Best Premier League midfielders of 2021

The English Premier League is without a doubt one of, if not the best leagues in the world and is a marketing goliath compared to some of the other top leagues in the world. So it is natural to see the best of the best compete in such a glorious league. Some of these world-class footballers get to surprise everyone by taking it up a notch and improving their performances even further every season.

The second half of the 2020-21 season and the first half of the current campaign has seen some incredible talents showing their potential and their class week-in week-out in the middle of the park. Midfielders control the rhythm of the game and with managers such as Pep Guardiola currently bossing everyone around in the English top-flight, we have seen a couple of phenomenal midfielders rise to fame in recent years and even in recent months.

Surely you too are eager to find out more about the

best Premier League midfielders of 2021

as we finally get a chance to have a closer look at the stats of these outstanding ballers.

We got to see some truly impressive performances from some of the midfielders in the EPL and many of the usuals lived up to the billing with their world-class sophistication in the middle of the park. So without further ado, let us delve deeper into the careers of these footballers, who might even considered to be amongst the best Premier League midfielders of all time by their respective supporters.

Top Premier League midfielders 2021

From Manchester City’s incredibly vital passer of the ball Kevin de Bruyne, to Chelsea’s Ballon d’Or contender Jorginho and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, there are formidable names on the list of

best Premier League midfielders of 2021

. Here is everything you need to know about these footballers and their careers stats so far in the new season.

Kevin de Bruyne

You simply can’t talk about the

best Premier League midfielders of all time

and not mention Kevin de Bruyne. The Belgian attacking midfielder is one of the best in the business with his laser-guided passes and is one of the main reasons behind Manchester City’s success in recent years.

While we haven’t gotten the chance to see de Bruyne shine in his best form in the new season after the 30-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 and suffered an ankle injury early on in the campaign, the former

man is more than capable of delivering world-class performances after his return, which we are all waiting for eagerly. The Belgium international’s performance in the 2020-21 season was truly remarkable as we got to see him make a total of 40 appearances across all competitions, during which he managed to score 10 goals while providing 18 assists in the process.

Having joined

from Wolfsburg for a whopping €76 million in 2015, de Bruyne quickly became the English club’s main man in the middle of the park. He has since managed to win three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, five League Cups and two Community Shields. Despite his shortcomings and his injury in the new season, de Bruyne is still one of the best Premier League midfielders of 2021 with three goals and an assist in 15 appearances.

For someone who was once believed to be a Chelsea flop, KDB has certainly turned the tides in his favor realizing his true potential in the English top-flight. Manchester City’s supporters are surely awaiting de Bruyne’s return as he can add more depth to Guardiola’s already star-studded squad.

Jordan Henderson

Liverpool hit the jackpot when they signed Jordan Henderson from

for €18 million all the way back in 2011. While Henderson might not be considered to be a dazzling superstar, he is certainly one of the

best Premier League midfielders of 2021

. The Englishman has been a consistent, loyal and vital part of the Reds for more than a decade and the club’s supporters could not be any happier. Having joined

in the summer of 2011, the England international has since made more than an incredible 400 appearances for the English club, scoring 33 goals and providing 56 assists in the process throughout the years.

But his overall stats in all the years is not why Henderson is amongst the top EPL 2021 midfielders. The 31-year-old was a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s plans in the 2020-21 season despite his rather limited chances. He made a total of 21 appearances in the Premier League last season and managed to live up to the billing with solid performances week-in week-out.

Even though his solid defensive performance did not yield any results for Klopp’s side in the last campaign and the Reds lost the league title to Chelsea, Henderson’s presence in the German manager’s squad has improved the English side’s overall gameplay. As one of the best midfielders in England 2021, Henderson has also managed impress in the new season with more than 20 appearances, during which he has scored 3 goals and provided 4 assists. We will have to wait and see how long the England international’s consistency can continue in the English top-flight.

Mason Mount

From a simple talented youngster playing in Chelsea’s youth academy, to becoming the club’s sensation in a manner of months, Mason Mount has come a long way since he was first called up to the big stage in 2019. The 22-year-old is still a long way from becoming a world-class footballer with global fame, but he is surely on the right path with the way that things have been going for him.

Mount is already an England international and has made more than 20 appearances for the Three Lions so far. We get to see the Englishman’s outstanding performances every time he graces the pitch, either as one of the starting-XI or one of the super-subs.

