Manchester City are on the hunt for a fourth consecutive Premier League title which will see them make history as the first team to achieve such a remarkable feat.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
It was a three-horse race involving Liverpool and Arsenal until late April when the Reds fell out of contention, but City was always considered as firm favourites thanks to their irrepressible winning mentality and quality.
Soccernet.football has ranked City’s top 5 most outstanding players based on their performances in what has been another incredible league season for Pep Guardiola’s men.
5. Jeremy Doku
The Belgian winger made an electrifying debut for the Cityzens, catching the eye of City and Premier League fans as he overtook Jack Grealish as Guardiola’s preferred left winger for much of the season.
Despite experiencing a dry patch when he went nearly three months without any goal contributions, Doku has proved himself an exceptional substitute in the final months of the campaign.
The 21-year-old has made 28 Premier League appearances for City including 17 starts and 11 substitute appearances, tallying 3 goals and 7 assists.
4. Erling Haaland
It was business as usual for the Norwegian goal-machine as he scored in the fourth-minute of City’s opening Premier League game against Burnley with his first touch of the new campaign.
Haaland has had his setbacks this season, suffering a stress fracture in his foot which sidelined him for two months. After his return, the striker came under heavy criticism for drawing blanks in some big matches.
The Norwegian international is set to end this season as the top goal scorer after notching 27 goals in 30 Premier League appearances for the Cityzens.
3. Phil Foden
Foden has been one of the main features of Pep Guardiola’s set up this season and the England international has repaid his manager’s faith with consistent brilliant displays throughout the campaign.
Foden was initially deployed in a deeper midfield role as a result of De Bryune’s lengthy spell on the sidelines. Yet, he was able to orchestrate City’s play while still contributing significantly to the attack.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed fine goal-scoring form this season, notching 17 goals and providing 8 assists in 34 Premier League appearances. Foden’s efforts this season has earned him the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year award.
2. Kevin De Bryune
De Bryune had a disastrous start to the season when he tore his hamstring 20 minutes into City’s first game of the season against Burnley, sidelining him for five months.
The Belgian however made an impressive comeback from his injury, setting up a goal for Doku after only being on the pitch for just 17 minutes in City’s 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield in the FA Cup third round.
Since then, De Bryune has been unstoppable, scoring 6 goals and providing 16 assists. Despite missing half of the season, he has more assists in all competitions than any other Premier League player.
1. Rodri
The Spanish international is undoubtedly the engine room of Guardiola’s setup. He has dominated nearly every game, serving as a formidable presence in front of the defense and driving the attack with precise passes from deep.
Rodri’s critical importance to the team was highlighted during his suspension early in the season. City lost all four games without him, but once he returned, they resumed winning.
With Rodri on the pitch, City have remained unbeaten in every competition for 15 months, excluding the shootout defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Rodri has contributed 7 goals and 9 assists in 33 Premier League appearances for Manchester City this season.
