The 2019-2020 Premier League season was the longest season in the last 30 years, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic which forced the season to a halt for over three months. Despite the prolonged season, the players still gave the best account of themselves until it officially ended on July 26, 2020.
Apart from the fact that the coronavirus pandemic affected almost every aspect of the season – from playing in empty stadiums to teams making five substitutions per match, and to players and backroom staff on the bench forced to maintain social distancing during live matches, one historic thing that happened was that Liverpool football club won the league for the first time in 30 years.
Without much ado, here is the list of 10 players that gave the best account of themselves in the 2019-2020 Premier League season.
- Kevin De Bruyne
Though he couldn’t help Manchester City to retain the Premier League title nor deemed worthy to win the Premier League player of the season, Kevin De Bruyne was arguably the best player of the just-concluded season. The 29-year-old Belgium attacking-midfielder was so instrumental in whatever Manchester City was able to do in the last 12 months.
In 2019-2020 season, De Bruyne finally equaled the 20 assists in a season record former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry set in the 2002-2003 Premier League season. Hence, he won the playmaker of the season award for the second time in a row.
In the Premier League alone, De Bruyne scored 13 goals and made 20 assists in 35 appearances for Manchester City. While in all competitions, the Belgian scored 15 goals and made 23 assists in 46 appearances.
- Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson led Liverpool as the club’s captain to win their first Premier League title in 30 years. The 30-year-old England central-midfielder was phenomenal all season long as he ensured that Liverpool did not lose more than three matches in the entire Premier League season
The league recognized his importance for the club as he was voted the best player of the season ahead of Kevin De Bruyne for the first time in his football career.
In the just-concluded season, the central-midfielder scored 4 goals and made 5 assists in 30 Premier League appearances. While he played 40 games in all competitions for Liverpool scoring 4 goals and made 5 assists.
- Virgil Van Dijk
Virgil Van Dijk proved for the second season in a row that he is at Liverpool to be a legend. The 29-year-old Netherlands center-defender was another important player in Liverpool’s Premier League winning team.
Van Dijk is one of the three footballers in the league that played all the 38 Premier League matches. Though he is a defender, he has the highest number of accurate passes. He made about 2902 accurate passes in the league. He is also the number one player that made the most passes that cross the opponent’s half and the highest number of goals using his head (5).
In the Premier League, he scored 5 goals and made one assist in 38 appearances. While in all competitions, he played 50 times, scoring 5 goals and made 2 assists.
- Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy was arguably the best player in the Leicester City team in the just-concluded season. The team won whenever he had a good game while the team lost whenever he didn’t come to the party. The ability of the 33-year-old English center-forward to score goals is never in doubt on any good day. No wonder he has crowned the highest goal scorer in the league in the just concluded season despite stiff competition from other strikers.
In the just-concluded season, Vardy scored 23 goals and made 5 assists in 35 appearances but was not enough to help his club finish in the top 4 on the league table. They were pushed down to the 5th spot after spending the better part of the season sitting on the 3rd spot.
In all competitions, Vardy played 40 games for Leicester City, he scored 23 goals and made 7 assists.
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was captain fantastic for Arsenal in the just concluded Premier League season. Just like how the Garbon striker performed in the 2018-2019 season, the 31-year-old Arsenal’s talisman showed that he can carry the team on his shoulder. Unfortunately, his effort was not enough to push the team beyond the 8th spot on the league table.
However, just like how he pushed until he ended the 2018-2019 season as a joint top-scorer, he pushed this season until the last day but could only score 22 goals which earned him the second-highest goalscorer in the league.
In the just-concluded season, he scored 22 goals and made 3 assists. While in all competitions, he scored 29 goals and made 3 assists in 44 games. He ended the season with the FA Cup title, his first title at the club.
- Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling has grown to be one of the most important players at Manchester City. No wonder he is desperately needed at Real Madrid. Just like in his recent seasons at City, the 2019-2020 season was one of his personal best.
Though his effort was not enough to help Manchester City retain the Premier League title they won in the 2018-2019 season, he was very instrumental in ensuring that the club finished at least on the second spot and continue strongly with their UEFA Champions League campaign.
In the just-concluded Premier League season, the England international scored 20 goals and made 4 assists in 33 matches. While in all competitions, the 25-year-old forward scored 30 goals and made 9 assists in 50 appearances.
- Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah was incredible for Liverpool in the just concluded season just like in 2018-2019 where he was the joint top-scorer. But this season, the 28-year-old Egyptian forward helped Liverpool to win the Premier League by scoring 19 goals and making 10 assists in 34 Premier League matches.
In all competitions in the 2019-2020 season, he scored 23 goals and made 13 assists in 48 games.
- Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane has continuously proven that he is such an important player for Liverpool as he was able to maintain the momentum he finished the 2018-2019 season with. However, this time around, he was not able to be a joint top scorer.
Yet, he was able to end the season with a Premier League title and a double-digit of goals. He scored 18 goals and made 9 assists in the Premier League. While the Senegalese forward scored 22 goals and made 12 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool.
- Danny Ings
Danny Ings was the biggest revelation of the just concluded 2019-2020 season as he gave all the most established forwards in the Premier League a run for their money as far as the highest goalscorer award was concerned.
Unfortunately, the 28-year-old Southampton’s English center-forward could not clinch the highest goalscorer award as he lost it to Vardy with just a goal difference despite playing in all the 38 Premier League matches.
In the just-concluded season, the striker helped Southampton to score 22 goals and made 2 assists in 38 appearances. His performance could only help his club to finish 11th on the league table. While in all competitions, Ings scored 26 goals and made 3 assists in 42 appearances.
- Bruno Fernandes
Though the argument might be “Bruno Fernandes” did not start the Premier League from August 2019 where the 2019-2020 season started, yet, the truth is, Fernandes was the best thing that happened to Manchester United in 2020.
Since he signed for the Red Devils from Sporting CP on January 29, 2020, until the season ended on July 26, the Portuguese midfielder has been phenomenal and changed the fortunes of Manchester United beyond the expectations of critical supporters of the club.
His performance from February 2020 until the last day of the 2019-2020 season, hugely helped Manchester United to finish the league on the third spot and qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Fernandes was good enough to win Premier League player of the month twice – in February and in June 2020. Within just 14 Premier League matches, the 25-year-old Portuguese midfielder scored 8 goals and made 7 assists for Manchester United.
