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Barcelona's immense successes in recent years means that it takes an awful lot for a season to be classified as successful. To put this in context, the club won a domestic double last season, but the campaign was still considered a mild failure, chiefly due to the club's capitulation against AS Roma in the Champions League.
They are, however, on course to top their double from last season, as they currently lead LaLiga by a wide 10-point margin, while they are also through to the final of the Copa Del Rey and have made it to the last eight of the Champions League where they shall square up against Manchester United.
Barcelona currently boast of one of the most fearsome squads in all of Europe, with multiple world class players in each department who would be a shoo-in into the best clubs on the planet and their quest for a historic third treble has been made possible by the performances of a host of players who have all played significant roles in the club's assault on three fronts.
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Even though there are some who have disappointed, lot of Blaugrana players have played to or surpassed their usual standards and as such, it was rather difficult to classify any above the other (although Messi's was a rather straight no-brainer). In this piece, we shall be taking a look at the top five best performing players for Barcelona this season.
Honorable mentions - Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Ousmane Dembele
Also see : Womens World Cup Bracket, Copa America Standings, Gold Cup Standings
#5 Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Easily one of the top three goalkeepers in the world, Ter Stegen has grown from strength to strength ever since arriving in Barcelona from Borussia Monchengladbach for €12m in the summer of 2014.
The 26-year-old was instrumental in helping Barcelona win the treble in his very first season at the club (primarily as their cup goalkeeper) and he looks on course to repeat the feat this season as the club's undisputed first choice goalie.
Barcelona's possession-based style of play and superior attack mean that they are usually on the front foot in most of their matches and rarely does their defense get tested, hence it is easy to undermine the contributions of their goalkeeper.
However, it is in situations like these where the true test of a goalkeeper's concentration levels lies. The requisite dedication to remain focused enough to pull off a save when called upon, despite having had nothing to do prior, is not a trait you find in a lot of goalkeepers.
Indeed it says a lot about Ter Stegen's performance levels that despite being at Barcelona where goalkeepers rarely get tested, he is constantly named among the best goalkeepers in the world at the moment, evidenced by the furor raised over his continuous backup position to Manuel Neuer in the German squad.
So far this season, Ter Stegen has appeared in all 28 matches in LaLiga for Barcelona in addition to seven in the UEFA Champions League, keeping 15 clean sheets across both competitions to help the Blaugrana march on towards glory and redemption.
#4 Sergio Busquets
Busquets is a very unique player in that you never really know the true importance of his contributions to the team until it becomes glaringly obvious in his absence.
Despite his ungainly, somewhat awkward stature, there are very few in history who have the technique of Busquets, while his close ball control and composure in possession has been a driving force (albeit on a lowkey) behind Barcelona and Spain's successes over the years.
There are also very few who can match his trophy haul, as the 30-year-old has won virtually everything winnable in the game of football at both club and international level but incredibly still maintains the hunger to succeed which he exhibited as a 20-year-old back when Guardiola gave him his debut way back in 2008.
The Spanish international suffered a rare dip in form last season, leading to criticisms from some quarters but true to his nature, Busquets ignored it all, preferring to do his talking on the field. And what a response he has given to naysayers!
So far this season, Busquets has made 41 appearances in all competitions - doing what he knows the best - shield the backline and act as the pivot from which Barcelona's attacks are launched.
#3 Arthur
Ever since Xavi departed Barcelona in 2015, fans of the Blaugrana have cried out for his replacement.
The club's board had searched across the world and within, bringing in different players in a bid to fill that void, but all efforts proved abortive.
The iconic Xavi had been associated with Barcelona for over 25 years and was a mainstay in the first team for 15, being ingrained with the Barca DNA. So replacing him was always going to be a tall order.
When Barcelona sanctioned the purchase of a relatively unknown Brazilian midfielder for €31m in the summer of 2018, not much optimism was raised, with it being expected that he would be the latest to fail to fill Xavi's rather huge shoes and his early periods at Barcelona did not do too much to thwart this viewpoint.
However, as the saying goes, greatness arises from chaos and it was such scenario that helped bring Arthur to the limelight, as he was given his debut by Valverde in a UCL clash with Tottenham amidst a run of poor form for Barcelona and his performance on the night drew praise from all over the world.
From then on, he became a mainstay in the team, forcing Valverde into a change of formation and he has grown from strength to strength, with his touches and vision in the middle of the park drawing positive comparisons to Xavi, with the iconic Barca legend himself giving the Brazilian his full endorsement.
The 22-year-old has helped offer the Barcelona midfield a stability which had been sorely lacking in recent years, giving Ivan Rakitic the license to roam forward with his more direct style of play.
So far this season, Arthur has made 32 appearances in all competitions and if he is to continue with this trajectory, you can be sure he would remain a mainstay in the Barcelona midfield for many years to come (much like the man whose throne he inherited).
#2 Jordi Alba
Compared to other La Masia graduates in the current team like Messi, Sergi Roberto and Busquets or those in the past like Puyol, Valdez, Iniesta and Xavi, who made it into the senior team straight from the youth sides, Jordi Alba towed the rather less taken road of going elsewhere (by way of Valencia) before coming back to cement his legacy at the Nou Camp.
However, unlike most other returnees like Fabregas and Gerard Deulofeu, Jordi Aba settled right in at the club, establishing himself as the first choice left-back immediately and this is a spot he has not relinquished since 2011.
His displays down the left flank have been a thrill to watch over the years and he has arguably been the world's second standout player in his position (behind Clasico rival Marcelo).
Even though he has had his up-and-down moments throughout his Barcelona career, Alba's quality has never been in doubt, while his almost telepathic connection with Lionel Messi on the left wing has been a constant source of goals for Barcelona.
So far this season, the 30-year-old has made 27 LaLiga appearances, scoring one goal and assisting seven times for his teammates as his club bids to retain their LaLiga crown.
#1 Lionel Messi
Who else would have topped this list? The Argentine has been Barcelona's talisman for the last decade and shows no signs of stopping.
Following the departure of Andres Iniesta at the end of last season, Messi was named Barcelona's full skipper at the start of the current campaign and the extra responsibility seems to have spurred him onto extra performance levels.
In his first speech of the season, he stated that it was his aim to bring the Champions League back to the Nou Camp and his performances over the course of the campaign show that he means business.
The Barcelona record goalscorer has almost single-handedly carried Barcelona all the way across all competitions, playing a marquee role in their qualifications in both the Copa De Rey against Sevilla and the Champions League against Lyon.
So far this season, Lionel Messi currently leads the way in the LaLiga scorer's chart with 29 goals from 28 matches, while also topping the assists table with 12 assists (continent highs in both categories).
He is also the leading scorer in the Champions League with eight goals while also providing a further three assists from just six matches and with Messi in this form, there could be no stopping Barcelona.
