Top 10 Players in the Premier League This Season

Trying to pick the top 10 players in the Premier League during the 2012-13 season is no easy feat.

As ever there are a number of top-class players who have risen to the occasion and taken their games to another level completely.

Gareth Bale's star continues to rise at a phenomenal rate at Tottenham Hotspur, Robin van Persie continues to hit the back of the net with relative ease with Manchester United and Luis Suarez has become the epicentre of all that is good about Liverpool.

All three players are certainties to find a place in any top 10 list, but where?

And who are the surprise packages to join these elite players?

Read on as Bleacher Report gives its Top 10 Players in the Premier League This Season.

Notable Exceptions

As with any list there are always winners and losers.

2012-13 has seen Eden Hazard make a huge contribution for Chelsea in his debut season. Seven goals and 12 assists mark the little Belgian out as a player of some ability, and he just misses out. He should be one to watch next term, though.

The same can be said of David Silva. The Manchester City attacker is just one of a number of City players to fall short on his contribution from last season. However, he remains one of the Premier League's most important players.

Steven Gerrard is another midfielder who has shone in 2012-13. The Liverpool captain is still one of the most effective players in the league despite his slowing legs.

From a defensive point of view, Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen is yet another Belgian in his debut season who has stood out. On the other flank the same can be said of Manchester United's Rafael, who is easily the league's most improved player.

Up front, Christian Benteke, yes, another Belgian in his debut season, has been nothing less than brilliant for struggling Aston Villa and has developed a growing reputation.

Each of the players mentioned would credit any end-of-season Premier League squad and may yet find a way to break into the top 10 come May.

Until then, they are just outside the elite.

Read on and don't forget to leave your comments and players of the season in the section below.

10. Asmir Begovic (Stoke City)

Asmir Begovic has stood out as the Premier League's best goalkeeper this season.

The Stoke City shot-stopper has been nothing less than excellent from day one. The 25-year-old Bosnian international has not missed one minute of action and has kept an impressive nine clean sheets in action between the posts.

Standing at 6'5" Begovic is the perfect example of the kind of goalkeeper most managers strive to create or buy. He has fantastic reflexes, is an excellent shot-stopper, is comfortable under crosses and is also extremely quick off his line.

Stoke City have already begun their succession-planning regarding Begovic by buying the highly rated Jack Butland. With that in mind it would be no surprise to see Begovic play in the Champions League next season...

9. Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur)

If you don't think Mousa Dembele is one of the most important players at Tottenham Hotspur then think about this.

In 34 games for club and country this season the Belgian international has only finished on the losing side three times. The first was when he was playing for Fulham where Manchester United won 3-2 with Dembele claiming the man of the match award.

The next was an injury time loss to Everton, after he had signed for Spurs, and came about as a direct consequence of him being substituted just five minutes earlier. He then featured in the Spurs team that lost 2-1 to Leeds United in the FA Cup fourth round.

Big, strong, quick, fierce in the tackle, a superb passer of the ball and a deceptively brilliant dribbler, Dembele is just about the first name on the team sheet for Andre Villas-Boas and Spurs.

8. Leighton Baines (Everton)

Leighton Baines is enjoying yet another stellar season at left-back for Everton.

For many the Toffees man has finally overtaken Ashley Cole as England's best left-sided defender. This is primarily down to how important he is for David Moyes' team. If truth be known, he is the epicentre of the team from left-back.

Everything revolves around him and his left-sided partner, Steven Pienaar.

• 19 percent of all Everton's shots come from the left.
• 43 percent of their attacking play is initiated on the left.
• Baines crosses the ball more often than any other Premier League player at 2.9 crosses per match.
• Baines makes a Premier League high of 3.3 key passes per match.

To say that Baines is important to David Moyes' plans would be one of the footballing understatements of the season.

7. Marouane Fellaini (Everton)

From 22 appearances as a supporting midfielder for Everton, Marouane Fellaini has weighed in with a superb 10 goals and three assists and six man of the match performances.

The Belgian midfielder, yet another player from the Low Countries, has, like his teammate Leighton Baines, been nothing less than outstanding this term.

Whether Fellaini is playing for a move or new contract, his current deal ends in 2016, is up for debate, but one thing that cannot be questioned in his physicality, desire and battling qualities once he steps out onto the pitch.

Comfortable anywhere on the midfield spine, Fellaini is a threat from set-pieces and from arriving late into the box. He had built up a phenomenal understanding with Baines on the left and Seamus Coleman on the right, and between the trio they have created the widest and arguably the most dangerous triumvirate in the Premier League.

6. Michu (Swansea City)

From the very first moment he kicked a ball in anger Michu has been one of the revelations of the season at Swansea City.

