The Premier League 50

Welcome to the Premier League 50, FanSided Soccer’s annual ranking of the 50 best players in the English top flight. Eden Hazard topped the inaugural list last year, beating out Alexis Sanchez into second place. With the new campaign set to kick off on Friday, Aug. 10, it’s time to revisit the rankings.

Hazard had another impressive season, but his stock has dropped for some after Chelsea’s fifth-place finish. Sanchez, meanwhile, couldn’t quite rediscover his best form after moving to Old Trafford in January. Others, in contrast, have continued to improve.

Kevin De Bruyne was the best player on the best team in the league, while Mohamed Salah broke the 38-game goalscoring record in his first season in England. There were also breakout campaigns for the likes of Davinson Sanchez, Ederson and Wilfried Zaha.

There are lots of different ways to evaluate a player, and matters get even more complicated when you’re comparing different positions. These rankings are a combination of a player’s past achievements, his importance to his team, his expected performance this season and his raw talent.

A combination of FanSided.com’s soccer writers and experts from around the FanSided network, 20 voters in total, ranked players from one to 50. This list is based on an average of those scores. So: If you don’t like it, you’ve got a lot of people to blame. Enjoy!

50. Cesc Fabregas

Chelsea, midfielder

Cesc Fabregas was far less influential for Chelsea last season than he was in 2016-17. Despite racking up 1000 more minutes in the league, he scored three fewer goals and had eight fewer assists. The arrival of Jorginho has cast his role even further into doubt. However, the Spaniard remains a truly elite passer, capable of breaking open any game at any time, and he seems, on paper at least, to be a better fit under Maurizio Sarri than he was under Antonio Conte. At his best, he’s one of the finest playmakers in the league.

49. Bernardo Silva

Manchester City, midfielder

Bernardo Silva played more games last season than any other Manchester City player, scoring nine goals and adding 11 assists. David Silva’s enduring greatness meant the younger Silva was primarily used as a bench option, but in the time he got on the pitch he looked every bit the David Silva replacement he was bought to be. It will be difficult for him to climb this ranking until he nails down a consistent starting role, but his technical quality and creativity are more than enough to earn him a spot on the list.

48. Gylfi Sigurdsson

Everton, midfielder

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s big move to Everton didn’t go quite to plan, not unlike his big move to Tottenham in 2012. This wasn’t really his fault, of course, as the Toffees sacked the manager who signed him in October, and spent the rest of the season apparently trying to prove to everyone just how poorly their transfer strategy had been conceived, but he struggled nonetheless. Sigurdsson remains a very good player, his final third delivery among the best in the league, but he has work to do to show he can still be a difference maker at this level.

47. Hugo Lloris

Tottenham, goalkeeper

Errors started creeping into Hugo Lloris’s game last season, for the first time since he moved to Tottenham in 2012. Regardless, for his consistency over the past five seasons and his obvious importance to one of the best defensive units in the Premier League, he deserves his spot on the list. His distribution isn’t quite as good as some of the league’s other best keepers, but his speed off his line is crucial to the way Tottenham play, and he’s still capable of some remarkable displays of shot-stopping.

46. Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Arsenal, midfielder

Things never really worked out for Henrikh Mkhitaryan at Manchester United, where he managed only five goals and six assists in a season and a half. Still, the talent is there, as he proved beyond all doubt at Shakhtar and Borussia Dortmund, and he will surely benefit from playing under a more attack-minded manager this season, and in a team containing Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. Another disappointing year, however, and it might be time to accept the 29-year-old’s best days are behind them.

45. Davinson Sanchez

Tottenham, defender

Given Tottenham boasted the best center-back partnership in the league, and conceded fewer goals than any other team in 2016-17, Davinson Sanchez seemed to be a signing for the future when he arrived for Ajax last summer. As it turned out, he was a starter from the opening week of the season, and ensured Toby Alderweireld was hardly missed when he picked up an injury in November. By the end of the campaign, with Alderweireld’s relationship with Mauricio Pochettino on the rocks, Sanchez had established himself as the clear first-choice. After an excellent debut season, the 22-year-old should only get better.

