Top 5 midfielders to watch in the 2021-22 Premier League season
The Premier League is widely regarded as the most exciting league in the world. This is due to its global appeal and financial prosperity placing it shoulders above its peers in terms of glamor.
It therefore comes as no surprise that some of the best midfielders in the world ply their trade in the Premier League. It offers the best platform for their abilities to be showcased to the widest reach.
The midfield serves as the engine room for any football team and it is for this reason that major emphasis is placed on strengthening this position.
One of the most rampant cliches in football is that 'the game is won or lost in midfield' and while this saying should not be taken at face value, a holistic look at the midfield's importance stresses this point.
Midfielders often act as the go-to between defense and attack. They initiate attacks while in transition and also act as a shield for the backline when out of possession.
With another exciting season of Premier League football upon us, here is a look at the
Top 5 midfielders to keep an eye on in the 2021-22 Premier League season.
Honorable mentions: Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Emile Buendia (Aston Villa), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham)
#5 N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
N'Golo Kante made a case to be considered the most effective player in the world between 2015 and 2018. His displays in this period helped his teams succeed at both club and international level.
Injuries and managerial upheavals have seen the Frenchman's output reduced over the last few seasons, but Thomas Tuchel has helped Kante rediscover his best touch.
The 30-year-old was omnipresent as Chelsea won a second UEFA Champions League crown in 2021 but he did not have the best of outings at the European Championship.
N'Golo Kante was back to his effervescent best in the final of the UEFA Super Cup and will be raring to go in his quest to win a third Premier League winner's medal.
#4 Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City)
Wilfred Ndidi is one of the most criminally underrated players in the Premier League.
The Nigeria international was signed from Genk as N'Golo Kante's replacement and has since gone on to cement his reputation at both club and international level.
The 24-year-old is arguably among the standout holding midfielders in the Premier League. He regularly ranks highly in the metrics used to judge players in his position.
His excellent positional awareness helps him intercept opposition attacks flawlessly, while his imposing physicality is instrumental in his role in shielding the defense.
Wilfred Ndidi's importance to Leicester City's recent rejuvenation is evident in the fact that the club usually struggle horribly in his absence.
With the Foxes having missed out on a Premier League top-four finish in harrowing circumstances for the second consecutive season, Wilfred Ndidi will be one of the players they will be banking on to help them rectify this.
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