Wednesday 22 March 2017 11:19, UK
Chelsea are the runaway leaders in the Premier League but there is a race on for the PFA Player of the Year award with three of their stars among the five favourites.
N'Golo Kante's sterling work in midfield makes him the odds-on favourite for the trophy but Eden Hazard has been in brilliant form and Diego Costa is leading the line superbly.
Elsewhere, there is Premier League top scorer Romelu Lukaku to consider and what about the impact of Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Manchester United?
Here's all you need to know about the five favourites…
The Chelsea midfield dynamo is set to win the Premier League for a second successive season with two different clubs following his summer switch from Leicester. Kante has been a key part of Antonio Conte's system with his all-energy displays allowing the Blues to play a two-man midfield. He is one of only two players in the Premier League to make 100 tackles and ranks among the top 10 for interceptions too. Having been a little unfortunate to miss out on the award last season, the France international is the favourite this time around.
After struggling to express himself last season and suffering an alarming dip in form, Hazard has been back to his very best this year and is replicating the sort of output that saw him win the PFA award in 2014/15. Free to roam infield more than previously, he is causing all sorts of problems for opponents having completed 119 dribbles - more than anyone else. The goals are flowing again too with his total of 11 in the Premier League including efforts against Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton.
On the face of it, with Manchester United currently out of the top four and Ibrahimovic only the fifth highest goalscorer in the Premier League, the Swede is an unlikely candidate for the crown. However, such is the powerful forward's presence that there is no denying his impact across all competitions. The 35-year-old was questioned due to his age but he was man of the match in the EFL Cup final and has been a true leader on and off the pitch for United this term.
The man who is the current Premier League top scorer is joint-fourth favourite for the award. Everton's striker is still only 23 years old but continues to prove himself to be an expert in front of goal, becoming only the fourth player to rack up 80 Premier League goals before turning 24. He is also the first Everton player to hit 20 goals in a Premier League season and with six assists too, nobody in the competition has been directly involved in more goals. Lukaku is still eligible for the PFA Young Player of the Year award as well.
While Costa cannot quite match Lukaku's scoring record this season, he is on course to win the Premier League for a second time in three season having led the line for Chelsea with typical gusto. With 14 goals in 18 league games before the turn of the year, he set the tone for his team and helped the Blues to build up what looks like an unassailable lead at the top. Costa remains an awkward opponent for defenders to deal with and his physicality has typified the front-foot approach under Conte.
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