Who's the alternative Premier League Player of the Season? | OneFootball

The PFA Player of the Year nominees were revealed over the weekend, with the usual (boring) names included on the six-man shortlist.

You had your Salahs and your De Bruynes and your De Geas but what about those men who’ve had equally sterling seasons but have flown under most fans’ radars?

Here, in no particular order, we run through the players we believe deserve some credit for their fantastic campaigns.

Mousa Dembélé (Tottenham)

A player so good this season, his manager has compared him to Ronaldinho and Diego Maradona. While headlines are natrually directed towards the obvious talents of Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen, it’s the Belgian midfielder who really makes Tottenham tick. In every game he plays the 30-year-old dictates the tempo whether on the ball or with his understanding of space. Don’t believe us? Take some time out and watch this …

Andy Robertson (Liverpool)

Eyebrows were definitely raised when Liverpool spent €15m on a left-back from relegated Hull last summer. And those eyebrows were almost at Carlo Ancelotti levels of height when Robertson struggled to dislodge Alberto Moreno from the starting XI. But an injury to the Spaniard and a sustained place at left-back has seen the Scotland international become one of Jürgen Klopp’s most-trusted lieutenants. Not since John Arne Riise have the Reds had a full-back of such attacking class and defensive steel.

Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

There’s just something about a local lad doing it for his boyhood side that warms the soul in this cynical, multi-billion dollar Premier League age. Wilfried Zaha is that local lad, and he’s proved this season just how vital he is to the Eagles. Since returning from injury on March 10, he’s joint first for goals scored, joint first for assists, second for chances created and way out in front for dribbles completed amongst Palace’s players. He’s their talisman, he’s the reason they’re probably saying up and he might just be the best player in the Premier League outside the big six clubs.

Jamaal Lascelles (Newcastle)

If the point of statistics is to wade through the chaotic scenes on the pitch so we can get a deeper, clearer understanding of the game, there’s perhaps no greater statistic than this to sum up Jaamal Lascelles impact on this Newcastle United team:

When he plays 90 minutes – 37 points from 25 games.

When he doesn’t – one point from seven games.

He’s 24, he’s the captain of one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League and he should be going to the World Cup.

Pascal Groß (Brighton)

For the uninitiated Pascal Groß came out of nowhere to succeed at Brighton. But somehow, the man who created more chances than any other player in the Bundesliga last season despite playing for Ingolstadt, was available for just €5m. It must surely though, go down as the best piece of business this season. Grosß has been sensational for the south coast club. His versatility has seen him play, and excel, in almost all positions in midfield and despite Brighton scoring just 31 goals, only seven players have more assists in the Premier League. Astonishing.

Davinson Sánchez (Tottenham)

In this world of inflated fees, Tottenham had stuck to a resolutely late 1990s transfer vibe before last summer with the amount they paid for players. If Daniel Levy was going to spend €45m, my God he’d better be good. Davinson Sánchez has been more than good for Spurs this season. As a 21-year-old, in a new country, in a new football culture, in a new way of playing the game, the Colombian has been phenomenal. He’s started 37 games in all competitions for Mauricio Pochettino’s side and hasn’t looked out of place once. Looks like €45m well-spent.