Bola.com, Jakarta - Tujuh pertandingan yang menentukan bagi Manchester City . Itulah tajuk utama yang menjadi atensi para penggemar Manchester City , saat tim kesayangan mereka menjamu Cardiff City, pada laga lanjutan Premier League 2018-2019, di Etihad Stadium, dini hari ini WIB.
Bagi para fan Manchester City , mereka layak mahfum dengan situasi yang menegaskan kalau pertandingan malam ini adalah 'final'. Jika terpeleset, kans mereka bakal menyempit untuk memertahankan gelar.
Sebaliknya, andai tiga angka berhasil diraih, posisi teratas klasemen sementara akan menjadi milik Manchester City. Saat ini, The Citizens terpaut dua angka di belakang Liverpool.
Artinya, Manchester City akan unggul satu poin jika mampu menaklukkan pasukan Neil Warnock. Manchester City memiliki modal besar guna menekuk tim tamu.
Statistik menunjukkan, Cardiff City hanya menang sekali dari 20 laga away. Satu-satunya kemenangan mereka terjadi pada 1961, dengan skor 2-1. Fakta tersebut sejalan dengan tradisi produktivitas tuan rumah yang tinggi.
Manchester City mencetak minimal 4 gol pada empat kemenangan terakhir versus Cardiff City. Selain itu, Manchester Biru berhasil mengoleksi 18 kemenangan dari 20 pertandingan di semua kompetisi sepanjang 2019. Sergio Aguero dkk mampu mencetak 66 gol.
Manajer Manchester City , Pep Guardiola mengakui anak asuhnya sudah tahu apa yang harus dilakukan. "Sekarang, setiap pertandingan adalah final," tegasnya. Ia tak ingin meremehkan Cardiff City, terutama setelah melihat penampilan tim tamu saat bersua Chelsea.
Sahabat Bola.com bisa menyaksikan pertandingan Manchester City kontra Cardiff City melalui url berikut ini: www.mnctv.com/streaming .
Sterling Banjir Pujian setelah Hattrick melawan Rep.Ceko di Kualifikasi Piala Eropa 2020
KOMPAS.com - Laga Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United akan menjadi jadwal pertandingan Liga Inggris yang paling dinanti pada tengah pekan ini.
Pertandingan pekan ke-32 Premier League - kasta teratas Liga Inggris - baru saja rampung pada Senin (1/4/2019) atau Selasa dini hari WIB. Namun, pekan selanjutnya sudah kembali bergulir.
Selasa (2/4/2019) malam, pertandingan Liga Inggris kembali bergulir. Duel Wolves vs Man United menjadi salah satu pertandingan yang digelar pada Rabu dini hari WIB.
Baca juga: Arsenal Vs Newcastle, The Gunners Geser Tottenham dan Man United
Total ada lima pertandingan Premier League yang dilangsungkan pada tengah pekan ini, Selasa (2/4/2019) dan Rabu (3/4/2019) malam waktu setempat.
Ada empat tim teras dari posisi enam besar klasemen Liga Inggris yang bertanding. Selain Manchester United, ada Manchester City , Tottenham Hotspur, dan Chelsea.
Mereka adalah tim-tim yang masih punya sisa tabungan laga karena jadwalnya sempat terganggu Piala FA.
Khusus Manchester City, mereka punya kesempatan untuk menyalip kembali Liverpool di puncak klasemen. Mereka "cuma" akan menjamu Cardiff City yang saat ini berada di zona degradasi.
Baca juga: Hasil dan Klasemen Liga Inggris, Liverpool Geser Manchester City
Hingga pekan ke-32 Premier League, Liverpool memimpin klasemen Liga Inggris dengan 79 poin dari 32 laga. Namun, Man City punya satu tabungan laga.
Jadwal Liga Inggris tengah pekan ini, 2-3 April 2019:
Wolverhampton vs Manchester United, Rabu (3/4/2019) pukul 01.45 WIB
Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion, Kamis (4/4/2019) pukul 01.45 WIB
Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace, Kamis (4/4/2019) pukul 01.45 WIB
Manchester City vs Cardiff City, Kamis (4/4/2019) pukul 01.45 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jadwal bola pada Kamis dinihari nanti, 4 April 2019, akan menyajikan aksi-aksi tim di Liga Inggris, Liga Spanyol, dan Liga Italia.
Di Liga Inggris, Manchester City akan menjamu Cardiff City. Bila menang The Citizens akan mampu merebut kembali puncak klasemen dari Liverpool.
Man City kini berada di posisi kedua dengan nilai 77 dari 31 laga, tertinggal dua angka dari Liverpool yang sudah bermain 32 kali.
Pada laga lain, Chelsea mengincar kemenangan saat menjamu Brighton & Hove Albion agar bisa kembali ke posisi empat besar. The Blues kini menempati posisi keenam dengan nilai 60, tertinggal satu poin dari dua tim di atasnya, yakni Manchester United dan Tottenham Hotspur.
Pada malam nanti, Tottenham sendiri akan menjamu Crystal Palace.
Dari Liga Spanyol, Real Madrid akan bermain di kandang Valencia. Madrid kini menempati posisi ketiga dengan nilai 57, di bawah Barcelona (70) dan Atletico Madrid (62). Valencia di urutan keenam dengan nilai 43.
Di ajang Liga Italia, Napoli akan bermain di kandang Empoli. Napoli berada di posisi kedua klasemen dengan nilai 63, tertinggal 18 poin dari Juventus. Empoli di urutan ke-18 dengan nilai 25.
Inter Milan, yang berada di posisi ketiga (nilai 53), akan bertandang ke Markas Genoa. Sedangkan AS Roma, tim penghuni urutan ketujuh klasemen, akan menjamu Fiorentina, yang berada di posisi ke-10.
Jadwal bola selengkapnya
Kamis, 4 April 2019
Liga Inggris
01:45 Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion
01:45 Manchester City vs Cardiff City (MNCTV)
01:45 Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace.
Liga Spanyol
00:30 Athletic Bilbao vs Levante
01:30 Eibar vs Rayo Vallecano
01:30 SD Huesca vs Celta Vigo
02:30 Valencia vs Real Madrid (SCTV).
Liga Italia
00:00 Empoli vs Napoli
02:00 Roma vs Fiorentina
02:00 Torino vs Sampdoria
02:00 Frosinone vs Parma
02:00 Genoa vs Inter
02:00 SPAL vs Lazio.
- Tengah pekan ini, Liga Inggris akan mementaskan beberapa laga di matchday ke-32. Kiprah duo Manchester menjadi hal yang paling menarik untuk dinantikan. Manchester United harus bertandang ke markas Wolverhampton Wanderers, Molenieux Stadium, Rabu (3/4/2019) dinihari WIB. Setan Merah wajib meraih poin penuh di laga ini jika ingin kembali ke empat besar.MU saat ini menempati peringkat lima klasemen Liga Inggris dengan 61 angka. Mereka kalah selisih gol dari Tottenham di peringkat keempat, serta unggul satu angka dari Chelsea di posisi keenam.Namun upaya skuat Ole Gunner Solskjaer meraup angka di laga tengah pekan ini tampaknya tak akan mudah. Pasalnya Wolves punya rekor apik kala bermain di kadang. Mereka tak terkalahkan di Molenieux Stadium di tujuh laga terakhir.Selain laga Wolves kontra MU, di waktu yang sama juga tersaji duel dua Watford melawan Fulham di Vicarage Road Stadium,Sementara, Manchester City baru berlaga keesokan harinya pada Kamis (4/4/2019) dinihari WIB. Mereka bakal menjamu Cardiff City di Etihad Stadium.Laga ini menjadi memontum tepat bagi The Citizens untuk mengusur Liverpool dari puncak klasemen. Jika menang atas sang tamu, City bakal mengumpulkan 79 poin.Jumlah di atas sama dengan yang dikumpulkan The Reds. Namun skuat Pep Guardiola bakal berhak memuncaki klasemen karena memiliki selisih gol lebih baik.Pada hari Kamis juga berlangung pertandingan Chelsea vs Brighton dan Tottenham Hotpur vs Crystal Palace. Hasil di pertandingan ini juga diperkirakan akan mempengaruhi kondisi klasemen di empat besar.Rabu (3/4/2019) dinihari WIBWatford vs FulhamWolverhampton vs Manchester UnitedKamis (3/4/2019)Chelsea vs BrightonMan City vs CardiffTottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace
[Gambas:Video 20detik]
Bisnis.com , JAKARTA – Liga Primer Inggris segera memulai rangkaian pertandingan pekan ke-33 yang dimulai pada pertengahan pekan ini yakni pada Rabu (3/4/2019) dini hari WIB. Pertandingan yang melibatkan Watford dan Wolverhampton Wanderers dipercepat dari yang biasa pada akhir pekan menjadi Rabu dini hari WIB nanti karena kedua tim akan bertemu di semifinal Piala FA (Football Association) pada Minggu (7/4/2019) malam WIB. Sementara itu, pertandingan Tottenham Hotspur menjamu Brighton & Hove Albion ditunda hingga 24 April WIB, karena Brighton memainkan laga semifinal Piala FA kontra Manchester City yang dimulai pada Sabtu (6/4/2019) tengah malam WIB. ManCity juga mesti memainkan laga pekan ke-33 Liga Primer menjamu Cardiff City lebih awal dari biasanya pada ahir pekan menjadi Kamis (4/4/2019) dini hari WIB. Persaingan ketat Liverpool dan ManCity di posisi dua teratas klasemen sementara Liga Primer masih menjadi pusat perhatian khalayak pencinta sepak bola dunia. Liverpool mengisi pucuk klasemen dengan nilai 79, sedangkan City 2 angka di belakangnya, tetapi dengan memiliki satu laga tunda. Pada pekan ke-33 ini, Liverpool bertandang ke Southampton. Secara teori di atas kertas, Liverpool dan City berpotensi besar meraup poin penuh karena menghadapi lawan-lawan yang tengah berkutat di papan bawah. Namun, khusus Liverpool, mereka mesti waspada karena Soton tengah dalam proses kebangkitan, memenangi tiga dari empat laga terakhir. Berikut jadwal lengkap pertandingan pekan ke-33 (dalam WIB): Rabu, 3 April: 01:45 Watford vs Fulham 01:45 Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United Kamis, 4 April: 01:45 Manchester City vs Cardiff City Sabtu, 6 April: 02:00 Southampton vs Liverpool 21:00 Bournemouth vs Burnley 21:00 Huddersfield Town vs Leicester City 21:00 Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace Minggu, 7 April: 20:00 Everton vs Arsenal Selasa, 9 April: 02:00 Chelsea vs West Ham United Rabu, 24 April: 01:45 Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton & Hove Albion.
