Sport
Aguero up to 3rd – Race to POTY
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@DaveTindallgolf‘s Race to the Premier League Player of the Year after Matchday 26.
1/ Virgil Van Dijk
(Last week: 1)
Another commanding performance helped Liverpool to a 14th clean sheet of the season – two more than any of their rivals – in the 3-0 win over Bournemouth. City’s attackers are starting to put pressure on but, for now, the giant Dutchman keeps top spot.
2/ Raheem Sterling
(Last week: 2)
A brilliant display in the 6-0 romp at home to Chelsea, capped by the opener after just four minutes and his second and City’s sixth after 80. Sterling now has 12 Premier League goals this season (only four players have more) and nine assists. Stays in second place but a return to No. 1 could be imminent if he keeps this up.
3/ Sergio Aguero
(Last week: 8)
Now the joint-top scorer with Mo Salah after a dazzling treble in the 6-0 triumph over Chelsea. Aguero also now has the joint-most hat-tricks in Premier League history, joining Alan Shearer on 11. His 17 Premier League goals have come at a superb rate (one every 99 minutes compared to Salah’s 130) so I’ll nudge him above the Egyptian and into third.
4/ Mo Salah
(Last week: 3)
Salah actually had an excellent game against Bournemouth, sweeping in a classy third goal in Liverpool’s 3-0 win and also hitting the crossbar. On Saturday night he led the Golden Boot race by three but then came Aguero’s hat-trick against Chelsea. It’s tough near the top so he drops a spot.
5/ Son Heung-Min
(Last week: 5)
One way of appreciating Son’s impact this season is looking at his goals per minute record. His 11 PL goals have come early 123 minutes and that’s a better rate than Salah, Aubameyang, Raheem Sterling, Eden Hazard and, get this, Harry Kane! Netted in the third straight game via an expertly-taken clinching goal in the 3-1 win over Leicester.
6/ Eden Hazard
(Last week: 4)
Hazard had to make an embarrassing trudge from the pitch after the 6-0 humiliation at Manchester City but let’s not forget all the good stuff he’s done to this point – namely 12 goals and a Premier League-leading 10 assists. He’s clearly being let down by those around him although the Belgian hasn’t score an away goal since Boxing Day.
7/ Paul Pogba
(Last week: 9)
Thumped home a superb opening goal at Fulham when the angle looked too tight and then banged home his second of the game from the spot. His, and United’s, transformation continues. The Frenchman now has 11 Premier League goals, eight assists and has attempted the fourth most number of shots. If only Jose had let him roam free, those numbers would be even better.
8/ David Silva
(Last week: 6)
Silva’s position in the top 10 is becoming harder to work out as the season goes on. He was magical up until November, running the show and scoring for fun. Now, he’s managed just a single goal in his last 15 games and it’s possible to argue that namesake Bernardo Silva is having a greater impact at the moment.
9/ Fernandinho
(Last week: N/A)
I’ve probably been a little harsh on Fernandinho over the course of this season by not making him a staple in the top 10. His importance to Man City is enormous and he put in another superb display in the 6-0 victory over Chelsea even though Aguero and Sterling stole the headlines.
10/ Sadio Mane
(Last week: 10)
Plenty of candidates for the final spot but the Liverpool frontman retains his place after scoring for the fourth Premier League game in succession, a powerful header to get the all-important opening goal in the win over Bournemouth. Mane is a man in form and now has 12 PL goals this season, the same number as Sterling and Hazard.