Coming in as a midfielder for £2 million with only one season's experience in the top flight in Spain, even if he had scored 17 goals for Rayo Vallecano, was a huge ask for the Spaniard.

But, Michael Laudrup had faith in his star. Instead of playing him in midfield or just off the centre forward, he pushed Michu up front on his own and the results have been incredible. 

Coming in with 18 goals from 29 matches and with a passing accuracy of 79 percent, Michu has been brilliant. Happy either as the main striker or just behind, Michu slots into Laudrup's rhythmic style of play with ease and complements the Swans' swift midfielders with aplomb.

5. Juan Mata (Chelsea)

Chelsea, like Manchester City, have suffered under the weight of expectation this season.

However, and unlike most of his teammates and fellow countrymen (yes, Fernando Torres we're talking about you) Juan Mata has been one of the few players able to reach the heights he is capable of.

The 24-year-old attacking midfielder is at his very best when played through the centre, and when he has key players like Eden Hazard or Oscar to either side he can be devastating. This term he has scored a personal high of 17 goals and 22 assists from 45 games.

Importantly, 10 of those goals and 12 of those assists were contributed in 25 Premier League matches.

4. Santi Cazorla (Arsenal)

Santi Cazorla is easily up there with Michu in competing for the signing of the season.

As Arsenal falter and stumble their way towards another Champions League qualification, the little Spaniard they picked up from Malaga has been a breath of fresh air.

In a misfiring season for the Gunners where they have shown Spurs-like levels of inconsistency, Cazorla has been the one constant shining light for Arsene Wenger and Co.

After weighing in with 11 goals, including a hat-trick against Reading, eight assists and seven man-of-the-match performances from 27 games, Santi is the present that keeps on giving.

Using his left foot like a wand and his right foot like a light sabre, Cazorla is capable of cutting any defence to pieces with his incredible vision and eye for goal. Arsenal are lucky to have him.

3. Luis Suarez (Liverpool)

It is testament to the phenomenal skills of Luis Suarez that he rates so highly this season as Liverpool flounder in inconsistency.

Coming off the back of last season's now forgotten controversy combined with a new manager trying to instil a different brand of football, one would have forgiven Suarez for not reaching his potential.

However, the Uruguayan has been sensational from day one and has scored a whopping 26 goals from 38 appearances. As far as the Premier League is concerned his record is a superb 18 goals from 26 games.

Before Daniel Sturridge signed Luis Suarez was Liverpool's primary goalscorer. Since Sturridge has come in he has been dropped deeper by Brendan Rodgers. But somehow he has become even more effective for the Reds.

There is little doubt that he is the one jewel in the Liverpool crown they cannot do without.

2. Robin van Persie (Manchester United)

Much of Manchester United's improvement this season is down to their £24 million capture from Arsenal, Robin van Persie.

The prolific Dutchman has kept pace with his phenomenal goalscoring record of recent years and has bagged 19 goals from 27 Premier League fixtures whilst contributing seven assists. He has outshone Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford and is now the first name of the sheet as far as centre-forward is concerned for Sir Alex Ferguson.

As such, Rooney has had to make do with being employed on the left, on the right or through the centre in his favourite position just behind the striker. Either way, Van Persie's form combined with Rooney's injuries and lack of consistency have made him indispensable to United.

The 29-year-old's game has come on leaps and bounds from playing with a team with a better shape and more coherent game plan.

He has been so impressive and so comfortable in the Red Devils team that Sir Alex Ferguson has used him in numerous ways. Be it as the lone striker, in a front two or in a rare threesome, Van Persie has been nothing less than outstanding on each and every occasion.

1. Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)

Is there a better sight in Premier League football than Gareth Bale in full flight?

This season has seen Gareth Bale's evolution jump leaps and bounds to such a degree that he is now one of the hottest players in world football, never mind prospects.

Starting out the season on the left side of Andre Villas-Boas' 4-2-3-1, Bale was good without being outstanding. However, as winter approached he was moved inside by his Portuguese manager in an attempt to bring the best out of himself and Emmanuel Adebayor.

The first part has been a huge success with Bale becoming the fulcrum upon which everything turns at Spurs. He has now scored nine goals in his last seven games to bring his total to 23 from 38 appearances for club and country. As far as the Premier League is concerned, the Welsh wizard has bagged 15 goals and four assists from 23 matches this term.

Whether he is playing out on the left or through the centre, Bale has proved almost impossible to mark and teams have taken to exercising entire game plans just to nullify his threat. 

Boasting power, pace and skill in phenomenal measures, the 23-year-old is a star in the making.

With his contract set to run out in 2016 one must imagine that this season might be the last he wears a Tottenham Hotspur jersey. Especially on current form.

All statistics provided by www.soccerbase.com, www.whoscored.com and www.premierleague.com.

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