Premier League 2016-17 Awards: 5 best central midfielders

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 13: Paul Pogba of Manchester United and Willian of Chelsea during The Emirates FA Cup Quarter-Final match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on March 13, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /

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Here are the top five central midfielders in the Premier League in 2016-17.

Premier League games are won in the midfield. The core and strength of a team can be flexed on the counter or in suffocating the opposing team’s offensive prowess. Whichever aspect of the Premier League you like the best, it starts and, in some cases, finishes in central midfield.

This list focuses on central midfielders, so we’re going to stay away from more attacking midfielders like Kevin De Bruyne or Dele Alli. These players play in deeper, box-to-box roles, and have more to worry about than starting attacks. Here are the top five.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 04: Paul Pogba of Manchester United is challenged by Idrissa Gueye of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park on December 4, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

5. Idrissa Gueye

Idrissa Gueye has had a great first season for Everton. The midfielder has been a defensive force throughout the year with his speed and endurance. He often draws comparisons with N’Golo Kane because of the work rate and consistent domination of the center of the park. He actually averages more tackles per game than N’Golo at 4.4 tackles per game vs. Kante’s 3.5.

Gueye is highly underrated at his ability not only to tackle, but to hold onto the ball and make a play. Gueye has played more than 400 fewer minutes than Kante this season, and still has 11 more tackles thus far. That owes much to differences between the two systems employed by Chelsea and Everton, but the number is impressive nonetheless.

Gueye has played a key role in Everton’s fight for the top four this season. As a result of his play he’s enabled players like Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku to play with greater freedom in attack. The little things a player like Gueye does don’t show up on the stat sheet as much, but his contributions have played a key role in Everton’s top seven finish.

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