Solopos.com, MANCHESTER--Dari tujuh laga tersisa Manchester City di Liga Premier musim ini, pertandingan melawan Tottenham Hotspur (kandang) dan Manchester United (tandang) yang berpotensi paling besar menjadi batu pengganjal Sergio Aguero dkk. mempertahankan titel Liga Premier.
Maklum, Tottenhan dan United merupakan lawan sesama big six bagi City. Namun jika dicermati lagi, duel melawan Cardiff City di Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Kamis (4/4/2019) pukul 01.45 WIB, tak kalah vital bagi pasukan Josep "Pep" Guardiola. Sebab, duel melawan Cardiff merupakan laga tabungan bagi The Citizens, julukan City.
City tertinggal dua poin dari pesaing terberat mereka di jalur juara, Liverpool, sebelum melawan Cardiff. Namun, sisa laga City lebih banyak ketimbang Liverpool. City masih menyisakan tujuh pertandingan, sedangkan Liverpool tinggal memiliki enam pertandingan.
Artinya, City akan mengudeta puncak klasemen dengan keunggulan satu poin atas Liverpool jika berhasil menundukkan Cardiff, di mana keduanya sama-sama menyisakan enam laga. Liverpool tidak dijadwalkan bertanding medio pekan ini. The Reds baru melakoni laga berikutnya melawan Southampton, Sabtu (6/4/2019) dini hari WIB. Jadi, ini kesempatan City untuk memimpin puncak klasemen hingga akhir musim nanti. Now or never (sekarang atau tidak sama sekali).
"Apa yang mesti dilakukan pada laga berikutnya melawan Cardiff, yakni persiapan dengan baik dan berangkat seperti sebuah mesin untuk menang, untuk bermain, dan berusaha menang," jelas Guardiola, seperti dilansir mancity.com, Senin (1/4/2019).
Menariknya, City bisa saja mendapat bantuan dari Pelatih Cardiff, Neil Warnock, untuk menyalip Liverpool di puncak. Itu karena Warnock menyimpan dendam kesumat kepada Liverpool saat masih melatih Sheffield United pada 2006/2007. Saat itu, Sheffield bersaing sengit dengan Fulham dari ancaman degradasi. Sheffield bisa saja selamat dari degradasi apabila Fulham kalah dari Liverpool dalam laga menjelang akhir musim.
Namun yang terjadi, Pelatih Liverpool saat itu, Rafael Benitez, malah memarkir hampir semua pemain intinya di bangku cadangan dan memilih menurunkan pemain kurang pengalaman ketika melawan Fulham. Sebab, laga itu tak terlalu berpengaruh bagi Liverpool di Liga Premier. Alhasil, Fulham menang atas Liverpool dan selamat dari degradasi. Sebaliknya, Sheffield yang harus turun ke kasta kedua, Championship.
Warnock lantas bersumpah serapah untuk membalas Liverpool. Dia bisa saja memainkan pemain cadangan ketika timnya melawan City, sehingga pasukan Guardiola tak perlu susah payah memetik tiga angka untuk mengudeta Liverpool dari puncak.
"Saya mungkin akan memainkan tim cadangan, saya penasaran apa yang akan dikatakan para jurnalis," jelas Warnock, seperti dilansir liverpoolecho.co.uk.
Hanya, Warnock juga harus berpikir dua kali karena saat ini timnya berada di zona degradasi. Cardiff tertahan di posisi ke-18 klasemen sementara setelah secara dramatis dikalahkan Chelsea 1-2, Minggu (31/3/2019) malam WIB.
Prediksi Starting XI
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Laporte, Zinchenko; Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho, De Bruyne; Sterling, Jesus, Sane
Cardiff City (4-2-3-1): Etheridge; Peltier, Manga, Morrison, Bennett; Arter, Gunnarsson; Murphy, Camarasa, Hoillett; Zohore
Jadwal Bola Malam Ini Live MNCTV & BeIN Sport, Wolves vs Man United, Man City vs Cardiff City
TRIBUNBATAM.id - Jadwal bola malam ini dalam lanjuta Liga Inggris tersaji laga Wolves vs Manchester United ( MU ), Rabu (3/4/2019) dini hari, mulai pukul 01.45 WIB di RCTI dan Bein Sports.
Di jam yang sama, jadwal Liga Inggris malam ini melalui siaran langsung MNCTV disajikan laga Watford vs Fulham.
Jadwal Liga Inggris pekan ini disiarkan melalui siaran langsung dan live streaming RCTI MNCTV dan Bein Sports.
Selain dua jadwal siaran bola di TV sebagaimana tersebut di atas, Wolves vs MU dan Man City vs Cardiff, jadwal Liga Inggris yang digelar waktu malam di pekan ini ada juga Manchester City vs Cardiff via Bein Sports dan MNCTV.
(Informasi lengkap jadwal siaran langsung Liga Inggris di bagian akhir artikel)
Jadwal MU
Manchester United (twitter.com/optajoe via bolasport.com)
Tribunjogja.com mengutip dari bolasport.com, Manchester United akan melawat ke markas Wolverhampton Wanderers
di Stadion Molineux dalam gameweek ke-33 Liga Inggris Selasa (2/4/2019) waktu setempat atau Rabu pukul 01.45 dini hari WIB.
Siaran langsung dan live streaming RCTI bisa menjadi alternatif untuk menonton jadwal MU saat lawatan ke markas Wolves malam ini.
Manchester United belum bisa kembali ke posisi empat besar klasemen Premier League 2018-2019.
Man United, yang memiliki 61 poin, masih nangkring di peringkat kelima.
Kemenangan 2-1 anak-anak asuh Ole Gunnar Solskjaer atas Watford, Sabtu (30/3/2019), belum cukup untuk melengserkan Tottenham Hotspur yang bercokol di urutan keempat.
TRIBUNLAMPUNG.CO.ID - Manchester City akan bertemu Cardiff City pada pekan ke-33 Liga Inggris 2018/2019.
Laga Manchester City vs Cardiff City akan berlangsung di Stadion Etihad, Kamis (4/4/2019) pukul 01.45 WIB.
Pada pertandingan ini, The Citizens tentu lebih diunggulkan dari Cardiff.
Dilihat dari posisi klasemen, Manchester City berada di urutan kedua, sementara Cardiff berada di papan bawah posisi 18.
Apalagi jika melihat rekor pertemuan kedua tim. Dari 51 kali pertemuan antara Manchester City vs Cardiff City, Manchester biru mendominasi.
Manchester City 22 kali menang, 20 kali seri dan hanya 9 kali kalah dari Cardiff City.
Pertemuan terakhir keduanya terjadi pada 22 September 2019 di paruh pertama.
Pada laga itu, anak asuhan Pep Guardiola berpesta gol dengan skor 0-5.
Gol kemenangan City dicetak oleh Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva dan Ilkay Gundogan di babak pertama.