44. Nicolas Otamendi

Manchester City, defender

Nicolas Otamendi has always had a reputation as being an overly aggressive defender, too eager to win the ball, not eager enough to consider what might happen if he doesn’t. Last season, then, was something of a breakout year for the Argentine, the most reliable center-back on the league’s best defensive team. Of course City’s record at the back had more to do with their pressing game and dominance of possession than any individual center-back, but Otamendi contributed his fair share. There were a few moments that verged on embarrassing, but such is the life of a Pep Guardiola center-back, and whatever errors he made without the ball, he more than made up for with his quality in possession.

43. Harry Maguire

Leicester, defender

The Hull side that got relegated in 2016-17 has proven to be quite the breeding ground of Premier League talent, with Marco Silva, Andrew Robertson and Harry Maguire (and Oumar Niasse?) all moving on to bigger and better things following their time with the Tigers. Maguire’s move to Leicester ahead of last season wasn’t much publicized at the time, but he proved his quality as a ball-playing center-back, and earned a spot in England’s starting XI at the World Cup, his performances at which have seen him linked with a move to Manchester United. There will probably always be something slightly jarring about watching a player of Maguire’s dimensions drive forward with the ball at his feet, but his lack of grace can’t disguise his obvious quality.

42. Jordan Henderson

Liverpool, midfielder

Jordan Henderson does a thankless job for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, rarely getting involved in their superb attack while being asked to cover for any breakdowns in the press, all in front of a back four that has fluctuated between competent and comical for much of the past few seasons. Still, it felt in 2017-18, thanks in large part to his performances in the Champions League, that he finally got some of the credit he deserves. He isn’t the most technically gifted midfielder, but his energy, intensity and all-around skill set make him a crucial player for one of the best teams in the league. He’ll be under more pressure this season, and may play a different role, following the arrival of Fabinho and Naby Keita, but he’ll be a key player for Klopp once again.

41. Marko Arnautovic

West Ham, forward

Last season wasn’t particularly pretty for West Ham, as another underwhelming campaign ratcheted up the tension between fans and owners. At least one player, however, emerged with his stock enhanced. Marko Arnautovic’s talent was never in doubt during his time at Stoke, but he often seemed disinterested playing on the wing. And so David Moyes’ decision to turn him into a number 9 made sense, exploiting as it did his ability to hold up the ball while also ensuring he remained as involved as possible in the team’s attacks. With a stronger supporting cast, and a manager with real pedigree (sorry, Mr. Moyes), Arnautovic is primed for an even more impressive 2018-19.

40. Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal, forward

It was a mixed first season at the Emirates for Alexandre Lacazette, who scored 14 goals and added five assists in 32 appearances in the league. He wasn’t quite the threat in behind he was billed as upon his arrival from Lyon, but his quality in and around the box was superb, and he was efficient with the chances he was given. The arrival of Pierre Emerick Aubameyang raised some questions about his future with the team, but he’s too good simply to be cast aside. If Unai Emery can find a way to fit the two strikers into the same team, Arsenal will be better for it.

39. Fernandinho

Manchester City, midfielder

If there was a weak point in Manchester City’s squad last season, it was in holding midfield. Luckily for them, Fernandinho didn’t miss a league game until March, when the title was all but wrapped up, and missed only four games overall. The Brazilian was superb for the champions, connecting City’s defense with their loaded attack, and providing important cover in front of the back four. Pep Guardiola’s pursuit of Jorginho this summer suggests he would like to replace Fernandinho, who turns 34 toward the end of this season. The fact he didn’t sign anyone after missing out on Jorginho suggests he understands just how good Fernandinho still is.

38. Jorginho

Chelsea, midfielder

Jorginho was one of Napoli’s best players under Maurizio Sarri, and will have a big role this season as Chelsea get to grips with the unique demands of Sarri’s system. The Italian is a superb passer of the ball, equally adept at setting tempo in midfield as he is at picking out his forwards. Based only on his performances for Napoli, he would probably be higher on this list, but he’ll need time to adjust to the Premier League, while his team will need time to adjust to their new manager.

37. Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal, midfielder

After a down year in 2016-17, Aaron Ramsey looked back to his usual self last season, scoring seven goals and assisting 10 in 24 league matches. His injury record is still a concern, and, as is the case with every Arsenal player, it’s hard to predict how exactly he’ll be used by Unai Emery, but his quality is undeniable. He’s a tidy, technically sound player, and the timing of his runs from midfield is impeccable. The Gunners have a lot of options in central and attacking midfield, but Ramsey should remain an important piece in the post-Arsene Wenger era.

