Listed: top ten performers in the Premier League 2020/21

It’s been a rollercoaster ride of a season in the Premier League. Some clubs have fallen while others have reached new heights. The same can be said of players, so I’m going to take a look at those who, in my opinion, have been the top ten performers in the Premier League this season.

This year, so many players have been putting in outstanding performances week in, week out, making it very hard to narrow this list down to just ten players. Some very honourable mentions must go to John Stones, James Rodriguez, Jamie Vardy, Phil Foden, Tanguy Ndombele, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, all of whom were unfortunate to miss out.

Obviously, there are many more who have gone unmentioned, but here are my top ten players for the 2020/21 season thus far.

10) Wesley Fofana | Position: Centre Back | Age: 20 | Club: Leicester

Coming into this campaign, Fofana was an unknown quantity, and it looked unlikely that he would get much game time at the King Power stadium. However, Soyuncu’s injury worries and a series of standout performances have made the Frenchman into arguably Leicester’s most important player this term.

He isn’t as big a name as several others on this list, but he deserves recognition for his brilliant performances this year.

9) Tomas Soucek | Position: Central Midfield | Age: 25 | Club: West Ham

At the time of writing, West Ham were fifth, and Soucek has been far and away their best player this campaign. Signed on a permanent deal last summer, the Czech midfielder has been excellent, and one of the main reasons West Ham are in serious contention for a European spot this year.

8) Son Heung-Min | Position: Left Wing | Age: 28 | Club: Spurs

Son, once again, has been brilliant for Spurs, combining excellently with Harry Kane all season long to push Spurs up the table.

Only Spurs’ drop from top spot to sixth prevents the South Korean captain from finishing higher up this list.

7) Ruben Dias | Position: Centre Back | Age: 23 | Club: Man City

The first of a few City players on this list, Dias has almost singlehandedly replaced the void left by Vincent Kompany two years ago. The Portuguese ace has dominated City’s backline ever since his transfer from Benfica, and together with John Stones, City boast the best defence in the league.

6) Jack Grealish | Position: Attacking Midfield | Age: 25 | Club: Aston Villa

The Villa captain has once again been their best player this campaign, leading a very impressive Villa side from near-relegation last year to comfortable mid-table security.

Who knows? This team could still push for Europe.

5) Ilkay Gundogan | Position: Central Midfield | Age: 30 | Club: Man City

In the absence of David Silva and Sergio Aguero, Gundogan has truly stepped up and taken on the role of creative and goal-scoring force this year for City.

His performances have been nothing short of spectacular, and especially with de Bruyne out injured for a while. Gundogan’s amazing form is just what City need to keep them at the top.

4) Bruno Fernandes | Position: #10 | Age: 26 | Club: Man United

What more needs to be said about this man?

Since his arrival last January, Man United have been a different beast, and though they have faltered on occasion, full credit must go to the Portuguese international for carrying his team at times.

3) Harry Kane | Position: Striker | Age: 27 | Club: Spurs

It’s been another great goalscoring season for Spurs’ frontman.

The Lilywhites have stuttered slightly since their early purple patch, but Kane still boasts the best goal and assist record in the division, and his importance to this team cannot be overstated.

2) Mohamed Salah | Position: Right Wing | Age: 28 | Club: Liverpool

I was hesitant to put Salah this far up, but the numbers speak for themselves.

The Egyptian King is the top scorer in the league, and though Liverpool have fallen off slightly in the last few weeks, Salah has once again been instrumental to their campaign.

1) Kevin de Bruyne | Position: Attacking Midfield |Age: 29 | Club: Man City

While planning this, de Bruyne was the first name on my shortlist, and was always going to take top spot in my mind.

With his brilliance over the last few years, it’s become easy to take what the Belgian playmaker does for granted, but he just keeps on producing. His assist for John Stones against Crystal Palace just a few weeks ago was another reminder of just how good this man is, so he rightfully claims first place here.

There’s bound to be a lot of disagreement. Have I overlooked someone significant? Have I included too many Man City players?