Di babak kedua, dua gol Riyad Mahrez menutup kemenangan The Citizens.
Pep Guardiola is not currently answering questions on the quadruple. “End of April,” he will say after any attempt to coax a response out of him on the subject. April, after all, could be the cruellest month for Manchester City’s hopes of making history.
Their schedule starts with Cardiff tonight, followed by an FA Cup semi-final on Saturday. It then includes three games against Tottenham Hotspur, a Manchester derby at Old Trafford and trips to Selhurst Park and Turf Moor.
If the form which produced 11 wins from the last 12 games is maintained over the next 28 days, then immortality will be within City’s grasp. One slip-up – a defeat in either knock-out competition, perhaps even just a draw in the league – could lead to ruin.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.
And while he would not be drawn on the quadruple on Tuesday afternoon, Guardiola did at least start to contemplate the historical scale of the task at hand.
“Why should you [talk about] the quadruple when in this country – a legendary country – it has never happened before?” he asked. “Legendary teams like Liverpool, the period with Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Chelsea, Arsene Wenger with Arsenal – no one did it. So why should we do it?”
Shape Created with Sketch. The #IndyPL100 countdown Show all 101 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. The #IndyPL100 countdown 1/101 #IndyPL100 Join us for the complete countdown through the 100 greatest players in Premier League history. Independent 2/101 100. Graeme Le Saux A title winner with Blackburn, sandwiched between two spells at Chelsea, the latter of which saw him pick up plenty more silverware. Le Saux oozed quality on the ball when getting forward from left-back and quietly added 37 caps for England. JR. Getty Images 3/101 99. Cesar Azpilicueta Always reliable and diligent when defending, his versatility has also seen him establish himself as one of the great defenders of the last decade in the Premier League. Rarely injured, the Spaniard has proven to be a genuine bargain since his £7m move from Marseille. He played every minute of the 2016/17 title-winning campaign in the second of his two titles, one of just four players to accomplish that feat (joining John Terry, Wes Morgan and Gary Pallister). JR. Getty 4/101 98. Fernandinho The Brazilian has been at Manchester City since 2013 but it’s only in the past two seasons, under Pep Guardiola, that his qualities and value as a player have come to light – notably his disruptive influence and controlled poise. Indeed, his absence from notable City defeats this season have demonstrated his importance at the base of the side’s midfield unit. At 33, he will be sorely missed when he moves on. SL. Getty Images 5/101 97. James Milner One of the most versatile players in Premier League history, with successful spells at Leeds, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool. A two-time title winner who seems to get better with age. MC. Getty Images 6/101 96. Joe Cole Outrageous talent and skill some may argue was never fulfilled. But Jose Mourinho nurtured him with tough love at Chelsea, where he picked up three Premier League titles. He peaked in 2006, playing an integral part to that title-winning side, winning himself a place in the PFA Team of the Year and starring for England at the World Cup. His best moments arguably both came against Man United: the solo goal at Stamford Bridge to clinch the title in 2006 and the clever flick to break the deadlock at Old Trafford in 2010 - which would prove to be pivotal as the Blues won the title again that season. JR. Getty Images 7/101 95. Juninho What a surprise when a 22-year-old Juninho snubbed some of the leading sides in Europe to sign for Middlesbrough. A long-lasting love affair ensued with the Brazilian enjoying three separate spells at the club. LO. Getty Images 8/101 94. Marcel Desailly The Frenchman was already a two-time Champions League winner and world champion with France when he signed for Chelsea. Formed a formidable partnership with Frank Leboeuf and captained the side. LO. Getty Images 9/101 93. Arjen Robben A mercurial talent who never truly settled in the league due to injuries, but for a short spell was arguably the best on display. The flying Dutchman could turn passive possession into danger in a flash with his exceptional control when running at speed. Injuries plagued his time in England with spells at Real Madrid and Bayern establishing himself as one of the greats of his generation. JR. Getty Images 10/101 92. Robbie Keane The 14th-most successful goalscorer in the history of the Premier League. Played for numerous clubs but enjoyed the most success at Spurs, scoring just shy of 100 league goals. LB. Getty Images 11/101 91. Chris Sutton A gifted goalscorer and Premier League title-winner at Blackburn, Sutton was your quintessential out and out No 9. Never as big a hit on the international stage as he might’ve been but his domestic achievements more than justify his place here. BB. Getty Images 12/101 90. Sami Hyypia His contribution and importance to the Liverpool defence is often overlooked due to Jamie Carragher’s constant presence, but Hyypia was a mainstay of the Reds for a decade and a key part of their Champions league triumph in 2005, not to mention a much-loved captain. JDM. Getty Images 13/101 89. Edin Dzeko His arrival at Manchester City, along with the likes of Robinho and Co, marked a new era for the club as it looked to refashion itself into a Premier League giant. The Bosnian helped play a role in this transformation, scoring 50 goals during his time at the club. SL. Getty Images 14/101 88. Lee Dixon A stalwart of the Arsenal team that won the 1997/98 and 2001/02 Premier League titles. Not bad for a £765k signing from Stoke which also saw Steve Bould join the Gunners. TK. Getty Images 15/101 87. Nani Emerged from the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo to become a crucial part of the Alex Ferguson’s side and can look back proudly on his five Premier League titles. When he was on his game he was one of the most naturally-gifted players in the league. JDM. Getty Images 16/101 86. Peter Beardsley A No 10 with a gifted football brain, Beardsley was a star of the early years of the Premier League even if his best came before 1992 in fan-favourite spells with both Newcastle and Liverpool. BB. Getty Images 17/101 85. Fredrik Ljungberg Won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, scoring in two finals. A key part of the legendary team which won the title without tasting defeat in 2003/04. TK. Getty Images 18/101 84. Emmanuel Petit A converted defensive midfielder who formed a crucial partnership with Patrick Vieira. Only spent three years in north London but helped Arsenal to win the double in 1997/98. TK. Getty Images 19/101 83. Patrice Evra A former Manchester United captain who won an astonishing five league titles during his nine years at Old Trafford. LO. Getty Images 20/101 82. Jay Jay Okocha How on earth did Okocha – Ronaldinho’s mentor at Paris Saint-Germain – ever end up at Bolton? The Nigerian had magic in his boots and became a cult hero in Lancashire, forming a brilliant partnership with French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff. LB. Getty Images 21/101 81. Steve McManaman Ignore the acrimonious exit. McManaman was one of Liverpool's best players throughout the nineties, before becoming the most decorated Englishman to have played abroad. MC. Getty Images 22/101 80. Branislav Ivanovic Has an argument to be the best right-back in the league's history: Tougher and stronger than most, with a tremendous appetite to attack - chipping in with 34 goals and 34 assists in his time in London. A threat in the opposition's penalty area and with the positional nous at the back due to his versatility to play inside at centre-back. Everything you would want and more from a right-back. JR. Getty Images 23/101 79. Gary Speed A Premier League giant. Rarely troubled by injury or suspension, Speed made 535 Premier League appearances during his career – putting him at fifth in the all-time list. His tragic suicide shocked the sport, marking a turning point in the conversation around mental health in football. SL Getty Images 24/101 78. William Gallas Not many players have the skill, or the gall, to become first-team regulars at Chelsea, Arsenal AND Tottenham. It was at Stamford Bridge the enigmatic Frenchman enjoyed the most success, winning two league titles. TK. AFP/Getty Images 25/101 77. Mesut Ozil He may be inconsistent. He may drift in and out of games. And he may be a divisive character at the Emirates. But when he is on song, there are few players who can read the game like Mesut Ozil. Often an unbridled joy to watch: he has been Arsenal’s key player for over five years now. LB. Getty Images 26/101 76. Gilberto Silva The invisible Invincible. Played a key if understated role in the best Arsenal team of all-time, alongside Patrick Vieira. A bargain at £4.5m. TK. AFP/Getty Images 27/101 75. Jamie Carragher A one-club man, Liverpool's vice-captain for 10 years, and the club's second-longest ever serving player. Never won a league title with Liverpool, but did win two FA Cups, three League Cups and a Champions League. A first-team regular from 1997 until he retired, in 2013. MC. Getty Images 28/101 74. Paul Ince At his best, Ince played a crucial role in both of Alex Ferguson's first two Premier League titles. He was the midfield enforcer who never stopped, but he also weighed in with his fair share of goals arriving on the edge of the box. After six years at Old Trafford, Ince moved to Inter Milan before later spells at Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Wolves. LO. Getty Images 29/101 73. Les Ferdinand The eighth highest scorer in the Premier League with 149 goals. Prolific for both Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle, while also becoming hugely popular at White Hart Lane. LB. Getty Images 30/101 72. Raheem Sterling A genuine superstar in the making, Sterling has hit new heights in the past two seasons. His contributions both with and without the ball have proved vital at Manchester City, and have similarly injected a sense of energy and purpose into England’s frontline. And at 24, he’s only going to get better. SL. Getty Images 31/101 71. Mark Hughes Sparky had success at Chelsea before two-year spells at Southampton, Everton and Blackburn, but his high-point came earlier as the perfect foil for Eric Cantona in Manchester United's first two title wins. Hughes was an all-round striker who could hold up the ball, lose his marker in the box and finish, but above all it was undying tenacity that Ferguson most valued. LO. Getty Images 32/101 70. Gary Pallister Pallister won four titles at Old Trafford as the sidekick to Steve Bruce at the heart of Alex Ferguson's early success. Coming off the back of winning the PFA Player of the Year Award in 1991-92, Pallister played every minute of the first Premier League season in 1992-93, as United became champions for the first time in 26 years. LO. Getty Images 33/101 69. Jurgen Klinsmann Often foreign strikers can take a season or two to acclimatise to the rigours of the Premier League. Not this man. Arrived at Spurs from Monaco and immediately scored 20 goals in 41 league matches, despite a turbulent season which saw Osvaldo Ardiles replaced by Steve Perryman and then Gerry Francis. LB. Getty Images 34/101 68. Ricardo Carvalho His partnership with captain John Terry in central defence was hailed as a major factor behind Chelsea's two early titles under Jose Mourinho. Intelligent on the ball and a fantastic distributor, Carvalho complemented the traditional, hard-nosed approach adopted by Terry. SL. Getty Images 35/101 67. