, a position they held in the beginning of 2016. But a shock run of results since then have left the Gunners eight points behind Leicester City. Ozil continued to shine throughout these games but his influence wasn’t complimented by others around him.
Nevertheless, he stands a chance of claiming the award if he continues to perform in the manner he has been all season.
4) Dimitri Payet
Dimitri Payet has probably been one of the best buys of the Premier League this season. The Frenchman has lit up the league with his skill, free kicks and just pure quality. Payet joined West Ham last summer from Marseille.
The player had a great season in France as well before his move to England so the club knew what they were getting for their money. And Payet has repaid that investment by helping West Ham to 5th in the table currently three points behind Manchester City in the race for Champions League qualification.
At the start of the campaign no one would have expected West Ham to challenge for the a top four finish but Payet has helped make that challenge a reality. He has scored 8 goals and assisted a further 8 for his teammates.
His strongest quality though has been his freekicks. Out of the eight goals he has scored many of them have been free kicks. The midfielder has also earned a call-up to the French national team recently after a year’s gap. He took his chance well as he starred in wins over Russia and Netherlands during the International break.
3) Jamie Vardy
In November of 2015, Jamie Vardy scored a goal against Manchester United that put his name into Premier League history. In the 24th minute, he was put through on goal by Christian Fuchs and from a tight angle squeezed his shot past De Gea to give Leicester City the lead. But more importantly, he broke Van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in 10 games in a row by going one better.
Leicester City amongst all odds find themselves on top of the pile sitting four points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand. The Foxes have had an incredible season and are now favourites to win the league.
And they owe their success in part to their star striker. Vardy currently has 19 goals for the season, three behind Tottenham’s Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot. His combination play with Riyad Mahrez has terrorised defences with the club currently the third highest scorers in the league.
The 29-year-old’s performances have won him a call-up to the England national team which he grabbed with both hands as he scored in both his two previous games for the Three Lions. At this rate, Roy Hodgson will have selection problems as to which strikers he should take to the Euros in the summer.
2) Harry Kane
Could this finally be the year of fulfilled promises for Tottenham Hotspur fans? If the North London outfit wins the title this season Harry Kane will be paraded around the town like a hero and rightfully so.
The Englishman is currently leading the charts in terms of goals with 22 having overtaken Jamie Vardy. He sprung onto the Premier League scene last year and became the first Spurs’ player since Gary Lineker to score 30+ goals in a season.
But several critics felt he needed to prove himself on a consistent basis and ensure he wasn’t just a one-season wonder. The striker has done exactly that by helping the club challenge for the title with his goals and overall gameplay this campaign.
Kane has formed a great partnership with Dele Alli another one of Tottenham’s rising stars this season. The striker has secured a place in England’s starting XI and should make it to Euro 2016 in the summer.
1) Riyad Mahrez
Leicester City’s scouting team have unearthed a hidden gem from deep within the roots of French football. The Algerian winger has become something of a phenomenon taking the Premier League by storm after being bought from Le Havre for almost nothing.
Mahrez did play in the Premier League last year as well but has really taken his game to another level in 2015/16. Leicester City have gone from the brink of relegation to title favourites in the span of 12 months and a lot has to do with the form of Mahrez.
He has been so good that the player has been linked with Barcelona! A team that contains arguably the best attacking trio in history have been reported to be interested in this sensational talent.
Mahrez reached a milestone this season by becoming the first player in the Premier League to reach double figures for goals and assists. The 24-year-old currently has 16 goals and 10 assists in the league. If Leicester do win the title then Mahrez will surely be the favourite for the award.