36. Mousa Dembele

Tottenham, midfielder

Mousa Dembele didn’t record a single goal or assist last season, bringing his combined goals and assists tally in the past three seasons to eight in all competitions. And yet. What a player. The midfielder’s age and injury problems have limited his involvement — he played fewer than 2000 league minutes last season — but when he’s on the pitch, few compare. His ability to receive the ball under pressure, dribble away from multiple opponents and progress the ball forward is among the best in the world, let alone the Premier League. Plenty of Tottenham’s players are routinely linked with moves away from White Hart Lane. Dembele will be as hard to replace as any of them.

35. Ederson

Manchester City, goalkeeper

Ederson didn’t have to be good to be an improvement on Claudio Bravo, nor, in all likelihood, did he have to be good for City to win the league, such was their dominance. That he was excellent, however, was a big difference maker as they broke the Premier League points record. His bravery and shot-stopping was impressive, but it was his quality with the ball at his feet that really stood out, his performance in City’s 4-1 win against Tottenham in December the best example of why Pep Guardiola demanded a keeper that could pass the ball as well as catch it. At 24, he’s already one of the best keepers in the world.

34. Kyle Walker

Manchester City, defender

When Manchester City spent £50 million on Kyle Walker last summer, before PSG’s signing of Neymar sent the transfer market over the edge, plenty of eyebrows were raised. But Walker was superb in his first season at the Etihad. There aren’t many full-backs with the legs to cover an entire side of the pitch at once, but Walker is one of them. With Raheem Sterling always looking to dart toward the box, the width provided by Walker’s forward runs was a crucial part of City’s record-breaking attack last season.

33. Nemanja Matic

Manchester United, midfielder

Nemanja Matic’s arrival at Old Trafford didn’t end up having the transformative effect on Paul Pogba that many thought it would, but the Serbian had an excellent season in the heart of Jose Mourinho’s midfield. Manchester United’s season didn’t feel particularly positive, but they finished on 81 points, and could well have gotten more if Manchester City hadn’t built up such a big lead in the title race. Matic was probably their most consistent player. That might say as much about Mourinho’s tactics as anything else, but the fact remains that Matic is one of the very best holding midfielders in the division.

32. Marcos Alonso

Chelsea, defender

No one expected much from Marcos Alonso when he arrived at Chelsea from Fiorentina in 2016, but in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 he developed into one of the best wing-backs in the league. The quality of his delivery was a huge part of the Blues’ title run two seasons ago, and of the more limited success they enjoyed last season. There are questions about how he’ll adapt to playing in the back four Maurizio Sarri prefers, but he has established himself as one of the league’s most reliable and impactful full-backs.

31. Jamie Vardy

Leicester, forward

Jamie Vardy scored 20 league goals last season as Leicester meandered somewhat directionlessly to a ninth-place finish. He took only 59 shots. Vardy isn’t a complicated or particularly subtle player, but he does a few things very, very well, and barring any kind of physical breakdown, there’s no reason to think he’ll stop doing those things in 2018-19. Riyad Mahrez’s departure may hurt his production, but Vardy finishing chances remains one of the few certainties in the Premier League.

30. Wilfried Zaha

Crystal Palace, forward

Crystal Palace failed to record a single point in the games Wilfried Zaha missed last season. Some of that had to do with the fact Christian Benteke missed approximately every chance he got, but a lot of it had to do with the fact Zaha is really, really good. The winger is 25 years old now, and looks ready to make the jump up to a big six club, with Tottenham the most likely destination. Whether he leaves or not, he’ll be one of the most exciting players in the league once again. There’s room for improvement on the goalscoring front — he managed nine league goals last year, albeit for a mostly bad team — but few players can match his quality on the dribble.

29. Willian

Chelsea, forward

Willian, like most of Chelsea’s players, took something of a step backward last season, as the club struggled to defend their title and fell out of the top four. Still, the Brazilian managed six goals and seven assists overall, and remains one of the most electric dribblers in the world. His turn of pace is frightening, and he’ll be given far more license to show it off under Maurizio Sarri than he did under Antonio Conte. Rumors of a potential move continue to circulate, but Sarri seems confident he’ll stay in west London. That’s excellent news for Chelsea fans.