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Before he was an unexpectedly high-achieving interim manager, he was one of the best strikers in the business. Few could have expected quite how successful the Norwegian would become at Old Trafford when he was signed on the cheap to provide backup to Eric Cantona and Andy Cole. MD. Getty Images 36/101 66. David Ginola One of the most charismatic players ever to grace the Premier League who delighted fans at Newcastle, Spurs, Everton and Aston Villa with his mazy dribbling and sumptuous first touch. LB. Getty Images 37/101 65. Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink Prolific for Leeds and Middlesbrough, but his prime was probably spent with Chelsea, who made him their club record signing for £15m in 2000. He also formed one half of one of the best strike partnerships in the league's history alongside Eidur Gudjohnsen. While known for pounding the ball with tremendous force, his intelligent movement and ability to perfectly deliver the ball for a team-mate made him a great striker. JR. AFP/Getty Images 38/101 64. Diego Costa Chelsea’s raging bull, Costa terrorised opposition defences during his three years at the club. In that time he scored 52 goals from 89 league appearances, scoring a number of pivotal goals in the title run-in under Antonio Conte. A forceful presence who knew how to lead the line all by himself. SL. Getty Images 39/101 63. Ledley King Arguably the most naturally gifted defender of his generation. What a shame his was a career blighted by injury. When asked what defender he most disliked playing against, Thierry Henry once replied: "Ledley King was the best defender I've played against and the only one that didn't have to foul me to get the ball.” LB. AFP/Getty Images 40/101 62. Michael Essien A complete midfielder who would have mixed it with Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira in their prime. The Ghanaian was immense as a box-to-box presence during perhaps the peak years in the league's history. His bending strike against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge stands out as one of his finest moments. JR. Getty Images 41/101 61. Marc Overmars Initially struggled at Arsenal. But soon found his feet, ending his debut campaign with 12 goals and becoming a key player in the Arsenal side which won the double in 1998. Eventually left for Barcelona in a £25m deal, making him the most expensive player in Dutch football history. TK. Getty Images 42/101 60. Fernando Torres The Spaniard exploded on to the English football scene at Liverpool and never looked back becoming one of the most feared No 9s in the history of the league. A big-money move to Chelsea didn’t go as planned but that relentless early run at Anfield was matched by few we’ve ever seen. BB. AFP/Getty Images 43/101 59. Kevin de Bruyne His legacy will be defined by what comes next, but at his peak, De Bruyne might be the finest midfield seen in the Premier League. After City pounced on the Belgian just a few years after Chelsea's foolish decision to sell him, De Bruyne's dynamism has seen him able to influence games no matter the circumstances. Capable of swiping the ball into the top corner from distance, whip the ball around corners for team-mates to chase or simply to establish a pattern of possession, De Bruyne has it all. JR. Getty Images 44/101 58. David Seaman A cult hero with Arsenal Seaman set the standard for English goalkeeping for over a decade. Twice a Premier League champion and a four-time FA Cup winner even his late-career ponytail can be forgiven. BB. Getty Images 45/101 57. Luka Modric The Croatian would ascend to greater heights at Real Madrid, where he has won four Champions League titles and a Ballon d’Or. But before that he was a key player for Tottenham Hotspur, helping the north London side into Europe’s premier club competition for the first ever time. LB. Getty Images 46/101 56. Dennis Irwin One of the best full-backs ever to grace the Premier League. Irwin was a mainstay in the Manchester United team during his decade at Old Trafford, winning seven Premier League titles (only Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have more). He could play either side, took free-kicks and penalties, and dovetailed brilliantly with Giggs, who later said he was able to stay high up the pitch because Irwin needed such little defensive cover. LO. Getty Images 47/101 55. Gary Neville No defender has more Premier League winner's medals than Neville's eight. He was consistent and reliable defensively and formed a fruitful partnership with his close friend David Beckham on United's right, before later becoming captain of his one and only club. LO. Man Utd via Getty Images 48/101 54. Xabi Alonso A key part of the Liverpool team which won the most thrilling Champions League final in history. Helped usher in Rafa Benitez’s Anfield revolution, forming a wonderful midfield partnership with Steven Gerrard before departing after five seasons for Real Madrid. LB. Getty Images 49/101 53. Paolo Di Canio The Italian was one of most exciting among a raft of imported No10s who arrived in the late 1990s and lit up the Premier League show. His early success at Sheffield Wednesday was effectively ended when he pushed over referee Paul Alcock, receiving an 11-game ban, but he shone at West Ham and his volley against Wimbledon will go down as one of the great Premier League goals. LO. Getty Images 50/101 52. Edwin Van Der Sar A case can be made that the Dutchman was equal to any goalkeeper in the league's history. After years of failure to find a successor to Peter Schmeichel, Sir Alex Ferguson stole Van der Sar for a meager £2m from Fulham, securing a key cog in four titles during his time at the club. JR. Getty Images 51/101 51. Dimitar Berbatov A player whose brilliance was defined by an artisanal elegance and the complete elimination of any superfluous movement. Struggled in his first few games for Tottenham before finding his rhythm, eventually moving to Manchester United for a club-record fee. Won two league titles before departing for Fulham. Arguably the most misunderstood player in Premier League history, and among the more underrated. LB. Getty Images 52/101 50. Steve Bruce Alex Ferguson's defensive lieutenant captained United to three Premier League titles during the 90s, scoring two famous late headers against Sheffield Wednesday to win United's first title for 26 years. He is widely considered the greatest Englishman never to have represented his country. LO. Getty Images 53/101 49. Nicolas Anelka Scored goals wherever he went. Won league titles with both Arsenal and Chelsea, while becoming a key player at Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton and West Brom. JDM. AFP/Getty Images 54/101 48. Dwight Yorke Another striker who positively plundered goals in his prime Yorke is most famous for his near unstoppable partnership with Andy Cole at Manchester United. But it’s his record at Aston Villa – 73 goals over nine years – that earns him his place here. BB. Getty Images 55/101 47. Jaap Stam Asserted himself as one of the best defenders in the world before famously falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson and leaving for Lazio. Ferguson would later admit to making a mistake. "At the time he had just come back from an achilles injury and we thought he had just lost a little bit,” he wrote. "We got the offer from Lazio, £16.5m for a centre back who was 29. It was an offer I couldn't refuse. But in playing terms it was a mistake. He is still playing for Ajax at a really good level.” MC. Getty Images 56/101 46. Claude Makelele His immense legacy is that a position was defined after him and that Real Madrid were haunted by his sale to Chelsea for years to come. Adept at playing his role without the need to fly into challenges or impose his physicality, Makelele simply pinched possession and kept the ball moving with sheer ease. A master. JR. Getty Images 57/101 45. Teddy Sheringham The eleventh-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League with 146 goals, and the competition's 19th-highest appearance maker. A cult hero at Spurs thanks to two prolific spells at White Hart Lane, but it is at Manchester United that he enjoyed the most success, winning three consecutive Premier League titles between 1998-2001. LB. Getty Images 58/101 44. Michael Carrick Possibly the most under-utilised and underrated English footballer in modern times. A vital cog for both West Ham and Tottenham before his big move to Manchester United. He would go on to make over 300 league appearances for the club, winning an extraordinary five titles. JDM. Getty Images 59/101 43. Ian Wright From the Hackney Marshes to Highbury Wright’s story is the stuff of fairytales. An all-round, out and out striker Wright scored every type of goal, famously breaking Cliff Bastin’s Gunners record despite spending his first seven years at Crystal Palace. Only