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As the curtains to yet another mesmerising Premier League season are about to be drawn, it is time to look back at the campaign and point out a few players for singular praise.
There are a lot of quality footballers in every position in the Premier League. In this article, we put the spotlight on five of the top-performing left-backs in the 2019-20 Premier League season.
The importance of the full-back position has been increasing for a long time now and their value to the team is greater than it's ever been. Some of the world's finest full-backs today are so well-rounded, they could easily play in midfield and still hold their own.
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Without further ado, let's check out the top 5 left-backs from the 2019-20 Premier League campaign.
Top five left-backs from the 2019-20 Premier League season:
#5: Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace)
Truth be told, a number of left-backs could've bagged the fifth spot without the others feeling too terrible about it. In the end, the nod goes to Crystal Palace's 29-year-old Patrick van Aanholt; it seems like a sensible decision given his recent performances for the club.
Palace have managed to win themselves yet another season in the Premier League, doing so quite comfortably at the end.
Although that might not sound like a massive achievement for a fairly stable club, it is quite impressive when you give it a greater thought. Palace's talisman - Wilfried Zaha - only scored four goals in the Premier League this season while their first-choice striker Christian Benteke only scored twice all season as well.
All things considered, Patrick van Aanholt's three goals have proven to be very handy for the London club. In fact, the Dutchman is Palace's third highest scorer in the Premier League this season.
Moreover, everyone who has watched the Eagles this season knows that Van Aanholt's attacking input is far greater than statistics could ever show.
#4: Enda Stevens (Sheffield United)
It's a shame that a player like Enda Stevens could only grace the Premier League so late in his career, because he seems built for the English top flight.
The 30-year-old has been absolutely solid all season for the Blades and is a mainstay at left-back. Stevens is one of the first names on any team-sheet Chris Wilder puts out, and one can tell why. His dependability is a huge asset to Sheffield United.
Stevens has had a very successful Premier League season personally despite his numbers not screaming out loud for recognition. His stamina and work-rate are unmatched. Now in his 30s, the Irishman is still pacey, which that allows him to commit forward without worrying too much about a potential counter-attack.
Enda Stevens' skill on the football is quite underrated; he is a very decent crosser and an excellent passer, while he has also chipped in with the odd goal or two.
#3: Lucas Digne (Everton)
Many have considered Lucas Digne's 2019-20 Premier League campaign to have been an underwhelming one.
That speaks volumes about the level of player Digne has become over the past few seasons. The Frenchman has had a pretty decent season despite the sky-high expectations Evertonians associate him with.
The former Barcelona and PSG left-back has made seven assists in the Premier League this season - well ahead of any other player in his position.
If ratings are to be believed, Digne has been the Toffees' best player after Richarlison. He has improved by leaps and bounds defensively, averaging more than two tackles per game to go with 1.2 interceptions and 2.7 clearances.
Those defensive contributions have made up for his relative lack of goals after building up a reputation of dipping in a free-kick with his brilliant left-foot.
#2: Ben Chilwell (Leicester City)
Ben Chilwell has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top. The 23-year-old England national has had a breakthrough season where he's gone from being a young talent to a legitimate star.
Reports of top clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City chasing the left-back and willing to pay good money too, is testimony to the fact that his performances are not going unnoticed.
Chilwell has directly been involved in six goals in the Premier League this season, scoring a couple of absolute bangers in the process. His link-up with Jamie Vardy has often been deadly, with the full-back's perfectly cooked crosses over opposition defences proving extremely difficult to neutralise given Vardy's pace.
However, there have been concerns regarding Chilwell's defending, as he has often struggled to contain elite right-wingers like Riyad Mahrez and Mohammed Salah who have both thrived against him this season.
One can expect him to work on this part of his game as he's known to be a footballer who's always willing to learn and get better.
#1: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
By far the best left-back in the Premier League, Andrew Robertson is arguably also the best in all of Europe in his position.
As we all know, Liverpool's full-backs are integral to the way they are set up to play, and that makes Robertson's achievements all the more impressive. The pressure was put on him and the Scot delivered - helping his team win their first Premier League title in 30 years.
It hasn't been a flawless season for Robertson by any means, and he has come under harsh criticism at times, particularly after his horrid performance in the 4-0 loss to Manchester City. However, he has bounced back extremely well after every poor performance, and it is tough to imagine Liverpool being half as successful in his absence.
Robertson has scored two Premier League goals and provided an incredible ten assists this season, while also being one of the world's better left-backs when it comes to one-on-one defending.
He has averaged 1.6 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 1.6 clearances per game this season. Robertson's beautifully measured crosses for Mohamed Salah have proved particularly fruitful as that combination has scored four goals for Liverpool this season.
Also check out: the EPL top scorers by season
