Ranking Manchester City's Top 5 Players for 2015
It hasn't been a great year for Manchester City, but there is plenty for them to be confident about going into 2016.
Their title challenge last season collapsed at the turn of the year, and they exited the FA Cup with a whimper, but as they head into the the new year they have four competitions they can fight for.
Manuel Pellegrini has faced plenty of criticism in 2015, along with a few of his players, but which ones have come out of it with their reputations enhanced the most?
Here are City's top five players in 2015.
5. Kevin De Bruyne
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It may seem odd to have a player who only joined City in the summer as part of this list, but Kevin De Bruyne's impact has been exceptional.
Ten goals and 11 assists already highlight his quality. It's a sensational return from the 24-year-old.
He sees the game with remarkable clarity and can pick a pass with ease. City have bagged themselves a star.
4. Sergio Aguero
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Considering Sergio Aguero has had his fair share of injury problems in 2015, his haul of 22 goals in all competitions for the Blues is excellent.
His five-goal display against Newcastle United was perhaps the highlight as he joined an elite band of players who have managed to score five in a Premier League match.
His double against Manchester United in April may have been worthless on the day as City lost 4-2, but those goals saw Aguero notch his 100th for the club.
He's the best striker in the league, and a clean bill of health in the new year could be the difference between success and failure for City this season.
3. David Silva
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It doesn't seem to matter what goes on around him, David Silva always glitters.
The Spanish midfielder is still City's main man in the final third. He controls the game, keeps possession better than anyone else and provides key passes and assists with relative ease.
He's edging towards 30 and has a contract that takes him up to June 2019. The City fans will be hoping he stays for the remainder of his deal because he seems to get better and better.
2. Joe Hart
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The progress Joe Hart has made over the past 12 months has been hugely impressive.
There were serious question marks over certain aspects of his game. Was he strong enough on crosses? Was his distribution good enough? Was his concentration up to scratch?
Any doubts have dissipated now. Hart is arguably the Premier League's top goalkeeper once again, with his form better than it's ever been.
His performance at the Camp Nou during City's defeat to Barcelona back in March was his finest in a City shirt and one of the best by any goalkeeper in the last decade. Shot after point-blank shot were saved superbly, with Hart coming out on top in his personal duel with Lionel Messi.
His save from Federico Fernandez when City travelled to Swansea towards the end of the last campaign was the best in the Premier League in 2014/15.
He's barely made a mistake so far this season, with his display against Borussia Monchengladbach perhaps the pick of the bunch.
City wouldn't swap Hart for anyone else.
1. Fernandinho
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Even during City's slump between the turn of the year and April, Fernandinho was still performing admirably.
The nadir for the Blues was perhaps the 4-2 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, but Fernandinho managed to come out of that match having impressed.
This season, he's taken his form to the next level. His performance in Seville was genuinely world class and perhaps the best by any City player in recent memory, and the consistency he has shown has been remarkable.
An old-fashioned box-to-box midfielder, the type who can sit and break up play, he starts attacks and finishes them off, influencing things in each third of the pitch.
He brings dynamism and energy to the City midfield, with his remarkable stamina perhaps his most impressive attribute.
He's been superb.
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