Being one of the

top EPL 2021 midfielders

is no easy task, but it seems that the

star is up for the challenge. He has already made more than 10 appearances in the Premier League for the Blues in the new season and has managed to score 5 goals while adding 6 assists to his tally in the process.

Even though Mount has not been as effective in other domestic or international club competitions so far in the new campaign, his performances in the English top-flight are more than enough to earn him a place on the list of best Premier League midfielders of 2021.

Few could even dream of being shortlisted alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski for the Ballon d’Or trophy, which is why Mount will be quite proud of himself for achieving such a feat at such a young age. Despite having bagged fewer goals and assists in the 2020-21 season, Mason Mount’s form was absolutely phenomenal in the previous campaign, in which he managed to make a total of 54 appearances across all competitions, before heading to the Euro 2020 tournament with England.

The Portsmouth-born midfielder’s career is being monitored quite closely by the best clubs in the world and we will have to wait and see how he fares in the coming years after earning a spot amongst the best Premier League midfielders of 2021 at such a young age.

Fabinho

Some might have forgotten already, but there was a time not so long ago when Liverpool were crowned the champions of both the Premier League and the Champions League. While Chelsea got to beat Liverpool to the UCL title last season, Jurgen Klopp’s squad still has its magic and are still one of the main title contenders for the new season. One of Klopp’s many talismans is Fabinho, who has been nothing short of incredible for his side since joining the club from

for a whopping €45 million in the summer of 2018.

There is a reason why Fabinho is listed amongst the most exciting

Premier League midfielders 2021

and that reason is consistency. Every manager needs a player or two who get to perform at the best of their level in a consistent manner and without any drama. That is where players such as Fabinho come in handy. The Brazilian has been a vital part of his manager’s tactics in the middle of the park as his defensive prowess has allowed more players to join the offense from the sides.

The former Monaco man is capable of playing as a right-back and even a center-back as well thanks to his immense versatility, which can add more depth to any squad he plays in. Virgil Van Djik is certainly thankful for Fabinho’s presence deep in the middle of the field as the Brazil international’s strength helps his Dutch counterpart in keeping Liverpool’s box clear of the opposition defenders.

As one of the best Premier League midfielders of 2021, Fabinho appeared in more than 40 games across all competitions for the Reds in the previous campaign and has already made more than 15 appearances this season. Liverpool have only conceded 12 goals in their first 15 league games, which is one of the lowest and obviously best records in the English top-flight so far.

Youri Tielemans

Not everyone on the list of best Premier League midfielders of 2021 needs to be from the league’s top 3 title contenders. While

have been experiencing one of their worst runs since magically winning the league title in the 2015-16 season, Youri Tielemans has been one of the best things about the Foxes so far. The Belgian joined Leicester City from Monaco for €45 million in the summer of 2019 after impressing everyone at the club with his incredible versatility during the loan spell that he spent with the Foxes.

As a central midfielder, Tielemans has control over the whole pitch and his side’s tactics since he is the one who dictates the rhythm of play. Tielemans earned his place on the list of

best midfielders in England 2021

with his stellar performance in the 2020-21 season, during which he managed to make more than 50 appearances for the English side, even scoring 9 goals and providing 6 assists in the process.

The new season so far might not be what the Belgium international would have wanted in general, but the central midfielder has got himself quite an impressive individual record so far with 3 goals and 3 assists in his first 15 games across all competitions. At least he can improve upon his game knowing that he is considered to be one of the best Premier League midfielders 2021.

Phil Foden

You must be a true sensation of a footballer if Pep Guardiola claims that you are a better talent than what Lionel Messi used to be at your age. That was exactly what Phil Foden heard when his boss lauded him to be even better than young Messi in a press conference. Foden is certainly a talented midfielder and might even one day earn his place amongst the best Premier League midfielders of all time. For the time being, however, the Englishman should settle for being one of the best Premier League midfielders of 2021.

The central midfielder has been truly brilliant ever since being called up to the big leagues in the summer of 2017. Manchester City’s youth academy has been improving every year, introducing more and more young and exciting talents to world football and Phil Foden is without a doubt one of the exciting prospects.

With an €80 million market value at the mere age of 21, Foden has got himself quite a bright future. Guardiola’s hands are open to deploy the England international wherever he pleases as Foden’s immense versatility allows him to play anywhere with ease. That is why he got to make a total of 50 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 season and even bagged himself 16 goals and 10 assists in the process.