Thierry Henry has more in the famed red and white. BB. Getty Images 60/101 42. Robbie Fowler One of the most ruthless goalscorers the Premier League has ever seen. 120 goals in just 236 league appearances in his first stint at Liverpool, before more troubled spells Leeds, Manchester City and Blackburn. No matter. You do not earn the only semi-ironic nickname ‘God’ for no reason. JDM. Getty Images 61/101 41. Carlos Tevez Always controversial, always deadly in front of goal, always a delight to watch. Pitched up at West Ham in 2006, scoring seven priceless goals to help keep the Hammers up. From there he formed a formidable strike partnership with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, winning two league titles, before his acrimonious move to City. He would spend four successful seasons across town, scoring another 58 league goals and winning the title once more. JDM. Getty Images 62/101 40. David de Gea Undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in the Premier League for the past five years, perhaps even the world. A Premier League title winner in 2012/13, the Spaniard has been included in the PFA Team of the Year on five separate occasions and was named United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons between 2013-2016, the first player in the award's history to win on three successive occasions. MC. Getty Images 63/101 39. Sol Campbell The centre-back is one of very few players to have enjoyed successful stints at both Tottenham and Arsenal. His effortless defensive skill was the epitomy of Arsenal's Invicibles and earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year. LO. AFP/Getty Images 64/101 38. Tony Adams Another one-club man, Adams spent all 22 years of his professional career at Arsenal. Uniquely, he captained a title-winning team across three different decades, during which time he won four top-flight division titles, three FA Cups, two Football League Cups, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and two FA Community Shields. A true legend, he is considered one of the greatest Arsenal players of all time. SL. Getty Images 65/101 37. Robert Pires The winger came in as a replacement for Marc Overmars and after taken some time to adjust to the Premier League's physicality, he lit up Enlgish football with his smooth dribbling style and collection of memorable goals. His peak was his hugely fruitful relationship with Thierry Henry during the Invincibles season. LO. Getty Images 66/101 36. N'Golo Kante From the humblest of beginnings to the dizzying heights of Premier League success - first with Leicester and then with Chelsea - N’Golo Kante has proved a revelation. His willingness to do the dirty work, while allowing his teammates to grab the headlines further up the pitch, have earned him the admiration of fans across the league. And if it wasn’t for him, it seems unlikely Leicester would have gone on to win the league when they did. SL. Getty Images 67/101 35. Matthew Le Tissier The dictionary definition of a one-club man Le Tissier would’ve won more trophies and notoriety away from his beloved Southampton but that loyalty didn’t stop him becoming one of the most technically gifted players of his generation. Criminally overlooked by England Le Tissier was a creator and scorer of great goals and also goes down as one of best penalty takers in the history of the game. BB. Getty Images 68/101 34. Harry Kane The player most likely to drastically improve his ranking in years to come. Still only 25, Kane is already the fifteenth highest scorer in the history of the Premier League, level with Nicolas Anelka and only one behind fellow Tottenham favourite Robbie Keane. Holds the record for most Premier League Player of the Month awards, as well the best strike-rate (0.70 goals per game) in the tournament’s history. LB. Getty Images 69/101 33. Luis Suarez Took a little while to hit the ground running at Anfield, but his contribution to Liverpool’s famous 2013/14 campaign will live long in the memory. The Uruguayan hit an extraordinary 31 goals in 33 matches as Liverpool went so, so close to ending their long wait for a league title. A complete centre forward, who worked tirelessly, assisted his team-mates and was utterly ruthless in front of goal. MC. Getty Images 70/101 32. Gianfranco Zola A pioneer thanks to his time at Chelsea, where he charmed a generation of fans with his fancy tricks and delightful free-kick goals. The diminutive Italian sparked a period with the Blues of expansive, attractive football. Capable of bamboozling the league's toughest defenders, Zola's class deserved to be surrounded with better quality. JR. Getty Images 71/101 31. Petr Cech "I feel I have achieved everything I set out to achieve,” the goalkeeper said upon announcing his retirement for the end of the season. It’s hard to dispute. Indeed, how could you after a career that brought one Champions League, four Premier Leagues, one Europa League, five FA Cups and three League Cups? At the peak of his powers, he was simply one of the best goalkeepers to have graced the Premier League. SL. Getty Images 72/101 30. Cesc Fabregas Fabregas broke into Arsenal's first team as a teenager and quickly starred in midfield with his technical quality, eventually taking up the club captaincy. A decade on he won the Premier League with Chelsea, playing an instrumental role as Diego Costa's provider. Also famous for throwing a slice of pizza at Sir Alex Ferguson. LO. Getty Images 73/101 29. Yaya Toure Once a player who looked slow and sometimes used as a centre back, Yaya Toure's game was almost entirely reinvented when he moved to Manchester. A goalscoring midfielder, powerful runner with pin-point accuracy. One of the leaders of City's domestic dominance. AH. Getty Images 74/101 28. Michael Owen England and Liverpool’s boy-wonder, Michael Owen’s best years game in his youth before injury took its toll – both physical and mentally. Owen was the last Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, having notably helped Liverpool to a Treble in the 2000/01 season. He scored 118 goals for the Reds across 216 league appearances. SL. Getty Images 75/101 27. Robin van Persie One of the best strikers of his generation, there are too many moments of brilliance to list when it comes to RVP. His move from Arsenal, where he made a name for himself, to Manchester United will always remain a point of contention but it certainly paid off. In his first season, he won the 2012/13 Premier League and finished as the league's top scorer with 26 goals, winning his second consecutive Golden Boot award. A world-class player. SL. Getty Images 76/101 26. Gareth Bale The 2012/13 PFA Young Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season. How amusing that, at the beginning of his Spurs career, fans thought he was jinxed, with the Welshman coming close to a cut-price move to Birmingham. Over six seasons he developed from a promising left-back into one of the best forwards in the world, eventually recruited by Real Madrid for a world-record fee as Cristinao Ronaldo’s heir apparent. LB. Getty Images 77/101 25. Andy Cole Never the most talented Cole earned every one of his 187 Premier League goals with a relentless will to win. A journeyman career spanning 13 clubs it is his time at Manchester United alongside favourite running mate Dwight Yorke that he is remembered for. A five-time champion only two players in history have scored more. BB. Getty Images 78/101 24. Vincent Kompany Mr Manchester City few sum up the rise and rise of his football club than Kompany. A three-time title-winner and instrumental in two the Belgian led from the front as the beating heart of some of the best teams we’ve seen. A modern defender with athletic prowess and technical skill to match Kompany will be remembered as one of the finest foreign imports the English game has seen. BB. Getty Images 79/101 23. Eden Hazard Irresistible at his absolute best and one of the very few players capable of not only deciding games on his own, but doing so without the help of team-mates. The Belgian showcases total control when dribbling the ball, a skill he can stake claim to be the very best at throughout his time in the league. The finest player in the league in two title-winning seasons, Hazard is a true Premier League great who may only be appreciated when he has gone. JR. Getty Images 80/101 22. Ruud van Nistelrooy Van Nistelrooy broke 20 goals in four of his five Premier League seasons, winning a Golden Boot and a PFA Player of the Year Award en route. He perhaps should have won more than his solitary title, but was competing in an era of Wenger's Invincibles and Mourinho's Chelsea. Even so, he is undoubtedly one of the league's greatest finishers. LO. Man Utd via Getty Images 81/101 21. David Beckham The lowest ranked of Manchester United's famous midfield four in our list but no less impactful during his time in England, racking up 15 league assists during the treble-winning campaign. Beckham won six titles, made four PFA Teams of the Year and scored several iconic goals, and his record of 15 Premier League goals scored from direct free-kicks still stands. LO. Getty Images 82/101 20. Peter Schmeichel The impenetrable foundation upon which five of Manchester United’s Premier League titles were built. A natural and formidable leader who helped to redefine what we expect from his position, while dragging United’s defence up to a new level of excellence. Sir Alex Ferguson’s long struggle to adequately replace him demonstrates just how brilliant he was. LB. Getty Images 83/101 19. Nemanja Vidic Struggled slightly after his £7m move from Spartak Moscow, before forming the best centre-back partnership in the history of the Premier League with Rio Ferdinand. Freakishly strong and hardly ever beaten in the air, Vidic was also an important goalscorer, memorably scoring five times as United won the 2010/11 title. Eventually left in 2014 for Internazionale; were it not for injuries he would have remained at Old Trafford for even longer. LO. Getty Images 84/101 18. Didier Drogba The greatest signing of the Roman Abramovich era was the spearhead of Jose Mourinho's title-winning teams of 2004-05 and 05-06, linking brilliantly with a young Frank Lampard. His most prolific season came in winning the 2009-10 title under Carlo Ancelotti, scoring 29 league goals, before leaving and then returning in 2014, a