Players from Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham make up our quintet.
As the Premier League calendar year winds down, there currently sit three London clubs inside the top five in the league table.
With both Arsenal and Tottenham qualifying for this season’s UEFA Champions League group stages and now with The Blues’ resurgence under Antonio Conte, who makes the top five London players list? Do any other sides within the capital’s boundaries make an appearance?
Cesar Azpilicueta
Even before Conte waved his magic wand in West London, The Blues’ versatile defender was continuing to pull up trees in the English top-flight with consistent performances, week in, week out.
Chelsea’s switch to 3-4-3 system has paid huge dividend for not only Conte’s men, but in particular for Azpilicueta. The Spaniard has been instrumental in what is now an 11-match winning league streak, conceding just two times in that period.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte celebrates after the game with Cesar Azpilicueta
The 28 year-old must now be one of Europe’s most able defenders, but what has made him so good?
Including this campaign so far, the former Marseille man’s numbers are hugely impressive. In this season alone Azpilicueta has kept 10 clean sheets already.
In the calendar year has he 14 in total, scoring twice and assisting five last term – with a further two this campaign.
It is hard to value Cesar Azpilicueta in the current economic market, but perhaps Chelsea fans regard him as something more. Priceless.
Toby Alderweireld
Few would dispute the Belgian is one of the best central defenders in the Premier League. Last season, the Spurs man formed a formidable partnership with compatriot Jan Vertonghen for The Lilywhites.
Since the turn of the year, Alderweireld has only notched 9 clean sheets due to his absence at the tail end of this year with knee problems, but the Belgian’s worth to Mauricio Pochettino has been immense.
Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld celebrates scoring their first goal
In particular toward the end of last year, his raking passes across the length and breadth of the field were just one of the defender’s signature attributes.
A fully-fit Alderweireld links the play between attack and defense effortlessly and his four goals last year from set pieces are indicative of that.
Diego Costa
The Brazilian-born Spanish international has had an electric calendar year. Struggling during the opening months of last term, netting just five times, the former Atletico Madrid man added seven more from January.
Having failed to score in just five league games this campaign, Costa is now at 20 between January and December.
Chelsea’s Diego Costa scores their first goal
This season, the Diego Costa of the Antonio Conte era has become a more team-based player, having – for the time being – put his much documented volatile streak to one side, transforming into one of the most lethal goal-scorers across the continent.
Alexis Sanchez
Much like Costa, Arsenal’s Chilean star enjoyed a purple patch in the latter stages of last season, having been absent with a thigh injury for the best part of three months.
Sanchez scored eight times in all competition from the turn of the year until May, but this season has seen the 28 year-old revitalise Arsene Wenger’s rather predictable attacking unit.
Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring their first goal
In his new striking role in place of Giroud, the Chilean has driven his side on, at times single-handedly.
The former Barcelona and Udinese man has scored 12 times this term already, just one short of last season’s tally – like Diego Costa having scored 20 goals this year.
Michail Antonio
Not Dimitri Payet we hear you say? Based on the Frenchman’s showings this term, no. Instead, The Hammers unsung hero gets the final nod.
The former non-league footballer for Tooting and Mitcham FC in South London, Antonio’s inclusion into the Slaven Bilic’s fold in the second half of last term heralded seven goals between January and May, as an aerial powerhouse in East London.
West Ham United’s Michail Antonio scores their first goal
The 26 year-old has once again reached that amount in the current campaign too, feeding off the wizardry of Payet almost exclusively.
Able to play as a makeshift right-back, winger or even upfront, the Englishman is perhaps one of the most underrated performers this year.
For Michail Antonio a haul of 14 goal in 2016, represents a huge triumph and the West Ham faithful will be hoping to see more of the same in 2017.
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