Chelsea duo N’Golo Kante and David Luiz worthy contenders for PFA Player of the Year award

Both players have been models of consistency throughout 2016/17 Premier League campaign, turning in brilliant displays week after week for leaders, writes Greg Lea.

Chelsea's David Luiz. Phil Noble / Reuters

It is almost that time of year again.

In the coming weeks, Premier League footballers will cast their votes for this season’s PFA Player of the Year, with the result set to be revealed in April.

The timing of the ballot is always a little frustrating: decisions tend to be made when there is around a third of the campaign still to complete and silverware, European places and survival left to play for.

Nevertheless, the award remains highly coveted among top-flight stars, as 2005 winner John Terry explained when he described being “voted for by your fellow professionals whom you play against week in and week out” as “the ultimate accolade”.

The fact that Terry has started only four Premier League games under Antonio Conte means he is not in the running for this year’s prize, but it is probable that one of his Chelsea teammates will secure the honour.

There are certainly contenders away from Stamford Bridge, including Manchester United’s 15-goal Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Arsenal’s electric attacker Alexis Sanchez and Tottenham Hotspur duo Harry Kane and Dele Alli.

Kevin de Bruyne has four goals and nine assists to his name at Manchester City, while summer signing Sadio Mane is arguably already Liverpool’s most important player. Outside the top six, the contributions of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Matt Phillips, Jermain Defoe, Romelu Lukaku and Michael Keane are worthy of recognition.

Given their commanding position at the top of the Premier League table, though, it is difficult to look past a Chelsea player when it comes to picking the standout performer of the 2016/17 campaign.

Diego Costa has rediscovered his best form after a disappointing season last time out, scoring 15 goals in 23 appearances and refusing to give his direct opponents even a moment’s peace.

Alongside him in the attacking third, Eden Hazard has looked similarly revitalised. The Belgium international has been directly involved in 13 goals this term, as well as producing several moments of magic that have taken the breath away.

However, the principal reason Chelsea look set to triumph in the title race is the balance they have discovered throughout the team. Whereas Manchester City and Liverpool have at times been undone by defensive deficiencies and Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have occasionally been wasteful in attack, Conte’s charges have been strong right across the pitch.

The former Juventus and Italy manager deserves the majority of the credit for that, but there are two players who have enabled his 3-4-3 system to work more than any of their teammates.

The August acquisition of David Luiz from Paris Saint-Germain was widely ridiculed, but the Brazilian has been superb in his second spell in west London. Playing in the heart of Chelsea’s three-man defence, Luiz has cut out the errors and become a commanding presence at the back.

In front of him, N’Golo Kante has been equally impressive, picking up from where he left off with Leicester City last season. The 25-year-old’s boundless energy and astute reading of the game makes him the foremost ball-winner in European football, with his stamina and speed across the ground allowing Chelsea to avoid being overrun in midfield, even when they are outnumbered.

Both players have been models of consistency throughout the campaign, turning in brilliant displays week after week. As well as their individual showings, Luiz and Kante have been essential to the collective functioning of the team who will almost certainly be crowned champions in May, if not earlier.

That is why either of the two would be a worthy recipient of the PFA Player of the Year award.

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Barkley back in form at Everton

Everton, like Chelsea, have also enjoyed success since switching to a three-man backline.

Following a run of just two wins in their previous 12 Premier League matches, Ronald Koeman switched to 3-4-3 formation for the trip to Leicester City in late December. The change worked a treat: Everton ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku, and have hardly looked back since.

That triumph at the King Power Stadium moved Koeman’s side up to seventh spot, which is where they remain after subsequent successes against Southampton, Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth, and draws with Hull City, Stoke City and Middlesbrough.

One of the chief beneficiaries of the alteration in shape has been Ross Barkley, who had seemingly fallen out of favour with Koeman earlier in the campaign.

The England international has primarily been used as a No 10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation throughout his career to date, but in recent weeks he has regularly been deployed on the right-hand side of Everton’s front three.

Against Stoke, Manchester City and Palace, meanwhile, Barkley was selected as part of a three-man midfield as Koeman opted for a 3-5-2 configuration, with Mirallas right up alongside Lukaku at the top of the pitch.

In the latter role, the 23-year-old’s slightly deeper starting position has allowed him to embark on more driving runs through the middle of the pitch, safe in the knowledge that there is sufficient protection behind him.

Barkley has also thrived when playing further forward, taking advantage of Everton’s fluid setup to become a little less predictable. He may nominally be starting on the right in the 3-4-3, but that does not preclude him from searching out pockets of space right across the final third.

One goal and three assists in his last five league appearances serves as evidence of Barkley’s return to form.

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