decade after he first arrived, to win his fourth and final Premier League medal. LO Getty Images 85/101 17. David Silva A midfield maestro capable of playing the game at his pace; speeding up and slowing down while painting a picture amid the frantic action in Premier League games. Silva has never been flustered and can always be relied upon to stand up in the most opportune moments, a cornerstone of the Manchester City era and a candidate for their best ever player, despite the money lavished on numerous other players. JR. Getty Images 86/101 16. Rio Ferdinand The prototype defender of the modern age Ferdinand was the trailblazer for, and best example of, what is now a staple of every backline: the ball-playing centre-half. At his elegant peak Ferdinand made defending look easy and while others were perhaps more effective few did it so effortlessly. His partnership with Nemanja Vidic was the standard all others aspired to for years and still do to this day. BB. Getty Images 87/101 15. Steven Gerrard The greatest player in our list to never win a Premier League title. He instead remained at Liverpool, spending 17 seasons at Anfield during which he captained his side to two European titles as well as five domestic cups. An extremely versatile and well-rounded player, who completely remodeled his game as he grew older. TK. AFP/Getty Images 88/101 14. Ashley Cole One of the very few England players of a generation who could claim to be the absolute best in the world in his position. Cole could defensively lock down the very best in the world and his longevity at the top makes him an all-time great with an enviable trophy cabinet stuffed with every major honour in the club game. JR. Getty Images 89/101 13. Dennis Bergkamp If this was a technically gifted list then the non-flying Dutchman would be even higher. A pleasure to watch Bergkamp didn’t just play, he conducted, regularly dictating games to his own particular tune. A great goalscorer and a scorer of great goals it is his telepathic partnership with Thierry Henry in one of the great teams in Premier League history that most fans remember most fondly. Nikos Dabizas probably disagrees. BB. Getty Images 90/101 12. Paul Scholes His numbers are simply extraordinary. 499 Premier League appearances. 107 goals. Eleven league titles. One of Fergie's Fledglings, Scholes developed into one of the finest midfielders in the world, renowned for his crisp passing, intelligent movement and eye for goal. Xavi famously remarked that Scholes was a “spectacular player who has everything”, while Pele once commented: “If he was playing with me, I would have scored so many more.” SL. Getty Images 91/101 11. Eric Cantona The man who helped transform Manchester United from a promising side into the greatest team English football has ever seen. Before that he was a cult hero at Leeds, but it was his £1.2m move to Manchester that truly made him. Oozed both class and arrogance, while scoring a slew of memorable goals. And of course there was the controversy, with his infamous attack on a Crystal Palace fan resulting in a two-week prison sentence (which he avoided), 120 hours of community service and an eight month ban. LO. Getty Images 92/101 10. Sergio Aguero Manchester City’s great survivor. A first-team regular for eight seasons now – no mean feat in a side which is constantly and ruthlessly evolving. A three time Premier League winner who has scored 161 goals, regularly exceeding the once-fabled 20 goal a season mark. But why write any more words when just one will suffice: ‘AGUEROOOOOOOOOOOOO!’ LB. Getty Images 93/101 9. Patrick Vieira Captain of the greatest side in Premier League history. A true box-to-box midfielder: dominating, aggressive and always ready to lead from the front. Without his bite in midfield there is simply no way the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry would have scored so many goals. TK. Getty Images 94/101 8. John Terry The greatest defender in Premier League history. Brash, brave but above all technically brilliant: he possessed an uncanny ability to read play and be in exactly the right place to sniff out danger. Often controversial but a born leader: won five Premier League titles, making close to 500 appearances. SL. Getty Images 95/101 7. Alan Shearer The best to ever do it Shearer’s record 260 Premier League goals may never be matched. A relentless scorer of all types of goals he made his name and won his only trophy as a Blackburn player but it is his time at Newcastle, where he broke Jackie Milburn’s scoring mark over 10 years of devoted service to his hometown club, that he is most fondly remembered for. Blessed with every conceivable asset you could want from a No 9, born in a different era Shearer would’ve easily been a £100m player. BB. Getty Images 96/101 6. Wayne Rooney We all knew he was going to be special from the moment he stunned David Seaman from distance as a 16-year-old, ending Arsenal’s 30-match unbeaten run. A move to Manchester United followed, where he won five Premier League titles, eclipsed Sir Bobby Charlton to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, and formed one of the most fearsome strike forces ever seen alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. A modern great. LO. Getty Images 97/101 5. Frank Lampard A midfielder with the goalscoring record of an elite-level striker. Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer, he hit 22 in a single season in 2009/10, netting a grand total of 147 Premier League goals. Incredibly versatile, deployed everywhere across the midfield in Chelsea blue, before enjoying an unexpectedly profitable Indian Summer at Manchester City. TK. Getty Images 98/101 4. Roy Keane Sir Alex Ferguson once described Keane as the embodiment of his winning attitude on the pitch and that is all the more appropriate because, if the great manager is the figure to have influenced the Premier League more than anyone, Keane is the player to have psychologically influenced the Premier League more than anyone. That really isn’t an exaggeration, not when you consider his longevity, the number of titles he won and his absolutely key role in all of them. MD. Getty Images 99/101 3. Ryan Giggs 13 titles. 672 Premier League appearances. 114 goals. Another player who adapted his game as he grew older, proving his class across multiple roles. First he was the wiry winger, beating statuesque defends with his mazy footwork and turn of pace. Then, as the years ticked by and the shock of black hair grew steadily shorter, he moved into the middle, dominating matches with his composure and outstanding passing range. LO. Getty Images 100/101 2. Cristiano Ronaldo One of the greatest players of all time. But before all of the titles at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo matured into the player he is now at Manchester United. He made an instant impression at Old Trafford, eventually scoring 84 goals in 196 Premier League matches – over half of those coming in his final two seasons when he was utterly unstoppable playing alongside Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez. Where he to have resisted Real’s inevitable approach, there is no doubt he would top this list. LB. Man Utd via Getty Images 101/101 1. Thierry Henry The greatest player in the history of the Premier League. When Thierry Henry first arrived at Arsenal in 1999 from Juventus, there were those who doubted whether he would be able to cut it in the boisterously physical Premier League. How he silenced his critics. Scored 174 goals for Arsenal, winning two titles. But he was about so much more than just the goals. A true athlete, Henry was also a natural creator, and although Arsene Wenger moved him into the middle he never lost his eye for an assist, almost 50 alone between 2002-2004. A total player. An all-time great. Getty Images 1/101 #IndyPL100 Join us for the complete countdown through the 100 greatest players in Premier League history. Independent 2/101 100. Graeme Le Saux A title winner with Blackburn, sandwiched between two spells at Chelsea, the latter of which saw him pick up plenty more silverware. Le Saux oozed quality on the ball when getting forward from left-back and quietly added 37 caps for England. JR. Getty Images 3/101 99. Cesar Azpilicueta Always reliable and diligent when defending, his versatility has also seen him establish himself as one of the great defenders of the last decade in the Premier League. Rarely injured, the Spaniard has proven to be a genuine bargain since his £7m move from Marseille. He played every minute of the 2016/17 title-winning campaign in the second of his two titles, one of just four players to accomplish that feat (joining John Terry, Wes Morgan and Gary Pallister). JR. Getty 4/101 98. Fernandinho The Brazilian has been at Manchester City since 2013 but it’s only in the past two seasons, under Pep Guardiola, that his qualities and value as a player have come to light – notably his disruptive influence and controlled poise. Indeed, his absence from notable City defeats this season have demonstrated his importance at the base of the side’s midfield unit. At 33, he will be sorely missed when he moves on. SL. Getty Images 5/101 97. James Milner One of the most versatile players in Premier League history, with successful spells at Leeds, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool. A two-time title winner who seems to get better with age. MC. Getty Images 6/101 96. Joe Cole Outrageous talent and skill some may argue was never fulfilled. But Jose Mourinho nurtured him with tough love at Chelsea, where he picked up three Premier League titles. He peaked in 2006, playing an integral part to that title-winning side, winning himself a place in the PFA Team of the Year and starring for England at the World Cup. His best moments arguably both came against Man United: the solo goal at Stamford Bridge to clinch the title in 2006 and the clever flick to break the deadlock at Old Trafford in 2010 - which would prove to be pivotal as the Blues won the title again that season. JR. Getty Images 7/101 95. Juninho What a surprise when a 22-year-old Juninho snubbed some of the leading sides in Europe to sign for Middlesbrough. A long-lasting love affair ensued with the Brazilian enjoying three separate spells at the club. LO. Getty Images 8/101 94. Marcel Desailly The Frenchman was already a two-time