28. Heung-min Son

Tottenham, forward

In the early stages of last season, as Mauricio Pochettino adopted a back three, it seemed there would be no place for Heung-min Son in Tottenham’s starting XI. The South Korean spent most of his time on the bench or at wing-back, neither of which positions particularly suited him. After Pochettino switched back to a back four, however, Son once again proved his worth, scoring 12 goals and assisting six. He’ll probably never surpass Harry Kane, Dele Alli or Christian Eriksen in Spurs’ attacking pecking order, but he’s about as good as fourth options get. One of the most under-appreciated players in the league.

27. Naby Keita

Liverpool, midfielder

Liverpool have been so busy the past two transfer windows, perhaps their best signing, Naby Keita, has been somewhat overlooked. The Reds agreed a deal for Keita last summer, but have had to wait a whole year to actually bring him into the team. In the meantime, they signed the most expensive defender and goalkeeper in the world, and added Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri for good measure. Keita could outshine them all. The central midfielder made a name for himself at RB Leipzig as a player who could do a little bit of everything: pass, dribble, create, tackle, press, you name it. He isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Philippe Coutinho — nobody is — but he’ll improve Liverpool’s midfield considerably.

26. Mesut Ozil

Arsenal, midfielder

Mesut Ozil is one of the best final-third passers in the world, and is seemingly capable of finding space anywhere on the pitch whenever he needs it. And yet the sense persists he’s either unwilling or incapable of taking over games in the way we expect of players as talented as he is. Last year was a strange one at Arsenal and like many of his teammates, Ozil suffered as a result. But in what is likely to be a more coherent tactical system under Unai Emery, and with both Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette to finish the chances he creates, he seems in good position for a strong season.

25. Riyad Mahrez

Manchester City, forward

Given he spent much of the season angling for a move away from the King Power Stadium, Riyad Mahrez had an impressive 2017-18 campaign with Leicester, scoring 12 goals and adding 10 assists in 36 games. He’s one of the silkiest dribblers in the league, and his ability to create chances out of nothing will be exploited far more by Manchester City than it was by Leicester. Mahrez’s talent isn’t in doubt, but this feels like an important year for the Algerian. Having finally earned his big move, it’s time for him to show he’s capable of being more than just a big fish in a small pond.

24. Gabriel Jesus

Manchester City, forward

Last season wasn’t quite the breakout campaign it seemed like it might be for Gabriel Jesus after his impressive debut half-season in 2016-17. Given he’s only 21, however, and managed 13 goals and three assists in 29 appearances (10 off the bench), he qualifies as one of the best attacking players in the league. Sergio Aguero is still probably first choice for now, but Jesus only confirmed suspicions he’s a better stylistic fit for Pep Guardiola’s team than his Argentine teammate. He can’t quite match the Aguero’s goalscoring numbers yet, but he’ll have a big role to play in City’s title defense.

23. Toby Alderweireld

Tottenham, defender

Toby Alderweireld fell out of favor with Mauricio Pochettino last season, failing to force his way back into the starting XI after picking up an injury early in the year. That had more to do with an unresolved contract dispute, and a possible desire to leave the club, than a lack of quality, however. And sure enough Alderweireld has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United all summer. Whether a deal goes through before the deadline remains to be seen, and staying at Tottenham could hurt his stock if Pochettino persists with Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen in a back four. If he’s playing, however, Alderweireld is one of the very best center-backs in the world.

22. Alexis Sanchez

Manchester United, forward

It’s been a tough year for Alexis Sanchez, who ranked second on last year’s list. The first half of his 2017-18 season was spent maneuvering a move away from the Emirates, and his second was spent trying to adapt to life at Old Trafford. The result was nine goals, down from 24 in 2016-17, and a few tentative questions about whether his best his now behind him. Given he’s still only 29, and his talent level is absurd, that seems premature. Nonetheless, he has a lot to prove in 2018-19.