It seems that his Spanish manager is still trying to figure out where Foden plays his best game and which position suits him best if he wants to reach the top of his career as one of the best in the business. Having suffered a minor foot injury early on in the new season, Foden might have experienced a dip in form in recent weeks. But the young midfielder is surely more than capable of turning the tides in his favor in the coming months as the Champions League gains more heat each week.

Bruno Fernandes

It is safe to say that Bruno Fernandes single-handedly saved Manchester United from the rut they were in before the Portuguese midfielder’s arrival. Fernandes joined the Red Devils from

for a staggering fee of €63 million in the 2020 January transfer window. Many thought that just like many other winter transfers, Fernandes was doomed to fail in the Premier League despite his impressive performances in the Portuguese top-flight.

The former

and Udinese Calcio man proved his doubters wrong by winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year in his debut season at Manchester United, even though he had arrived at the club in mid-season. There is no doubt that Bruno Fernandes is one of the best Premier League midfielders of 2021 as he is one of the main reasons why United are still alive in the English top-flight and have not sunk deeper than where they are now. The impact that the Portugal international had upon his arrival at the Old Trafford was impeccable.

He made a total of 58 appearances for the Red Devils in the 2020-21 season and showed his brilliant class with 28 goals and 21 assists in the process. These stats are certainly more than enough to grant Fernandes safe passage towards the footballing hall of fame in the club’s history. But the 27-year-old attacking midfielder is not a one-season-wonder and has been doing what he does best in the new season as well. He has already scored 5 goals while adding a further 9 assists in his first 20 appearances across all competitions.

Tomas Soucek

have been the surprise package of the year with their incredible run so far, which has led to many believing that they are one of the more serious contenders for a spot amongst the top-4. While the Hammers owe much of their recent success to David Moyes’ brilliant tactics, almost none of it would have been possible if it were not for the brilliance of the Scotsman’s players.

One particular player has been phenomenal for the Irons so far with his consistency and high work rate, and that player is none other than Tomas Soucek, who joined West Ham from Slavia Prague for about €16 million in the summer of 2020. Since then, the Czech Republic international has been an integral part of West Ham’s plans in all competitions.

Soucek got to make a total of 41 appearances in the 2020-21 season and even managed to bag himself 10 goals and an assist in the process, which is truly incredible if you add the fact that the Czech footballer is a defensive midfielder. 

The 26-year-old’s consistent performances in the middle of the park have helped David Moyes’ side to concede fewer goals compared to most other clubs in the English top-flight. He has already made more than 20 appearances for West Ham this season and has added two goals and a single assist to his tally in the process.

Bernardo Silva

One thing that Pep Guardiola’s star-studded squad certainly doesn’t lack is the number of world-class midfielders. From Kevin de Bruyne to Bernardo Silva and even Jack Grealish, who used to be a quality attacking midfielder during his days at Aston Villa, there is a whole array of brilliant midfielders to choose from for the list of best EPL midfielders in 2021. Having already talked about KDB, it is perhaps time to mention Bernardo Silva, who has been nothing short of phenomenal for Manchester City in the new season.

The Portugal international constantly shows up to amaze everyone with his class, which is exactly why the Citizens paid a massive fee of €50 million to sign him from Monaco in 2017. The immensely versatile footballer is comfortable playing in almost any position in the second and final thirds of the pitch. He got to appear in a total of 45 games for City in the 2020-21 season and managed to score 5 goals, adding 9 assists to his tally as well.

These stats helped Guardiola’s side to win the Premier League title above the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. The new season has been even better for the Portuguese midfielder as he has managed to score 7 goals while providing 2 assists in his first 20 appearances for the Sky-blues.

Jorginho

Luka Modric rekindled the trend of midfielders joining the top-3 Ballon d’Or nominees and Jorginho further improved this status by competing for the prestigious award amongst footballing greats such as Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski. The effort alone and the fact that the 29-year-old even managed to compete against the best while winning the 2021 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award is more than enough to put Jorginho’s name in the footballing halls of fame amongst the greatest midfielders in history.

The Brazil-born Italian footballer joined Chelsea from 

 for a massive fee of €57 million in the summer of 2018 and has since thrived as one of the best midfielders in the world. He made a total of 43 appearances in the 2020-21 season and got to score 8 goals while providing 2 assists in the process, which is an impressive feat for any defensive midfielder. His phenomenal form helped Thomas Tuchel’s side to win the Champions League in an all-English final against Manchester City.

Jorginho has already made more than 15 appearances for the Blues of London this season and is looking to improve upon his game even further with 4 goals and an assist in the process. We will have to wait and see how far and long the Italy international can go from now on.

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