With the 2021-22 campaign set to reach its halfway mark on Sunday,December 26, with a parked Boxing Day fixture,TeamKenya selects the players who have had a good season so far.
GK: Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
AS the season started many questioned Arsenal's decision to sign Aaron Ramsdale, as he had conceded 130 goals across two seasons at Bournemouth and Sheffield United and seemed over-priced at £24 million ($32.6m).
The 23-year-old has, however, been magnificent for Mikel Arteta this season, laying the foundation for Arsenal's improved performances with his exceptional distribution and all-action playing style.
He is a very good leader as well as a shot-stopper too, pulling off several remarkable saves, with his most recent save coming against Leicester keeping out a James Maddison free-kick against Leicester City with an effort that looks destined to win the save of the season.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold has proven to be a vital player to Klopp's side as he has already given eight Premier League assists this season with Salah being the only player with more.
The Liverpool full-back somehow keeps finding new levels and new ways to impress, with his thunderous goal against Newcastle in mid-December highlighting yet another string to his bow.
Jurgen Klopp increasingly lets Alexander-Arnold play in central areas, and the 23-year-old is just as often found in the right half-space as on the wing.
He defines the modern full-back way of playing with his playmaking prowess with the intelligence and creativity of a number 10.
CB: Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Ruben Dias, last year’s Premier League Player of the Season, has picked up where he left off, putting in immaculate performances for Manchester City and contributing significantly to their goals against tally of just nine.
The biggest compliment of all is that Dias has started 16 of City’s 18 Premier League games getting two goals one assist and a total of seven clean sheets conceding only nine goals this season.
Oftenly Pep Guardiola tends to make rotations to his squad and also centre-backs, but for Dias it's rare to see him getting benched.
CB: Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea)
Chelsea’s defensive record has improved markedly this season, and Antonio Rudiger is undoubtedly the leader of Thomas Tuchel’s three-man back line.
The 28-year-old has grown in stature over the last 12 months to become one of the most commanding figures in the division, making heroic blocks and last-ditch challenges to get his team-mates out of trouble.
But the main reason he makes the list is his unique ability to dribble the ball out of defence, breaking the opposition lines and joining up with the Chelsea attack.
The German has a total of two goals so far this season, helped his team get a total of eight clean sheets and coceeding a total of 12 goals.
LB: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
Joao Cancelo has been unplayable this season bringing in his creativity to City despite the absence of Kevin De Bruyne.
The Manchester City full-back has stepped into a creative role through central midfield, dancing across the width of the pitch and popping up to assist or score.
Implausibly, Pep Guardiola’s left-back runs the game. Nobody in the Premier League has played more passes than Cancelo (1407), who has also amassed five direct goal contributions this season, and the 27-year-old is just as good at the defensive side of the game.
Cancelo who can be referred as utility player is seen to have the ability to play at various positions be it as right back, left back and also as a midfielder.
CM: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Arguably one of the best left footed players in the Premier League right now, Bernardo Silva plays with a grace and subtlety to match pretty much anything the competition has seen before.
The Portugal international's work rate helps Manchester City to have a powerful defence and attacking as he is all over the pitch giving his all.
He has already put in seven league goals in the first half of the campaign being his best-ever scoring season in a City shirt.
CM: Declan Rice (West Ham)
West Ham’s fantastic campaign would not be possible without their pivotal midfield.
Declan Rice just keeps getting better and better, evolving this season from a defensive blocker into a sharp passer and dribbler.
The 22-year-old is playing at his best with a 53 percent tackle success rate with zero errors leading to goal.
CM: Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace)
A player who can be referred to as the breakout star of the season, Conor Gallagher has had a good start of the season despite Crystal Palace side slipping into the bottom half of the table recently.
Gallagher's six goals and three assists puts him firmly in the Premier League's top 10 for direct goal contributions.
The 21-year-old who is on loan from Chelseas is a superb box-to-box midfielder,proving to be a vital player in the Palace midfield.
RW: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
The Liverpool forward is continuing his goal scoring course that he started back when he returned to the premier League in 2017/2018 season when he was the top scorer with 32 goals.
At the moment the Egyptian star has already put in a total of 15 goals and assisting nine in just under half a season.
He is quite simply at the best players in the world level with prolific performances which help his team emerge victorious against their opponents.
LW: Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal)
Smith Rowe is Arsenal's leading scorer this season with seven goals in 16 appearances.
The young midfielder has not put a foot wrong at Arsenal, being among Arteta's regular starters responsible for the team's impressive form.
The 21-year-old is a inherited Mesut Ozil's number 10 jersey and has had no pressure in filling the Germans boots as he continues, tearing into challenges and making a nuisance of himself to great effect in the Gunners midfield.
ST: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
In previous season Liverpool did not have what is known as an old school center forward as Firminho was playing as a false nine.
With the introduction of Portuguese Diogo Jota Liverpool have looked more lethal in goal as the forward has already put in 10 goals already.
The 25-year-old, signed in 2020 by Liverpool and has taken his chances arguably replacing Roberto Firmino in Liverpool’s first choice front three alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
Jota will also be among the vital players to Liverpool in the next few weeks when Salah and Mane leave for the African Cup of Nations in January.