Premier League's MVP of Every Age Group
With the 2016-17 Premier League season in the books, we here at B/R have decided to take an alternative slant in reflecting on what unfolded.
We've separated every player by age and chosen the most valuable player (MVP) of each group. Only one player per age can be selected, creating some big calls and leaving some big names by the wayside.
It's based solely on the players' performances this past campaign.
18: Tom Davies, Everton
1 of 20
The 2016-17 Premier League season was not a good one in terms of blooding youth; with more than ever at stake, increased competition at the top and around six teams still in the relegation picture until near the end, few risks were taken.
But Everton obliged willingly and promoted Tom Davies to the first-team at the beginning of the season. His first start came against Southampton in January, then a few weeks later, he put in a Man of the Match, goalscoring showing against Manchester City.
An all-action, throwback midfielder whose socks are low and hair hangs loose, Davies has won a lot of admirers over the course of his 25 senior appearances so far.
19: Marcus Rashford, Manchester United
2 of 20
Marcus Rashford probably hasn't had the season he or Manchester United's supporters expected, but despite managing only 16 Premier League starts, he's made some good strides and improved his game immeasurably nonetheless.
In an interview with the Telegraph, the striker praised the impact of Zlatan Ibrahimovic not only on the club, but on his own game, too: Being able to work with him in training for a whole season has refined his game a little, making him more complete and less one-dimensional.
20: Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City
3 of 20
Best of the rest: Demarai Gray, Mason Holgate
Since arriving in Manchester in January, Gabriel Jesus has been incredible. If it wasn't for the foot injury sustained against Bournemouth, there's every chance he'd have hit double figures in half a season.
His final stat line of seven goals and four assists from 651 Premier League minutes (a goal or assist every 59 minutes!) is absurd. He somehow makes Manchester City even more potent and dangerous than when they're utilising Sergio Aguero.
He presses and harries in the way Pep Guardiola likes, can play in different positions as the formation shifts, can operate alone or with Aguero, and has a knack for finding the net that only the best possess.
21: Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur
4 of 20
Best of the rest: Leroy Sane
For a midfielder to finish as the sixth-highest goalscorer in the Premier League this season is an incredible feat. The campaign was a strong one for strikers, but Dele Alli kept knocking them in to keep up with the best.
His tally of 18 means he outscored Zlatan Ibrahimovic and finished just two shy of Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa. Add in the seven assists, and it's clear Alli was one of the most productive, deadly weapons in the league in 2016-17.
Christian Eriksen is the heartbeat of this Tottenham team and Victor Wanyama the rock-like core, but every manager wants to get his hands on an opportunistic finisher who makes intelligent runs from midfield, and Alli is that man for Mauricio Pochettino.
22: Raheem Sterling, Manchester City
5 of 20
Best of the rest: Hector Bellerin, Divock Origi, James Ward-Prowse, Nathan Ake
It may have petered out a little tamely toward the end, but Raheem Sterling put together a better season than many realise.
In some ways, he's like the reverse of Dele Alli, as he impacts the game more frequently and for longer periods in games, but doesn't come out with the goals or assists to prove it. He also plays alongside Kevin De Bruyne the assist hoover, lessening his respective impact to the eye.
But Sterling has made big steps forward this season; he's undoubtedly benefitted from Pep Guardiola's coaching. He makes more intelligent decisions, understands how to manipulate full-backs far better and is beginning to improve his finishing skills.
23: Harry Kane, Tottenham
6 of 20
Best of the rest: Eric Dier, Emre Can, Eric Bailly
It wasn't a particularly close contest between Harry Kane and the rest here; he's had by far the best season of any 23-year-old in the Premier League.
His seven-goal haul last week lifted him above Romelu Lukaku in the quest for the Golden Boot and to a tally of 29. Given he made the same number of starts, that's an astonishing feat.
Injuries disrupted Kane's campaign a little, but he's made a habit of hitting the ground running as soon as he returns, often netting on his first game back after a layoff. That allowed him to make up for lost time and top the goalscoring charts regardless of matches missed.
24. Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool
7 of 20
Best of the rest: Heung-Min Son, Romelu Lukaku, Manuel Lanzini
Philippe Coutinho started the season like a house on fire, and when people were asking whether Liverpool could mount a title tilt, it was because the Brazilian was destroying teams at will.
A bleak period of form and fitness for the playmaker in the middle of the campaign really rocked the Reds, taking them out of contention for all silverware, but in the final months, he refound his groove and led Liverpool to a top-four finish.
After the 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough, in which he scored a free-kick, Coutinho told ESPN Brasil (h/t The Independent) that he wants to stay and build his legacy at Anfield—cue the fans wiping their brows in relief.
25. Victor Wanyama, Tottenham
8 of 20
Best of the rest: Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Virgil van Dijk, Christian Eriksen, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino
Without a shadow of a doubt, age 25 is the strongest group in the Premier League. Just look at that list of players who were in contention!
There's an argument for Eriksen winning this group, and Mane might well have done so had he not missed most of 2017 due to injury and international commitments.
But take a moment to appreciate the consistency with which Victor Wanyama has played this season. Tottenham have been physical and overwhelming in midfield throughout 2016-17, and the Kenyan's barely missed a minute.
26. Eden Hazard, Chelsea
9 of 20
Best of the rest: N'Golo Kante, David De Gea, Kyle Walker, Marcos Alonso, Victor Moses, Georginio Wijnaldum
Why do Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante have to be the same age? It forces us to choose between them!
Hazard's been top of our Premier League player rankings for weeks and weeks; as good as Kante has been, and as many awards as he's won, it's the Belgian who gets the nod here.
Just like in 2014-15, Hazard's individual effort has pulled Chelsea over the line at times. He's been devastating in the 3-4-3 formation, able to drift around and pop up in different areas, while his ability to break at speed and make good decisions has been a constant source of joy.
27. Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea
10 of 20
Best of the rest: Ander Herrera, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Idrissa Gueye
Cesar Azpilicueta was one of just five players this season to play every single minute of the league campaign, underlining how important and intrinsic he was to his side's title win. To do that for the best team in the league is quite incredible.
The Spaniard found yet another new home this term, switching to centre-back and playing to the right of David Luiz. The role suited him perfectly; it allowed him to push up a little and knit play together, but also drop in and play as part of a three-man line.
28: Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal
11 of 20
Best of the rest: Sergio Aguero, Toby Alderweireld, Diego Costa
Four stellar performers to choose from—all of which finished inside the top 30 of our Premier League player rankings for the season—but Alexis Sanchez wins the gong.
He was the only player to hit double figures for both goals (24) and assists (10) in the division this term, and he ran himself into the ground in an attempt to lift Arsenal out of the doldrums. Relentless running, predatory finishing and speed are weekly features to his game.
He's the club's best player, and they must do everything they can to convince him to stick around this summer—though, without Champions League football as a bargaining chip, that task just got even harder.
29: Pedro, Chelsea
12 of 20
Best of the rest: Adam Lallana, Mousa Dembele
This is the Pedro Chelsea thought they'd signed from Barcelona.
Last season was a wreck on so many levels that the Spaniard wasn't able to find his feet at his new club. This term, under Antonio Conte, has been far more stable, and that's given the 29-year-old the chance to prove how effective he can be.
The intensity with which Chelsea have played this campaign can be traced partially back to Pedro. His busy style is infectious; his team-mates respond to it and move through the gears quicker.
He's also added production to the mileage, netting some scorchers and linking well with compatriot Diego Costa. Ousting Willian—the club's 2015-16 Player of the Season—for a spot in the XI is no small feat, but Pedro managed it with ease.
30: Jan Vertonghen, Tottenham
13 of 20
Best of the rest: Hugo Lloris, David Luiz
Jan Vertonghen's been a Tottenham player for half a decade and has always been a strong performer, but this season he reached a level he's never threatened to before. Imperious doesn't quite cut it. Borderline-flawless might.
