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10. Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal)
Whether he plays at left wing-back, left-back or on the left of a back three, he first thing that strikes you about Arsenal's summer signing is his sheer body mass. Lantern-jawed with the body of an Olympic weightlifter and a backside which puts former Bolton striker Kevin Davies to shame, Kolasinac is the antithesis of the fragility which has blighted the Gunners for several seasons.
Yet there’s also a deceptive level of subtlety to the Bosnian’s approach, and for a man seemingly built to defend it’s his attacking that’s been most impressive. His display in the defeat of Swansea was a masterclass in intelligent movement and neat link-up play, capped with a wonderfully composed finish.
9. Richarlison (Watford)
Arguably the most entertaining footballer in the division, Richarlison has hit the ground running since moving to Watford in the summer. The results can vary – he has already scored three goals and spurned at least as many sitters – but the Brazilian has that cocktail of fearlessness and unpredictability which can turn a well-drilled team into one capable of overcoming any opponent.
Marco Silva’s side are edging towards the latter. While their excellence is very much a collective effort, Richarlison is a more important cog than most.
8. Maya Yoshida (Southampton)
Having joined the Saints in summer 2012 from excitingly named Dutch side VVV-Venlo, Yoshida spent his maiden season as a largely uninspiring regular in a team who conceded as many goals (60) as that campaign’s bottom-placed side. The next season he was promptly dropped, and Southampton’s defence has drastically improved over the four years since.
Yet the story isn’t quite that straightforward. This term, Yoshida has proved a one-man remedy to the crisis which threatened to demolish Southampton’s season. Having spent the summer pining for a move, Virgil van Dijk wasn't selected until mid-September, but Yoshida’s steady presence at centre-half – Saints have kept clean sheets in half the matches he’s started – ensured the Dutchman wasn't missed too much.
7. Ben Davies (Tottenham)
The most impressive aspect of Mauricio Pochettino’s project in north London is Tottenham’s remarkable ability to absorb the loss of any one player. Danny Rose has been one of the club’s best performers over the last three years, yet his absence hasn’t dented Spurs in the slightest.
Davies, his replacement at left-back, has offered greater composure and delivery in the final third, all while compromising very little of the scampering energy which is so critical to this team. Fit-again Rose now has a fight on his hands to win back his place in the XI.
6. Jamaal Lascelles (Newcastle)
One of the quiet triumphs of the campaign so far has been Newcastle's steady rise away from the relegation dogfight many had predicted after a somewhat tight-walleted summer. As sure as night follows day, Rafa Benitez has fashioned a canny and disciplined team whose collective powers outweigh the sum of its parts.
At the heart of the effort has been Lascelles, who began the season in the odd position of being both club captain and third-choice centre-back. Yet the 23-year-old stepped into the side to make a mini injury crisis look like nothing of the sort, impressing with his maturity, authority and no-frills approach to defending.
5. James Tarkowski (Burnley)
When Burnley sold Michael Keane to Everton and opted against signing a successor, many feared the worst. Keane was the Clarets’ best player and his replacement, Tarkowski, had only four top-division starts to his name.
Yet as tends to be the case when it comes to no-nonsense centre-backs, Sean Dyche’s judgment has proved on the money. Tarkowski has slotted seamlessly into a side that has already taken points off Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool, and notched a gritty 1-0 win against Keane’s new employers at Goodison Park. Tarkowski has played every minute so far, and only the top three have conceded fewer than Burnley.
4. Romelu Lukaku (Man United)
Lukaku’s last Premier League goal came in September, but a quiet month isn’t enough to dent the Belgian’s claim to a place on this list. He might not have quite the same profile as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but Lukaku’s tirelessness, movement and high-intensity hustling make everything tick that little bit more smoothly at the top of the pitch.
Critics will argue the failure to make his mark against top sides – the continuation of a perceived theme from his time at Everton – still counts against him. Others would say he’s hamstrung by Jose Mourinho’s big-game conservatism and that it’s the lesser teams who United need to learn how to beat – and it’s those who have felt Lukaku’s wrath.
3. Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Azpilicueta is the archetypal coach’s dream: not only can he play a number of positions within a number of systems, but he can do so without it affecting his remarkable level of reliability. Add to that quiet leadership and understated authority, as well as the handy knack of making those around him look that bit better, and you have quite a player.
Flitting between centre-back and wing-back this term, the man the Chelsea players christened "Dave" has been even more impressive than ever. That it’s taken six seasons at Stamford Bridge for the wider world to appreciate Azpilicueta is testament not to his lack of influence, but simply his unwillingness to make a show of it.
2. Harry Kane (Tottenham)
It’s business as usual for the league’s standout performer of recent seasons. After another August malaise, Kane hit eight goals in six league games – 17 in 13 altogether for club and country. It’s fairly clear that the golden boot will go to anyone who finishes above him in the scoring charts – if, indeed, anyone can.
Kane earns plenty of plaudits for his remarkable consistency, but the truth is even more impressive: he’s getting better. Indeed, the England international continues to improve every facet of his skill set to the point where, at 24 years old, his game is devoid of anything resembling a weakness.
1. Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Good players can bend a game to their will. Great players can bend an entire season to their will. It doesn’t happen often but Eric Cantona (1995/96), Robin van Persie (2012/13) and – nearly – Luis Suarez in 2013/14 are rare instances of a footballer taking 38 matches by the scruff of the neck.
Perhaps the only thing stopping De Bruyne joining that list will be the quality of his own team-mates, who are unlikely to need dragging out of too many holes. It’s not just the brilliance of his play that stands out, but the sheer range of it: the Belgian can shoot, cross, drive forward and play a defence-splitting pass as well as anyone in the division. What would City be without him?