Champions League winner and world champion with France when he signed for Chelsea. Formed a formidable partnership with Frank Leboeuf and captained the side. LO. Getty Images 9/101 93. Arjen Robben A mercurial talent who never truly settled in the league due to injuries, but for a short spell was arguably the best on display. The flying Dutchman could turn passive possession into danger in a flash with his exceptional control when running at speed. Injuries plagued his time in England with spells at Real Madrid and Bayern establishing himself as one of the greats of his generation. JR. Getty Images 10/101 92. Robbie Keane The 14th-most successful goalscorer in the history of the Premier League. Played for numerous clubs but enjoyed the most success at Spurs, scoring just shy of 100 league goals. LB. Getty Images 11/101 91. Chris Sutton A gifted goalscorer and Premier League title-winner at Blackburn, Sutton was your quintessential out and out No 9. Never as big a hit on the international stage as he might’ve been but his domestic achievements more than justify his place here. BB. Getty Images 12/101 90. Sami Hyypia His contribution and importance to the Liverpool defence is often overlooked due to Jamie Carragher’s constant presence, but Hyypia was a mainstay of the Reds for a decade and a key part of their Champions league triumph in 2005, not to mention a much-loved captain. JDM. Getty Images 13/101 89. Edin Dzeko His arrival at Manchester City, along with the likes of Robinho and Co, marked a new era for the club as it looked to refashion itself into a Premier League giant. The Bosnian helped play a role in this transformation, scoring 50 goals during his time at the club. SL. Getty Images 14/101 88. Lee Dixon A stalwart of the Arsenal team that won the 1997/98 and 2001/02 Premier League titles. Not bad for a £765k signing from Stoke which also saw Steve Bould join the Gunners. TK. Getty Images 15/101 87. Nani Emerged from the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo to become a crucial part of the Alex Ferguson’s side and can look back proudly on his five Premier League titles. When he was on his game he was one of the most naturally-gifted players in the league. JDM. Getty Images 16/101 86. Peter Beardsley A No 10 with a gifted football brain, Beardsley was a star of the early years of the Premier League even if his best came before 1992 in fan-favourite spells with both Newcastle and Liverpool. BB. Getty Images 17/101 85. Fredrik Ljungberg Won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, scoring in two finals. A key part of the legendary team which won the title without tasting defeat in 2003/04. TK. Getty Images 18/101 84. Emmanuel Petit A converted defensive midfielder who formed a crucial partnership with Patrick Vieira. Only spent three years in north London but helped Arsenal to win the double in 1997/98. TK. Getty Images 19/101 83. Patrice Evra A former Manchester United captain who won an astonishing five league titles during his nine years at Old Trafford. LO. Getty Images 20/101 82. Jay Jay Okocha How on earth did Okocha – Ronaldinho’s mentor at Paris Saint-Germain – ever end up at Bolton? The Nigerian had magic in his boots and became a cult hero in Lancashire, forming a brilliant partnership with French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff. LB. Getty Images 21/101 81. Steve McManaman Ignore the acrimonious exit. McManaman was one of Liverpool's best players throughout the nineties, before becoming the most decorated Englishman to have played abroad. MC. Getty Images 22/101 80. Branislav Ivanovic Has an argument to be the best right-back in the league's history: Tougher and stronger than most, with a tremendous appetite to attack - chipping in with 34 goals and 34 assists in his time in London. A threat in the opposition's penalty area and with the positional nous at the back due to his versatility to play inside at centre-back. Everything you would want and more from a right-back. JR. Getty Images 23/101 79. Gary Speed A Premier League giant. Rarely troubled by injury or suspension, Speed made 535 Premier League appearances during his career – putting him at fifth in the all-time list. His tragic suicide shocked the sport, marking a turning point in the conversation around mental health in football. SL Getty Images 24/101 78. William Gallas Not many players have the skill, or the gall, to become first-team regulars at Chelsea, Arsenal AND Tottenham. It was at Stamford Bridge the enigmatic Frenchman enjoyed the most success, winning two league titles. TK. AFP/Getty Images 25/101 77. Mesut Ozil He may be inconsistent. He may drift in and out of games. And he may be a divisive character at the Emirates. But when he is on song, there are few players who can read the game like Mesut Ozil. Often an unbridled joy to watch: he has been Arsenal’s key player for over five years now. LB. Getty Images 26/101 76. Gilberto Silva The invisible Invincible. Played a key if understated role in the best Arsenal team of all-time, alongside Patrick Vieira. A bargain at £4.5m. TK. AFP/Getty Images 27/101 75. Jamie Carragher A one-club man, Liverpool's vice-captain for 10 years, and the club's second-longest ever serving player. Never won a league title with Liverpool, but did win two FA Cups, three League Cups and a Champions League. A first-team regular from 1997 until he retired, in 2013. MC. Getty Images 28/101 74. Paul Ince At his best, Ince played a crucial role in both of Alex Ferguson's first two Premier League titles. He was the midfield enforcer who never stopped, but he also weighed in with his fair share of goals arriving on the edge of the box. After six years at Old Trafford, Ince moved to Inter Milan before later spells at Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Wolves. LO. Getty Images 29/101 73. Les Ferdinand The eighth highest scorer in the Premier League with 149 goals. Prolific for both Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle, while also becoming hugely popular at White Hart Lane. LB. Getty Images 30/101 72. Raheem Sterling A genuine superstar in the making, Sterling has hit new heights in the past two seasons. His contributions both with and without the ball have proved vital at Manchester City, and have similarly injected a sense of energy and purpose into England’s frontline. And at 24, he’s only going to get better. SL. Getty Images 31/101 71. Mark Hughes Sparky had success at Chelsea before two-year spells at Southampton, Everton and Blackburn, but his high-point came earlier as the perfect foil for Eric Cantona in Manchester United's first two title wins. Hughes was an all-round striker who could hold up the ball, lose his marker in the box and finish, but above all it was undying tenacity that Ferguson most valued. LO. Getty Images 32/101 70. Gary Pallister Pallister won four titles at Old Trafford as the sidekick to Steve Bruce at the heart of Alex Ferguson's early success. Coming off the back of winning the PFA Player of the Year Award in 1991-92, Pallister played every minute of the first Premier League season in 1992-93, as United became champions for the first time in 26 years. LO. Getty Images 33/101 69. Jurgen Klinsmann Often foreign strikers can take a season or two to acclimatise to the rigours of the Premier League. Not this man. Arrived at Spurs from Monaco and immediately scored 20 goals in 41 league matches, despite a turbulent season which saw Osvaldo Ardiles replaced by Steve Perryman and then Gerry Francis. LB. Getty Images 34/101 68. Ricardo Carvalho His partnership with captain John Terry in central defence was hailed as a major factor behind Chelsea's two early titles under Jose Mourinho. Intelligent on the ball and a fantastic distributor, Carvalho complemented the traditional, hard-nosed approach adopted by Terry. SL. Getty Images 35/101 67. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Before he was an unexpectedly high-achieving interim manager, he was one of the best strikers in the business. Few could have expected quite how successful the Norwegian would become at Old Trafford when he was signed on the cheap to provide backup to Eric Cantona and Andy Cole. MD. Getty Images 36/101 66. David Ginola One of the most charismatic players ever to grace the Premier League who delighted fans at Newcastle, Spurs, Everton and Aston Villa with his mazy dribbling and sumptuous first touch. LB. Getty Images 37/101 65. Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink Prolific for Leeds and Middlesbrough, but his prime was probably spent with Chelsea, who made him their club record signing for £15m in 2000. He also formed one half of one of the best strike partnerships in the league's history alongside Eidur Gudjohnsen. While known for pounding the ball with tremendous force, his intelligent movement and ability to perfectly deliver the ball for a team-mate made him a great striker. JR. AFP/Getty Images 38/101 64. Diego Costa Chelsea’s raging bull, Costa terrorised opposition defences during his three years at the club. In that time he scored 52 goals from 89 league appearances, scoring a number of pivotal goals in the title run-in under Antonio Conte. A forceful presence who knew how to lead the line all by himself. SL. Getty Images 39/101 63. Ledley King Arguably the most naturally gifted defender of his generation. What a shame his was a career blighted by injury. When asked what defender he most disliked playing against, Thierry Henry once replied: "Ledley King was the best defender I've played against and the only one that didn't have to foul me to get the ball.” LB. AFP/Getty Images 40/101 62. Michael Essien A complete midfielder who would have mixed it with Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira in their prime. The Ghanaian was immense as a box-to-box presence during perhaps the peak years in the league's history. His bending strike against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge stands out as one of his finest moments. JR. Getty Images 41/101 61. Marc Overmars Initially struggled at Arsenal. But soon found his feet, ending his debut campaign with 12 goals and becoming a key player in the Arsenal side which won the double in 1998. Eventually left for Barcelona in a £25m deal, making him the most expensive player in Dutch football history. TK. Getty Images 42/101 60. Fernando Torres The Spaniard exploded on to the English