21. Jan Vertonghen

Tottenham, defender

There’s very little to choose between Tottenham’s two Belgium center-backs, but Jan Vertonghen had a significantly more impressive 2017-18. After Alderweireld fell out of favor, Vertonghen was left to lead an inexperience back four. Davinson Sanchez, Kieran Trippier, Ben Davies, et al, deserve credit for their performances, of course, but Vertonghen was the wise, old head in the middle of it all. He’s as silky on the ball and as strong in the tackle as ever. A superb center-back.

20. Thibaut Courtois

Chelsea, goalkeeper

There’s a very good chance Thibaut Courtois won’t be a Premier League player by the end of this week, with Real Madrid circling. For now, however, he’s the second best keeper in the league behind David de Gea, and coming off an excellent World Cup with Belgium. There are maybe questions about how he’ll adapt to life under Maurizio Sarri after playing his whole career under far more defense-minded managers, but he’s earned the benefit of the doubt.

19. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang

Arsenal, forward

So much has happened at Arsenal over the past six months, you would be forgiven for forgetting they signed Pierre Emerick Aubameyang in January. Their bid for a top four Premier League finish was all but over by the time he arrived, and he was cup tied for the Europa League run, meaning his impressive contributions in the league were widely overlooked. And so it’s probably worth emphasizing that he managed 10 goals and four assists in only 13 league appearance, excellent numbers even if the games themselves weren’t particularly important. Aubameyang still has to prove he can do it over a full season in the Premier League, but all the evidence we have suggests he’ll continue to excel. It’s very hard to know what to expect from the Gunners this season, but if they’re to achieve anything, Aubameyang will have a big role to play.

18. Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool, defender

Virgil van Dijk finally completed his move to Liverpool last January, and immediately made an impact, scoring the winner in the Merseyside derby on his debut in the FA Cup third round. His defensive contributions proved to be equally impressive, as the Reds conceded 0.67 goals per game in the 15 Premier League games he played in, down from 1.09 goals per game in the the 23 he didn’t. That isn’t to say he fixed Liverpool’s defense, but he made a big difference in a short space of time, and should only improve with a full preseason under his belt.

17. Dele Alli

Tottenham, forward

Dele Alli had a disappointing 2017-18, seems to be the conventional wisdom, which doesn’t really jibe with the fact he scored nine goals and added 10 assists in a slightly more withdrawn role than he played the year prior. Alli, like so many talented young players, seems to have become the victim of his own success. Which is just to say, while Alli’s goalscoring dropped off in 2017-18, he was still one of the best attackers in the league. At 22 years old, that’s unlikely to change any time soon.

16. Raheem Sterling

Manchester City, forward

Only Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane combined for more Premier League goals and assists than Raheem Sterling last season. And yet still there are those who question the Englishman’s quality, who prefer to talk about the chances he missed than the 18 he scored, several of which were last-minute winners. It’s no exaggeration to say that without Sterling, City wouldn’t have broken the Premier League points record. He was that good. The arrival of Riyad Mahrez will place more pressure on Sterling, who has missed most of preseason as a result of England’s World Cup run, but he’s shown us nothing in his young career so far to suggest he can’t handle it.

15. Cesar Azpilicueta

Chelsea, defender

Chelsea spent much of the 2017-18 season on the brink of chaos. While Antonio Conte was busy firing barbs in the direction of Roman Abramovich, possibly in the hope of getting fired in time to take up one of several, soon-to-be high-profile managerial vacancies around Europe, David Luiz and Gary Cahill, key players in the title run a year previous, were cast aside; Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen came into the fold; Victor Moses struggled for his 2016-17 form; and N’Golo Kante was left isolated in central midfield following the departure of Nemanja Matic. And then there was Cesar Azpilicueta, left to pick up the pieces. The Spaniard may never receive the attention he deserves, not that he seems to care. We said it last year, and we’ll say it again this year: the best defender in the Premier League.

14. Romelu Lukaku

Manchester United, forward

Romelu Lukaku finally got his big break last summer, securing a move to Manchester United for £75 million. He has his critics, but for the most part he delivered. His 16 league goals ranked behind Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Sergio Augero, Jamie Vardy and Raheem Sterling, but only Salah and Sterling provided more assists, and none of them had to deal with various melodramas wrought at Old Trafford by Jose Mourinho. There are those who continue to criticize Lukaku for his record against the big six, but he can hardly be blamed for the fact his manager sets up not to lose those games rather than to win them. It certainly wasn’t a perfect debut season, but if you need goals, few players are more reliable than Lukaku.

