These four players deserve some recognition for their performances this season, as Manchester City and Liverpool complete the top four.
Manchester City’s Fernandinho and Claudio Bravo
Every team has their collection of stars who get their fair share of the headlines. The general thought is if they play well, it is three points in the bag. However every player has a role to play and more often than not, it is the little things that play a big role in overall success. So it is worthwhile to pay tribute to the unsung heroes in the current top four clubs who, though unlikely to be the biggest names in their teams do deserve a lot of credit.
Fernandinho – Manchester City
In a team with the attacking talent of the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne you need a player that is willing to play a role that protects the defence and Fernandinho is the right the man for City. There is nothing fancy in what the 31 year-old Brazilian does, but the defensive midfield role is not a position for flair. His strengths lie in the fact that he reads the play very well, is effective in terms of tackling and uses the ball cleanly.
Jan Vertonghen -Tottenham.
Liverpool’s Sadio Mane in action with Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen
Goals may win you games but a strong defence wins you championships. That has been a common trend over a long period of time and Tottenham currently have a very nice blend between attack and defence. As the leader of the back four, central defender Jan Vertonghen runs a pretty tight ship as Spurs have conceded just three goals in the Premier League this season. While that stat is highly impressive, it was their last league game against Manchester City which illustrated the defence’s overall effectiveness as they were able to subdue the best attacking lineup to a handful of attempts across the 90 minutes.
The Belgian is a player who is composed with the ball at his feet and his defensive positioning is first rate. Strikers always know they are going to be in a battle coming up against the 29 year-old.
Shkodran Mustafi-Arsenal
While it may be a bit of a stretch to describe a big money player as unsung, it is undeniable the impact that the German has had since joining the club in late August. Arsenal have always been great going forward, but often had a soft underbelly and a catalogue of defensive mistakes have let them down at the crucial moments. Mustafi is a player who reads the game well, is strong in the air and has big game experience having won the World Cup with Germany in 2014 and played in the Champions League with Valencia. The Gunners have conceded just two goals in four league games since the arrival of Mustafi.
James Milner-Liverpool
Liverpool’s James Milner scores their second goal from the penalty spot
Milner is the sort of player that managers love. The 30 year-old has answered the call of manager Jurgen Klopp to play left-back after the continued poor performances of Alberto Moreno in the same position. Milner is well known to have a strong work ethic and he has proven that yet again this season. While he is not a natural defender, Milner has not shown any signs of disappointment in playing out of position and has just got on with the job at hand. The veteran also proved his worth as a reliable penalty taker converting four from as many attempts this season.
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