Sergio Aguero
There have been a number of stand out performers for Manchester City this season, but Sergio Aguero has been on a different level scoring 13 goals in all competitions and 8 in the Premier League.
The Argentinian has benefited from having Alvaro Negredo in the side this season and is beginning to form a decent partnership with the Spaniard. Aguero and Tevez were too similar in the way they both played last season and the signing of Negredo has given Aguero someone to play off as well and their games suit each other well in a way that Dzeko’s and Aguero’s didn’t quite click.
Aguero has hit the target with 67% of his 27 shots this season, scored a goal every 94 minutes and converted 30% of his chances.His shooting accuracy has improved by 12% compared to last season, he has converted 12% more of his chances and having a shot on target 11 minutes more often than last season. As well as scoring goals, Aguero also has the joint most assists in the Premier League this season with 4 and has created a chance every 40 minutes, which is 10 minutes more often than last season.
Aguero has the most goals and assists combined in the Premier League this season (12), with the Argentinian showing just what an all round player he is. His passing in the final third has improved this season, with 5% more of his passes being accurate, while his passing accuracy in the opposition half has also improved by 2% compared to the previous season.
As his partnership with Negredo grows we should see even more from Aguero during this season and if this form continues then he will be right up there with Luis Suarez for the golden boot.
Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Sturridge thrived in Luis Suarez’s absence at the start of the season and has formed an excellent partnership with the Uruguayan since he returned.
Scoring 8 goals in his 11 games this season, Sturridge is the joint top goalscorer in the Premier League with Luis Suarez and Sergio Aguero. Sturridge also scored all three of Liverpool’s goals in their opening three games this season and helped earn the team 9 points, including a 1-0 win over Manchester United.
The England striker stepped up big time in the absence of last season’s main man Luis Suarez and has continued his impressive goalscoring form since joining Liverpool in January. Sturridge has scored a goal every 122 minutes this season, hitting the target with 51% of his 35 shots and converted 23% of his chances as well as getting 2 assists in his opening 11 games.
Sturridge and Suarez have proved to be a very difficult partnership to play against this season, with their different styles of play complementing each other well. Sturridge’s pace and power combined with Suarez’s trickery and quick feet have made them one of the, if not the best partnership in the Premier League this season, with the pair already scoring 16 goals between them.
Sturridge’s performances this season have been even more impressive with the fact that he missed most of the pre-season with an injury and was still building up his fitness at the beginning of the season. If Sturridge and Suarez can both continue to score goals this season then Liverpool may not only be contenders for the Champions League places but for the title as well.
So, Who has been the player of the season?
After taking a more detailed look at these five players performances this season, it is a very hard call to name which player has been the player of the season so far.
In my opinion, even though all these players have been brilliant this season two players have been another level – Aaron Ramsey and Luis Suarez.
Ramsey has proven all of his critics wrong this season with some all action displays and has helped Arsenal to the top of the table. The Welshman has won more tackles than any other player this season, scored 6 goals and has the joint most assists in the Premier League and is finally showing just why Arsene Wenger signed him in the first place.
Luis Suarez has been on fire since returning from his ban and although the player has his problems, there is no denying that on his day he is one of the best players in the world at the moment. He is the joint top goalscorer in the Premier League this season even though he missed the opening 5 games and has the best minutes per goal ratio with a goal every 64 minutes.
The Uruguayan has been a nightmare for defenders since his return and has put in some spectacular performances, as well as building a very good partnership with Daniel Sturridge.
So for me there hasn’t just been one player of the season so far, there has been two – Aaron Ramsey and Luis Suarez.