13. Sadio Mane

Liverpool, forward

Sadio Mane felt very much like the third amigo in Liverpool’s fearsome front three last season. Mohamed Salah’s goalscoring and Roberto Firmino’s all-around brilliance earned more column inches, but Mane was excellent, racking up 17 combined goals and assists, only one fewer than he managed in a 2016-17 season that was widely perceived to be more impressive. The main difference was in Mane’s role. Following Salah’s arrival, he moved from the right wing to the left, and was required to do more work connecting midfield and attack than he had the year prior. The result may not have been quite as eye-catching, but it was just as important.

12. Roberto Firmino

Liverpool, forward

Liverpool need a 20-goal-a-season striker. That has been the refrain at Anfield since the departure of Luis Suarez in 2014. Last season, Roberto Firmino became that striker, scoring 26 goals in all competitions. Only 15 of those (and seven assists) came in the Premier League, but quibbling over such technicalities is beside the point, which is that even if he scored zero goals a season, Firmino would be one of the best strikers in the league. His ability to hold up the ball, drop deep to operate as a number 10 and his sheer relentlessness pressing opponents are indispensable to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Mohamed Salah was the star attraction at Anfield last season, but a significant portion of his 43 goals had a little (or a lot of) something to do with his Brazilian teammate.

11. Leroy Sane

Manchester City, forward

After an eyebrow-raising first season in Manchester, Leroy Sane exploded in 2017-18, scoring 10 goals and adding 15 assists in 32 starts for the Premier League champions. His stock continued to rise when he was omitted from Germany’s group-stage-exiting World Cup squad, and he enters 2018-19 as probably the most feared out-and-out winger in the top flight. The speed in itself is frightening. Couple that with his ease on the ball and understanding when to cut in off the flank (and couple that with the fact he’s still only 22), and you have one the most exciting young attacking talents in the world.

10. Sergio Aguero

Manchester City, forward

There was some concern heading into last season that Sergio Aguero’s days at Manchester City were numbered under Pep Guardiola. Twenty-one goals and six assists in 2017-18, in only 25 appearances, ended that speculation emphatically. The Argentine may very well be less suited stylistically to Guardiola-ball than his young teammate Gabriel Jesus, but he’s more suited technically to scoring goals. And goals — news flash — are good. Aguero is 30 now, and there will again be questions this season about how he fits into Guardiola’s system, but his goalscoring record is outrageously good. There’s no reason to expect that to change, even if he plays fewer minutes.

9. David de Gea

Manchester United, goalkeeper

David de Gea has now won Manchester United’s player of the year award for approximately 100 seasons in a row, but never did he deserve it more than he did in 2017-18, when United conceded 15.54 fewer goals than expected, per Understat’s xG model. Goalkeeping stats are a tricky business, but that number matched up with the eye test, which told us that de Gea won United a lot more points last season than the quality of their defending deserved. De Gea may or may not be the best goalkeeper in the world, but he’s certainly the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, and with Thibaut Courtois reportedly on the verge of a move to long-rumored de Gea destination Real Madrid, it seems he’ll be there for a while yet.

8. Christian Eriksen

Tottenham, midfielder

Another year, another double-digit assist total for Christian Eriksen, who has now set up 38 goals in his last three seasons. That number doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about Eriksen, but it’s as succinct an illustration as any of his importance to one of the Premier League’s best teams. Much like his teammate, Harry Kane, Eriksen is so consistently and understatedly excellent, it’s easy to forget how good he is. But his intelligence, creativity and execution in the final third are remarkable. The best playmaker in the Premier League outside of Manchester.

7. Paul Pogba

Manchester United, midfielder

If Paul Pogba’s first season back at Manchester United was divisive, his second was, um, even more divisive. The debate over his best position raged on as his relationship with Jose Mourinho seemed to deteriorate. He was even briefly benched for Scott McTominay in the middle part of the season. Still, the frustration with Pogba’s development is a product of his undeniable, immense talent, the debate about his best position a product of the fact he can do so many things so well. His performances for France at the World Cup showed that he can be a difference maker at the highest level, even in a team that’s focused on defending. That bodes well for United, whose success, once more, will depend in significant part on whether they can get the best out of their most talented player. Whether and how he realizes his potential remains to be seen, but in terms of sheer quality, few players can match Pogba.

