Ranking the 10 best players in the Premier League currently
The Premier League is the richest football league in the world, and arguably the most competitive one as well.
Over the years, many world-class players have graced the competition, providing several memorable moments and walking into Premier League folklore. The likes of Ryan Giggs, Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand, Petr Cech, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero are examples of such players.
Despite none of the aforementioned players plying their trade in the competition now, there is no shortage of quality players in the Premier League. On that note, here's a look at the ten best players in the English top flight at the moment:
#10 Romelu Lukaku | Chelsea
Romelu Lukaku is one of the hottest strikers in the game at the moment. After a successful two-season stint with Serie A champions Inter Milan, the Belgian has returned to the Premier League with Chelsea.
The €117.5-million summer arrival scored on his second debut with the club as Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0. It was Lukaku's 114th strike in the Premier League, first in more than two years, as the Belgian moved past Ian Wright to become the competition's 20th-most prolific scorer.
Incidentally, that goal was Lukaku's first in 11 Premier League games for Chelsea. The Belgian could be the spark the reigning Champions League winners need to launch an assault on the league title this season.
#9 Paul Pogba | Manchester United
Paul Pogba is finally living up to the hype after returning to Manchester United in the summer of 2016.
After a dazzling Euro 2020 campaign for France this summer, Pogba produced an emphatic performance in his opening game of the 2021-22 Premier League. He registered an incredible four assists in United's 5-1 home win over Leeds United.
The Frenchman followed that up with another assist in his next league outing against Southampton. In doing so, Pogba became the first player in competition history to register five assists in the first two games of a season.
Considering the quality of the 28-year-old, his tally of 29 goals and 39 assists in 139 Premier League games seems pretty underwhelming. However, Pogba is off to a blistering start to the 2021-22 campaign. The Red Devils have also done well in the transfer market this summer and Pogba could well win his first Premier League title. If the Frenchman can keep up his form, it could help United end their near decade-long drought in the competition.
#8 Jorginho | Chelsea
Jorginho is one of the best defensive midfielders and registas in the game at the moment. Fresh off a Champions League win with Chelsea last season, Jorginho played a key role in Italy's triumphant Euro 2020 campaign as well.
Much like his clubmate N'Golo Kante, Jorginho doesn't score a lot of goals or produce too many goal contributions. But he has been clutch from the penalty spot, with all seven of his Premier League goals last season being penalties.
A contender for this year's UEFA Men's Player of the Year (POTY) award, Jorginho is closing in on 100 Premier League appearances since arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2018.
#7 Ruben Dias | Manchester City
Ruben Dias has been a breath of fresh air since his arrival in the Premier League last season. The 24-year-old hit the ground running, turning out to be a key cog in the Manchester City defense, as Pep Guardiola's men won their third league title in four years.
In 32 Premier League appearances, Dias helped the Cityzens keep 15 clean sheets. The Portuguese was especially brilliant towards the end of the season as City steered clear of the chasing pack.
Thanks to his exploits, Dias won the Premier League Player of the Season award, becoming the first Portuguese player to do so since a certain Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. Incidentally, Dias is the first Premier League debutant to win the award since Kelvin Phillips in 2000.
Despite his staggering exploits in 2020-21, Dias endured a miserable Euro 2020 campaign with Portugal. But that could be just an aberration as the Portugal defender looks set for another big Premier League campaign.