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Alexander Isak
It seems anything the Swedish striker touches this season turns to gold. Alexander Isak is currently 3rd on the Premier League goalscoring charts with 19 (one behind Erling Haaland). He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and even when he’s not, he’s capable of a long-range goal seemingly out of nowhere. He is a dream striker for a team that plays high-pressing, attacking football, as he ranks second in possession won in the opponent’s final third (11). His 69 pressures resulting in turnovers also rank him amongst the highest.
Therefore, it’s little mystery why top teams like Barcelona, Arsenal, and Liverpool are rumored to be interested in the striker. This interest is juxtaposed between Newcastle’s financial situation and Isak’s form, because if Newcastle fails to qualify for the Champions League this season (and therefore misses out on a significant financial windfall), there is speculation that Isak may “force” an exit from the club. If these dominos are to fall, Isak will be this summer’s big transfer saga.
Erling Haaland
By all metrics, this is a bad year for Manchester City. They have been knocked out of the Champions League, Carabao Cup, and are all but eliminated from the Premier League title race. Injuries and poor form have decimated the team, and the FA Cup is Pep Guardiola’s only hope of not going a season trophyless for the first time since 2016-17. And yet, Erling Haaland is the league’s second-top goalscorer and is very much in contention for the Golden Boot this season. In a way, he’s become a victim of his own success, and anything less than a record-breaking season is considered a poor one. He remains the league’s most lethal finisher and as long as he’s in the lineup, City is a threat.
Virgil van Dijk
Pundits and analysts had counted out the Dutch centerback for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they’ve forgotten he’s the first defender to finish in the top two in the Ballon d’Or voting in decades. Liverpool have conceded the second-fewest amount of goals this season and have kept clean sheets against major clubs this season like Manchester City (twice), PSG, Real Madrid, and Bayer Leverkusen — the champions of their respective leagues. The defender seems to have been revitalized under Dutch manager Arne Slot. Liverpool’s attack thrives off creating space for their strikers to create high-quality chances, and a lot of this space is made from van Dijk’s cross-field diagonal balls and long balls forward for them to latch onto, making him a major threat on both ends of the pitch.
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer had a fantastic start to the season and has perhaps trailed off in recent months, but Chelsea’s potent attack largely goes through the young Englishman. Still age 22, he has the third-most goals and assists this season and has an incredible ability to spot gaps in opposition defenses as both a No. 10 or a winger in a fluid formation set up by Enzo Maresca. Combine this with the decision-making of a seasoned veteran and you have a player any team would love to have. He averages just under 39 passes per 90 minutes this season, with many of them being progressive passes, meaning he can break the defensive lines seemingly at will.
Mohamed Salah
Is this the season the “Egyptian King” gets his hands on the coveted Ballon d’Or?
If he keeps up this form and helps Liverpool to a Premier League and/or Champions League title, there are no better candidates than him. He has an astonishing 42 g/a in 28 games (25 goals and 17 assists). No, that wasn’t a typo. If he gets three more assists, he will tie Thierry Henry’s record for most assists in a season. If he scores 11 more goals, he will tie Erling Haaland’s Premier League record. Oh, and he’s doing this all from the right-wing position. We are witnessing greatness. Sit back and enjoy.
