Read Part I of this series here
The following is, in my view, the best midfield of the English Premier League in 2011 (purely arbitrary, so please feel free to let your opinion be known) :
- Defensive Midfield : Lucas Leiva
Liverpool‘s best player last season, by a considerable margin, Lucas is the reason Liverpool worked their way around an average defence. With submarine sized lungs, and tireless muscles, he is one of very few players in the EPL to actually ‘cover every blade of grass’. Panned by every section of The Kop and the press, Lucas came out all guns firing to firmly establish himself as the best defensive midfielder in the league, and filled the Javier Mascherano sized void in the Liverpool midfield. An anterior cruciate ligament injury has ruled him out for the rest of the season, and he may have taken their Champions League spot hopes with him.
Notable mentions – Gareth Barry (Man. City), Phil Jones (Man. Utd), Cheick Tiote (Newcastle)
Central Midfield : Scott Parker
One of the other players in the EPL who never seems to stop running and chasing the ball, Scott Parker probably deserved least to be relegated among all in the West Ham side last season. He grabbed the headlines when his teammates praised him publicly for his inspirational team talk ,when they were 3-0 down at half time against West Bromwich Albion. After that, West Ham rallied to a 3-3 draw. His performances for the now relegated side earned him the Football Writer’s Footballer of The Year Award and a transfer to “big side” was inevitable, and Tottenham soon came calling. Not the most creative player by any measure, but his work rate, energy and cross-field passing ability override the aforementioned void, and make him a must-have in any side.
Notable mentions – Luka Modric (Tottenham), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Yaya Toure (Man. City)
Right Wing : David Silva
There will be no argument about this one. David Silva has been the best player of the English Premier League in 2011, and it’s testament to his form that he’s been able to earn a call up to a Spain side, of which players like Xavi and Iniesta are unmovable elements. One would be hard pressed to find a game in which Silva has been ineffectual, such has been his influence on an already stimulated Manchester City side. The easiest choice in this selection, by far.
Notable mentions – Antonio Valencia (Man. Utd), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea)
Left Wing : Juan Mata
If Silva’s place in this selection was the easiest, Mata’s was the one which made my brain shift to overdrive, thanks to his Tottenham counterpart, Gareth Bale’s form. Juan Mata’s arrival galvanised a Chelsea side which looked slow, and dreary previously. Boasting a dangerous left foot which sprays passes around the pitch, causing disarray in defences, Mata has been the core of the Villas-Boas side. But, very much like Gareth Bale (who he narrowly beat, to this list), Juan Mata has not been at his awe-inspiring best in every game this season, and without his spunk, Chelsea lack drive and motivation, and that cutting-edge. It is easy to forgive, considering he just recently arrived from the Spanish La Liga, and his adaptation to the English game has been phenomenal, and more can be expected of Juan Mata. He was on the radar of several clubs in the summer. Chelsea are lucky that Mata chose them, and they must make optimum use of his admirable talent.
Notable Mentions – Gareth Bale (Tottenham), Gervinho (Arsenal), Nani (Man. Utd)
Stay tuned, for Part 3!!
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