6. David Silva

Manchester City, midfielder

David Silva ranked eighth on this list last year. “David Silva’s getting old,” read the first line of the text beneath his name. “The Spanish midfielder will turn 32 next season,” read the second, “and his influence at City is beginning to wane with the rise of Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling, et al.” Well, we can confirm David Silva did turn 32 last season, and he’ll turn 33 this one. As for signs of his influence beginning to wane … not so much. Silva was stunning in 2017-18; his grace on the ball, his incisiveness in the final third and his ability to receive a pass under almost literally any amount of pressure make him possibly the most aesthetically pleasing player in the league. Here’s hoping the decline never arrives.

5. Harry Kane

Tottenham, forward

Harry Kane may never live down his decision to claim what appeared to be a Christian Eriksen goal against Stoke last April. Then again, he may never score fewer than 30 league goals a season. And what’s some mild embarrassment compared to breaking Alan Shearer’s Premier League goalscoring record? Kane has established himself as the best pure number 9 in the top flight, and added some highly impressive Champions League performances to his resume in 2017-18. An almost non-existent preseason on account of his exertions at the World Cup, where he was top scorer, won’t help him break his August curse, but he’s the favorite to the Premier League Golden Boot for a reason.

4. Eden Hazard

Chelsea, forward

Eden Hazard never quite seems to get the attention his talent merits. Perhaps it’s that he doesn’t score more goals, or that his presence off the pitch is minimal compared to some of the Premier League’s other biggest stars, or that it’s easy to forget about him amid all the organizational drama at Chelsea. Nonetheless, he was superb again last season, scoring 17 goals and adding 12 assists in all competitions. And that’s not even to mention his remarkable dribbling ability, the foundation on which the Blues’ attack has been built for years. The thought of what he could do under Maurizio Sarri, who got so much out of Mauro Icardi and Dries Mertens at Napoli, is mouthwatering. Reports linking him to a move to Real Madrid are unlikely to go away any time soon, but as long he stays in the Premier League, he’ll be one of the very, very best players in it.

3. Mohamed Salah

Liverpool, forward

When it was announced last summer that Liverpool had signed Mohamed Salah from Roma, the Egyptian was derided by some as a Chelsea reject. Even a few Reds fans were concerned with the quality of his finishing in the opening weeks of the season. Nine months, 43 goals and one run to the Champions League final later, the doubts have been replaced by discussions about whether Salah deserves the Ballon d’Or. The Egyptian, so adept at making forward runs from his position on the right wing, has been a perfect fit for Jurgen Klopp’s system, and gelled particularly well with Roberto Firmino up front. It would be unreasonable to expect him to match his record-breaking goal tally from last season, but it’s hard to imagine he won’t be one of the league’s most lethal attackers once again.

2. N’Golo Kante

Chelsea, midfielder

Since signing for Leicester in 2015, N’Golo Kante has won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a World Cup. Even in a down year for Chelsea, the Frenchman was among the best midfielders in the league. His role may change slightly under Maurizio Sarri, especially with the arrival of Jorginho in central midfield, but if anything a more attacking approach is likely to show off Kante’s remarkable ball-winning ability even more. There will be more space to cover, more tackles to be made, more attacks to be started. Kante will do it all, of course, because Kante is everywhere, always. The best defensive midfielder in the world.

1. Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City, midfielder

Kevin De Bruyne missed out on last season’s end-of-year awards, but he was the best player on the best single-season team in Premier League history, racking up 16 assists and scoring eight goals. It felt at times in 2017-18 as if City were too good, so far ahead of the pack we became desensitized to their quality. De Bruyne may well have suffered for that during awards season, but he nonetheless elevated himself to the very highest rung of stardom. The vision, the passing range, the unerring consistency of his delivery in the final third — this has all combined to make him the most important piece in Pep Guardiola’s finely tuned Manchester City machine. With a title to defend in 2018-19 and another year under the tutelage of one of the world’s most demanding coaches, there’s no reason to think he can’t get even better.