MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 03: Sergio Aguero of Manchester City and David Luiz of Chelsea compete for the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on December 3, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The ten best Premier League players for 2016

Posted by on Dec 23, 2016 14:23

Over the next couple weeks, the staff of 32 Flags will be counting down some of the top achievements and moments of this calendar year. 2016 has seen many things in the soccer world from the good to the bad and the ordinary to the extraordinary. Today, we are counting down the top Premier League players of 2016.

Picking the ten best players in the Premier League in a calendar year is tricky business. It’s not one season, but the second half of one and the first of another that must be considered.

A player’s form can dip or rise over a summer break, and in some cases, his address can change, too.

So, with that in mind, here’s our best shot at the top 10 Premier League players in 2016:

Honorable mentions: Gylfi Sigurdsson, Swansea City; Roberto Firmino, Liverpool; Adam Lallana, Liverpool; Hugo Lloris, Tottenham; Toby Alderweireld, Tottenham and Jamie Vardy, Leicester

10. Jermain Defoe, Sunderland — The Black Cats have been escaping the drop to the Championship for what seems like years, and a big part of the reason why is the play of Defoe.

He has 19 goals and three assists in 2016 playing with little supply on a squad that’s often overmatched. He may be 34 years old, but he’s still one of the league’s better finishers.

And he’s a good dude, too.

https://twitter.com/Sporf/status/809836148684193792

9. Virgil van Dijk, Southampton — The Dutchman joined the squad in the summer of 2015 from Celtic for £13 million pounds, and since then has provided quite a return on that investment.

His strong play at the heart of the Saints’ defense has likely tripled his value, and it won’t be shocking if a larger club comes in for him during the summer window.

8. Harry Kane, Tottenham — In an ordinary season, Kane’s heroics while winning the Golden Boot would have powered Spurs to a league crown last season. Leicester’s magic thwarted those plans, but Tottenham’s No. 10 still had a remarkable season.

All told, he’s found the back of the net 21 times in this calendar year.

7. Dimitri Payet, West Ham — The Frenchman continues to dazzle fans with his free kicks, even if his form isn’t quite what it was in the first half of the year.

It’s better to give than to receive, though, as his 14 assists (and 6 goals) would demonstrate.

6. Riyad Mahrez, Leicester — Like Payet, Mahrez hasn’t quite reached the same heights in the first half of this season as he did in the latter half of the last one.

Still, his work for the Foxes was instrumental in their run to the championship. The BBC’s African Footballer of the Year is also fond of surprising school children:

5. Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool — The Brazilian has become one of the league’s better midfielders in the last year as the creative spark behind a resurgent Liverpool attack.

He has also become a regular for his country, and despite missing the last month with an ankle injury, is a big part of Jurgen Klopp’s title project on Merseyside.

https://twitter.com/andrzej77967533/status/807970343767908352

4. Diego Costa, Chelsea — Say this for Chelsea’s bruising forward, he’s rarely dull. He wasn’t quite at the top of his game during the second half of last season, but has been on fire for the Blues in the second half of 2016.

He has 20 goals and 10 assists in 2016, and he’s reason No. 1 that Chelsea has been so dominant for much of the current season.

3. Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal — The Chilean continues to be the straw that stirs the drink for the Gunners, and with 19 goals and nine assists in 2016, he does so often.

If that wasn’t enough, he also led his country to the Copa America title over the summer.

https://twitter.com/ArsenalGoals/status/810893379026423808

2. N’Golo Kante, Leicester/Chelsea — He doesn’t score many goals or pile up assists, but he covers more ground that any midfielder in the league.

“This player Kante, he was running so hard that I thought he must have a pack full of batteries hidden in his shorts,” Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri said. “He never stopped running in training. I tell him, ‘One day, I’m going to see you cross the ball, and then finish the cross with a header yourself”. He’s unbelievable.”

1. Sergio Aguero, Manchester City — Imagine how many goals the Argentine could produce if he ever played a full season without nagging injuries?

He’s scored 28 goals in 2016 and is always among the league’s leaders in strike rate. He and his teammates are still adjusting to Pep Guardiola’s new system, but it’s easy to see Aguero reaching even greater heights under his tutelage.

If only he can resist the urge to clatter into David Luiz…

https://twitter.com/Footflash_/status/812096160101961728

 

About Randy Capps

South Carolina native, Fulham apologist, writer and sports fanatic.

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