The Three Muskateers of the Top Premier League Teams
The Premier League is a little over half way through its’ 2016/2017 season and the top teams have risen above the rest to show their quality. These teams have shown a level of attacking play that has led them to wins and good goal differentials. After looking at the statistics of players on these teams, I have identified the three key attacking players on each team.
Chelsea- Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Pedro
Chelsea has launched themselves to the top of the league under new manager Antonio Conte. After a disappointing previous season, Chelsea has risen from the ashes to attack and defend like the best team in the EPL. Diego Costa is the leading goal scorer in the Premier League with fourteen goals showing the world that he can still be the best striker. Eden Hazard has returned to his creative form that allows the players around him to score goals. Pedro has become a surprise top player after getting a chance in the Chelsea starting line-up as they switched to a 3–4–3 formation. All three players play next to each other as the top three in the formation and have led Chelsea to success.
Liverpool- Sadio Manè, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino
Liverpool has scored the most goals in the Premier League so far and that comes down to their brilliant and exciting attacking play. Though their defending has been poor at times, Liverpool has reached second in their league because of the amount of goals they are able to score. Sadio Manè recently joined the Liverpool side from Southampton and has justified his price tag in coming to the team by showing up on the score sheet frequently. Before his unfortunate injury, Philippe Countinho was challenging as the best player in the Premier League for the first half of the season. He has been able to lead the Liverpool attack and create many chances for his team. Roberto Firmino played as the second playmaker behind Countinho but has now taken the lead and helped continue Liverpool’s attacking strength to help them reach the second spot in the league.
Tottenham Hotspur- Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane
After their second place finish in the previous season, Tottenham retained their core group of players and even strengthened the squad. Some of the top players of last season have continued their great form. The first of these players, Harry Kane, was the winner of the golden boot in 2015/2016 and is trying to defend his title despite an injury that kept him out for a few weeks. Christian Eriksen has become a central part of the Spurs offense. In recent weeks, Dele Alli has been a star performer, scoring in the Spurs win over Chelsea to snap the Blues thirteen game win streak.
Manchester City- Sergio Agüero, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling
Pep Guardiola took over a Manchester City squad that runs a high price tag but has a wealth of skill and quality in its’ players. The first of those players, Sergio Agüero, has been one of the leading goal scorers in the Premier League since he joined Manchester City. This season is no different as Agüero has scored eleven goals in fourteen appearances. Kevin De Bruyne has been the main creator for Manchester City and leads my list of players in big chances created with eleven. De Bruyne continues to be a fantastic creator and facilitator for his team. Raheem Sterling recently joined City from Liverpool where he was marketed as one of the top young players in the game. He is succeeding well at City where he has scored five goals and four assists.
Arsenal- Mesut Özil, Alexis Sánchez, Theo Walcott
Arsenal has struggled to find the top spot in the Premier League for the past few years but a bright start to the season saw Arsenal flirt with that number one spot. One player that has been key in supporting his team to the top is Mesut Özil. Özil has assisted on goals in fantastic ways and has dazzled many with his skill. Alexis Sánchez has been the main benefactor from the skill of Özil, leading the Chilean to score thirteen goals on the season becoming the main striker for the Gunners. Theo Walcott has played on Arsenal for many years and despite impressing as a young player, Walcott has not lived up to his full potential yet. This year, Walcott saw a bigger role at the club due to his bright attacking start.
Manchester United- Zlatan Ibrahimović, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata
Manchester United went into an overhaul with José Mourinho joining as manager the squad and the team spending a lot on players in the summer transfer window. Famed Swedish player Zlatan Ibrahimović was one the first players brought in. Ibra had a bright start to the season and has recently picked up his scoring after a short dry spell. Paul Pogba has been one of the most sought after players in the sport and Manchester United paid a lot of money to secure his signature. Pogba has struggled to fit in at United but his skill has still allowed him to help the team offensively. Pogba has some of the most touches on the ball in the entire Premier League. Juan Mata was thought to be left on the bench frequently under Mourinho because Mourinho sold him to United when he was at Chelsea. But Mata has shown to be a key component in the Red Devils attack and has made the most of his limited play time.
Everton- Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley, Yannick Bolasie
Everton is also under new management in Ronald Koeman and the team has performed well enough to reach seventh in the standings. The star player for Everton has been Romelu Lukaku. Since his arrival, Lukaku has been the big-man upfront and has scored many goals in his time at Everton. Ross Barkley has also been a key name for Everton in the midfield. Barkley may not show as much on the score sheet but he has been an important man in attack for the team. Yannick Bolasie has had limited play time but when he is on the pitch, Bolasie has linked up well with Lukaku leading to four assists for Bolasie and eight big chances created.
