The Sportsman Awards: Every Premier League Club's Player Of The Season

As we approach the final day of the 2017/18 Premier League season, here's a look at the player of the season for all 20 clubs:

Manchester City - Kevin de Bruyne

At least half a dozen players deserve Man City’s Player of the Year award, but it’s hard to look past Kevin de Bruyne, the man whose incisive passes have created 15 goals in the league. Leroy Sane has the same number of assists, but virtually every attack is fed through the Belgian, and therefore he is the single biggest factor in City’s record-breaking season.

Manchester United - David de Gea

Once again Man Utd’s best player has been their goalkeeper. De Gea has saved Jose Mourinho on a number of occasions this season, pulling off miraculous saves to win United points when they’ve played very poorly. Without the Spaniard, who won the Golden Glove this week after collecting his 18th clean sheet, United would be in a considerably weaker position - and may even have struggled to finish in the top four.

Liverpool - Mohamed Salah

Who else? Salah has scored 31 league goals this season, equalling a Premier League record, and has contributed a further nine assists. His explosive impact at Liverpool hasn’t just helped them to a Champions League final, it has also made everyone inside Anfield forget about the loss of Philippe Coutinho.

Tottenham Hotspur - Harry Kane

Salah’s incredible campaign has overshadowed Kane’s but the Englishman might just reach 30 league goals for the first time in his career. The 24-year-old has not been quite as prolific as in 2016/17, but Kane picked up a lot of the slack when Dele Alli was struggling in the first half of the campaign; his goals have been priceless.

Chelsea - N’Golo Kante

Last season’s PFA Player of the Year, Kante has been just as good this season despite Chelsea’s struggles domestically. The central midfielder continues to drive his team forward regardless of the performances of those around him, which is especially commendable given how long Tiemoue Bakayoko struggled in the same team. Kante always does the work of two players. For the first half of 2017/18, he had to do the work of three.

Arsenal - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

In this most disappointing of seasons for Arsenal, which ends with fans questioning just how difficult the job might be for Arsene Wenger’s successor, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has offered hope for the future. In just 11 Premier League matches the striker has scored nine times and assisted four more, providing a ray of sunshine in this trying campaign. For that, he deserves recognition.

Burnley - James Tarkowski

Sean Dyche’s star player has been Tarkowski, the defender who came into the first team following Michael Keane’s departure and hasn’t put a foot wrong since, earning an England call-up in the process. Burnley are still predominantly a defensive team who rely on the strength, aerial ability, and last-ditch blocks of their back four. This season, Tarkowski has led the way.

Everton - Jordan Pickford

In a bitterly disappointing season, and one in which the vast majority of the £160 million worth of new signings have failed to impress, Jordan Pickford looks good value for money at £25 million. He is confident in possession, commands his area expertly, and is a supreme shot-stopper; Pickford will surely be England’s number one this summer.

Leicester City - Wilfried Ndidi

Like N’Golo Kante before him, it’s taking a long time for the media to take notice of Leicester midfielder Ndidi. The Nigerian makes more tackles (4.2 per game) than any other Premier League player, reflecting his dominance in the middle even as Leicester have struggled to play with fluency this season. It is only a matter of time before a big club recognises what an outstanding talent the Foxes have unearthed.

Newcastle United– Mohamed Diame

Rafael Benitez has performed a minor miracle keeping Newcastle up, and a big part of this has been their defensive resilience. The Magpies have conceded just 47 goals, the 7th fewest in the division, and although Jamaal Lascelles has played a leading role in the team it is the tireless tackling of Diame that has made the biggest difference. He has forged an excellent relationship with Jonjo Shelvey over the last few months, giving the Englishman freedom to create by mopping up everything in midfield.

Crystal Palace - Wilfried Zaha

Zaha has developed into the most effective attacking player outside the top six. He has added consistency and a final ball to his game over the last 12 months, becoming the catalyst of everything good at Palace. The 25-year-old has dragged them out of a relegation battle, taking up the mantle when Christian Benteke faltered and lifting their spirits with a moment of magic on numerous occasions. Zaha could play for pretty much any team in the world.

Bournemouth - Nathan Ake

Bournemouth have already dished out their Player of the Year awards and Ake easily topped the charts. He is the sort of commanding centre-back who throws himself at the ball and makes plenty of last-second tackles, which is exactly what Eddie Howe’s team need given their expansive, possession-based system. Ake is also very comfortable in possession, driving forward like a young John Terry.

Watford - Abdoulaye Doucoure

Although Watford, and Doucoure, have faded in the second half of the season the Mali international was the beating heart of the side during Marco Silva’s early days at the club. Doucoure offers bite in the tackle and excellent technical ability under pressure, triggering counter-attacks single-handedly; it would not be a surprise should Silva take Doucoure wherever he goes next.

Brighton - Pascal Gross

Surely the signing of the summer at £3 million, Gross has scored seven and assisted eight - that's 44% of Brighton's entire goals in the Premier League. He is the focal point of the vast majority of their attacks, combining consistently with Jose Izquierdo on the counter (statistically, Brighton attack down the left more than any other team in the division).

West Ham - Marko Arnautovic

After failing to record a goal or assist in his first 11 league matches, the £20 million signing from Stoke City came to life under David Moyes to propel West Ham out of relegation trouble. It was Arnautovic's swashbuckling performances up front that defined the mini-surge of positivity at the London Stadium in December and January, and for that alone the Austrian has been their player of the year.

Huddersfield – Aaron Mooy

David Wagner's high-pressing football just wouldn't work without a commanding central midfielder who can take the game by the scruff of the neck, calming things down when play becomes too frantic or ramping things up when the Terriers are in need of a push. Mooy has been up and down this season, just like his team, but in key moments the Australian has led by example.

Southampton - Oriol Romeu

For the second successive season Oriol Romeu has been Southampton's stand-out player, adding much-needed clout in central midfield during a difficult campaign for the south coast club. His unglamorous playing style means Romeu rarely gets mainstream attention, but his tackles, interceptions, and headers have been the only constant for Southampton fans.

Swansea City - Alfie Mawson

It's been a truly dreadful season for Swansea, which is why the emergence of Alfie Mawson as a future star has meant so much to supporters. The 24-year-old is unlucky not to have earned an England cap after some commanding displays at the back, although it is surely only a matter of time. His technical ability could have made Mawson the foundation of a new 'Swansea Way' approach, but sadly it now looks as though he will be moving on to bigger things.

West Brom - Ahmed Hegazi

The Baggies have similarly had very little to cheer about this season, although Hegazi – a new signing last summer from Al Ahly – has been excellent in central defence. The Egyptian has played every minute of West Brom's season so far, and for good reason; he makes more clearances (7.2 per match) and blocks (1.0 per match) than any other Baggies player.

Stoke City - Xherdan Shaqiri

In certain respects Xherdan Shaqiri symbolises precisely what has gone wrong for Stoke this season; he blows hot and cold, can flatter to deceive, and offers too little defensively to help create a balanced starting 11. Nevertheless, the Switzerland international's talent cannot be ignored, and without his superb attacking play (eight goals, six assists) Stoke would have been relegated much sooner. He is the one standout footballer in the Potters' ranks.