6 Contenders for PFA Player of the Season so Far
With the 2014-15 Premier League season nearly at the halfway mark, there have been some standout performers that are already making a case for challenging for the PFA Player of the Season award.
We selected the players on this list based on form in the Premier League only, with goals, assists and consistency of performances all taken into account.
If you disagree with the players on this list, let us know in the comments below.
All statistics via WhoScored.com unless otherwise noted.
Alexis Sanchez
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Where would Arsenal be without Alexis Sanchez this season?
The £35 million man from Barcelona has adjusted seamlessly to life in England, carrying the Gunners with nine goals and five assists in the league.
Sanchez is the type of footballer who makes players around him perform better, with his Arsenal team-mates stepping up their efforts in order to match the Chilean's individual brilliance and relentless work rate (it's tiring just to watch him play).
While he is clearly Arsenal's star player, Sanchez is also making a strong case to become the best player in the league.
Sergio Aguero
2 of 7
From Sanchez to Sergio Aguero, it appears that South American attackers tend to do well in England.
When Aguero is fully fit, he is truly one of the best footballers in the world, in the bracket just below Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It's a shame, then, that he doesn't seem to be able to stay healthy for the duration of a season. Just as he was beginning to gain some momentum and hit a rich vein of form, the Argentinian picked up a knee injury that will see him sidelined for at least a month, per ESPN FC.
Still, Aguero leads the league with 14 goals, and his fitness will be absolutely key if Manchester City are to have any chance of catching up with Chelsea in the title race.
Eden Hazard
3 of 7
While Chelsea’s summer signings have all displayed their quality, there is a case to be made that Eden Hazard is still the Blues’ talisman.
On his day, the 23-year-old is unmatched. Relentlessly running at defenders with pace and intent, Hazard’s 4.6 dribbles per game are the highest in the league. At the heart of every Chelsea attack, he already has six goals and three assists so far this season.
If Hazard isn’t currently the best player in the Premier League, then he undoubtedly has the potential reach that level in the future.
Nemanja Matic
4 of 7
It's hard to believe that Nemanja Matic hasn't even been at Chelsea for a full year.
The 26-year-old rejoined the Blues last January after a two-and-a-half year spell at Benfica, and he has since established himself as one of, if not the most dominant central midfielder in the league. While the likes of Hazard and Diego Costa grab the headlines, Matic quietly but efficiently bosses the midfield, averaging 3.5 tackles and 67.7 passes per game.
The Serbian's importance was underlined when he was suspended for one match, and Chelsea fell to their first and only loss of the season so far—a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United.
Cesc Fabregas
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While Matic does the dirty work in midfield, Cesc Fabregas is Chelsea’s maestro, orchestrating attacks from his deep-lying midfield position with a league-high 3.4 key passes per game. Together, the two have formed a perfect midfield partnership.
Although his goalscoring hasn’t been prolific, with just two league goals to his name this season, Fabregas leads the Premier League with a whopping 12 assists. His creativity in midfield—whether it be pinging pinpoint long balls to Costa or simply setting the tempo of games—has transformed Chelsea into title favorites.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger must be kicking himself for not bringing the former Gunner back to the Emirates Stadium, as Fabregas is now looking like the most creative central midfielder in the league.
David de Gea
6 of 7
With the wealth of attacking talent that Manchester United have in Angel Di Maria, Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao, it’s ironic that their standout player this season has been their goalkeeper.
As United are desperately lacking in defense, David de Gea has come to the side’s rescue on countless occasions. He was man of the match in the Red Devils’ 3-0 win over Liverpool last weekend, making eight saves, per Squawka.
There was one moment early on in that match that summed up the Spaniard’s importance to his side: When Raheem Sterling was one-on-one with the keeper, De Gea made a huge save to keep the scores level, and on the resulting counter-attack, Wayne Rooney scored to give United the lead.
It’s unlikely for a goalkeeper to be named PFA Player of the Season, but if De Gea keeps producing world-class saves every week, he’ll make a strong case for himself.
Honourable Mentions
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Diego Costa
Oscar
Morgan Schneiderlin
Fraser Forster
Pablo Zabaleta
All statistics via WhoScored.com unless otherwise noted.