The Belgian put together an incredible 2016-17, shining in every area. Defensively, he was pro-active and near-impossible to get the better of; he impacted offensively, too—he speared forward with the ball, embarked on long runs and threatened from set pieces.
Vertonghen showed a level of consistency previously alien to him and was the best performer in Tottenham's league-best defensive line.
31: David Silva, Manchester City
14 of 20
Best of the rest: Antonio Valencia, Gary Cahill
David Silva's been brilliant for so long, people have become used it and seemingly appreciate it less. That's a real shame.
The Spaniard has been City's best player this season, pulling the strings in midfield in a way only he can. Kevin De Bruyne has more assists, Sergio Aguero has more goals and Gabriel Jesus is new, so therefore more exciting, but the mastermind of Pep Guardiola's attack is still Silva.
At 31, he may not perform to this level for that many more years. We need to appreciate his genius while we still can.
32: Fernandinho, Manchester City
15 of 20
Best of the rest: Fernando Llorente
It's been a complicated season for Manchester City, inclusive of ups and downs, but one man they've been able to rely upon is Fernandinho.
A tactically intuitive performer, he's been able to provide solutions for Pep Guardiola in central midfield, at right-back and even at left-back on occasion. His future with the club doesn't lie in those latter two positions, but showing that versatility will keep his tenure with the club alive under the current manager.
33: Darren Fletcher, West Bromwich Albion
16 of 20
Best of the rest: Jose Fonte
Thirty-three is not a strong age this season. Darren Fletcher's only real opposition was Jose Fonte, who played well in the first half of the season for Southampton, but was generally poor once he'd moved to West Ham United.
West Bromwich Albion had a good first half to the season, soaring up the table and establishing themselves as the best team outside the top seven, but once they hit 40 points, they fell off a cliff in true Tony Pulis style. Fletcher was key to the initial surge but also partially culpable when things got rough.
34: Jermain Defoe, Sunderland
17 of 20
Best of the rest: Ben Foster, Phil Jagielka
That Jermain Defoe managed to score 15 league goals for this Sunderland side is outrageous. They were so poor, fed him nothing, and yet he still plundered a personal tally that ranked joint-eighth-best in the division.
As a team, Sunderland scored just 30, meaning Defoe netted exactly 50 percent of their goals for the campaign. That's the highest individual share of a team's goals in the league.
A clause in his contract means he can depart the club for free this summer. Let's hope his agent's got a bag full of portable chargers to ensure he can field all those calls.
35: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester United
18 of 20
Best of the rest: Victor Valdes, Petr Cech
We're into goalkeeper territory at age 35, with the competition consisting almost solely of shot-stoppers. That makes what Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been doing even more impressive. No outfield player in the Premier League of a similar age is even close to Zlatan in terms of ability.
His maiden season in England was an undoubted success; 17 league goals is a good haul, and he ended up just shy of 30 in all competitions. He'd have surpassed that mark had his campaign not ended early due to a cruciate ligament injury.
36. Heurelho Gomes, Watford
19 of 20
Best of the rest: Peter Crouch
Heurelho Gomes narrowly missed out on Watford's Player of the Season award, according to the Watford Observer, with Sebastian Prodl pipping him to the post. He won the Players' Player of the Season version, though, with his good performances recognised by his peers.
It's been a bit of a dismal season for the Hornets under Walter Mazzarri, in truth, but standout performances from Prodl and Gomes have averted potential disasters throughout the campaign. The latter made the joint-third-most saves in the division this year (115).
37: Gareth McAuley
20 of 20
There is no competition among 37-year-olds for Gareth McAuley. This beast-like centre-half simply refuses to slow down.
He netted six goals in 2016-17, making him a crucial fantasy-football selection, but more importantly played his part in yet another stern defensive effort from a Tony Pulis side.
McAuley's physical condition belies his age; he started 36 Premier League games and still jets off to play for Northern Ireland during the international breaks. Most could only hope of doing that at 37.
All statistics via WhoScored.com
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