football scene at Liverpool and never looked back becoming one of the most feared No 9s in the history of the league. A big-money move to Chelsea didn’t go as planned but that relentless early run at Anfield was matched by few we’ve ever seen. BB. AFP/Getty Images 43/101 59. Kevin de Bruyne His legacy will be defined by what comes next, but at his peak, De Bruyne might be the finest midfield seen in the Premier League. After City pounced on the Belgian just a few years after Chelsea's foolish decision to sell him, De Bruyne's dynamism has seen him able to influence games no matter the circumstances. Capable of swiping the ball into the top corner from distance, whip the ball around corners for team-mates to chase or simply to establish a pattern of possession, De Bruyne has it all. JR. Getty Images 44/101 58. David Seaman A cult hero with Arsenal Seaman set the standard for English goalkeeping for over a decade. Twice a Premier League champion and a four-time FA Cup winner even his late-career ponytail can be forgiven. BB. Getty Images 45/101 57. Luka Modric The Croatian would ascend to greater heights at Real Madrid, where he has won four Champions League titles and a Ballon d’Or. But before that he was a key player for Tottenham Hotspur, helping the north London side into Europe’s premier club competition for the first ever time. LB. Getty Images 46/101 56. Dennis Irwin One of the best full-backs ever to grace the Premier League. Irwin was a mainstay in the Manchester United team during his decade at Old Trafford, winning seven Premier League titles (only Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have more). He could play either side, took free-kicks and penalties, and dovetailed brilliantly with Giggs, who later said he was able to stay high up the pitch because Irwin needed such little defensive cover. LO. Getty Images 47/101 55. Gary Neville No defender has more Premier League winner's medals than Neville's eight. He was consistent and reliable defensively and formed a fruitful partnership with his close friend David Beckham on United's right, before later becoming captain of his one and only club. LO. Man Utd via Getty Images 48/101 54. Xabi Alonso A key part of the Liverpool team which won the most thrilling Champions League final in history. Helped usher in Rafa Benitez’s Anfield revolution, forming a wonderful midfield partnership with Steven Gerrard before departing after five seasons for Real Madrid. LB. Getty Images 49/101 53. Paolo Di Canio The Italian was one of most exciting among a raft of imported No10s who arrived in the late 1990s and lit up the Premier League show. His early success at Sheffield Wednesday was effectively ended when he pushed over referee Paul Alcock, receiving an 11-game ban, but he shone at West Ham and his volley against Wimbledon will go down as one of the great Premier League goals. LO. Getty Images 50/101 52. Edwin Van Der Sar A case can be made that the Dutchman was equal to any goalkeeper in the league's history. After years of failure to find a successor to Peter Schmeichel, Sir Alex Ferguson stole Van der Sar for a meager £2m from Fulham, securing a key cog in four titles during his time at the club. JR. Getty Images 51/101 51. Dimitar Berbatov A player whose brilliance was defined by an artisanal elegance and the complete elimination of any superfluous movement. Struggled in his first few games for Tottenham before finding his rhythm, eventually moving to Manchester United for a club-record fee. Won two league titles before departing for Fulham. Arguably the most misunderstood player in Premier League history, and among the more underrated. LB. Getty Images 52/101 50. Steve Bruce Alex Ferguson's defensive lieutenant captained United to three Premier League titles during the 90s, scoring two famous late headers against Sheffield Wednesday to win United's first title for 26 years. He is widely considered the greatest Englishman never to have represented his country. LO. Getty Images 53/101 49. Nicolas Anelka Scored goals wherever he went. Won league titles with both Arsenal and Chelsea, while becoming a key player at Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton and West Brom. JDM. AFP/Getty Images 54/101 48. Dwight Yorke Another striker who positively plundered goals in his prime Yorke is most famous for his near unstoppable partnership with Andy Cole at Manchester United. But it’s his record at Aston Villa – 73 goals over nine years – that earns him his place here. BB. Getty Images 55/101 47. Jaap Stam Asserted himself as one of the best defenders in the world before famously falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson and leaving for Lazio. Ferguson would later admit to making a mistake. "At the time he had just come back from an achilles injury and we thought he had just lost a little bit,” he wrote. "We got the offer from Lazio, £16.5m for a centre back who was 29. It was an offer I couldn't refuse. But in playing terms it was a mistake. He is still playing for Ajax at a really good level.” MC. Getty Images 56/101 46. Claude Makelele His immense legacy is that a position was defined after him and that Real Madrid were haunted by his sale to Chelsea for years to come. Adept at playing his role without the need to fly into challenges or impose his physicality, Makelele simply pinched possession and kept the ball moving with sheer ease. A master. JR. Getty Images 57/101 45. Teddy Sheringham The eleventh-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League with 146 goals, and the competition's 19th-highest appearance maker. A cult hero at Spurs thanks to two prolific spells at White Hart Lane, but it is at Manchester United that he enjoyed the most success, winning three consecutive Premier League titles between 1998-2001. LB. Getty Images 58/101 44. Michael Carrick Possibly the most under-utilised and underrated English footballer in modern times. A vital cog for both West Ham and Tottenham before his big move to Manchester United. He would go on to make over 300 league appearances for the club, winning an extraordinary five titles. JDM. Getty Images 59/101 43. Ian Wright From the Hackney Marshes to Highbury Wright’s story is the stuff of fairytales. An all-round, out and out striker Wright scored every type of goal, famously breaking Cliff Bastin’s Gunners record despite spending his first seven years at Crystal Palace. Only Thierry Henry has more in the famed red and white. BB. Getty Images 60/101 42. Robbie Fowler One of the most ruthless goalscorers the Premier League has ever seen. 120 goals in just 236 league appearances in his first stint at Liverpool, before more troubled spells Leeds, Manchester City and Blackburn. No matter. You do not earn the only semi-ironic nickname ‘God’ for no reason. JDM. Getty Images 61/101 41. Carlos Tevez Always controversial, always deadly in front of goal, always a delight to watch. Pitched up at West Ham in 2006, scoring seven priceless goals to help keep the Hammers up. From there he formed a formidable strike partnership with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, winning two league titles, before his acrimonious move to City. He would spend four successful seasons across town, scoring another 58 league goals and winning the title once more. JDM. Getty Images 62/101 40. David de Gea Undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in the Premier League for the past five years, perhaps even the world. A Premier League title winner in 2012/13, the Spaniard has been included in the PFA Team of the Year on five separate occasions and was named United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons between 2013-2016, the first player in the award's history to win on three successive occasions. MC. Getty Images 63/101 39. Sol Campbell The centre-back is one of very few players to have enjoyed successful stints at both Tottenham and Arsenal. His effortless defensive skill was the epitomy of Arsenal's Invicibles and earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year. LO. AFP/Getty Images 64/101 38. Tony Adams Another one-club man, Adams spent all 22 years of his professional career at Arsenal. Uniquely, he captained a title-winning team across three different decades, during which time he won four top-flight division titles, three FA Cups, two Football League Cups, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and two FA Community Shields. A true legend, he is considered one of the greatest Arsenal players of all time. SL. Getty Images 65/101 37. Robert Pires The winger came in as a replacement for Marc Overmars and after taken some time to adjust to the Premier League's physicality, he lit up Enlgish football with his smooth dribbling style and collection of memorable goals. His peak was his hugely fruitful relationship with Thierry Henry during the Invincibles season. LO. Getty Images 66/101 36. N'Golo Kante From the humblest of beginnings to the dizzying heights of Premier League success - first with Leicester and then with Chelsea - N’Golo Kante has proved a revelation. His willingness to do the dirty work, while allowing his teammates to grab the headlines further up the pitch, have earned him the admiration of fans across the league. And if it wasn’t for him, it seems unlikely Leicester would have gone on to win the league when they did. SL. Getty Images 67/101 35. Matthew Le Tissier The dictionary definition of a one-club man Le Tissier would’ve won more trophies and notoriety away from his beloved Southampton but that loyalty didn’t stop him becoming one of the most technically gifted players of his generation. Criminally overlooked by England Le Tissier was a creator and scorer of great goals and also goes down as one of best penalty takers in the history of the game. BB. Getty Images 68/101 34. Harry Kane The player most likely to drastically improve his ranking in years to come. Still only 25, Kane is already the fifteenth highest scorer in the history of the Premier League, level with Nicolas Anelka and only one behind fellow Tottenham favourite Robbie Keane. Holds the record for most Premier League Player of the Month awards, as well the best strike-rate (0.70 goals per game) in the tournament’s history. LB. Getty Images 69/101 33. Luis Suarez Took a little while to hit the ground running at Anfield, but his contribution to Liverpool’s famous 2013/14 campaign will live long in the memory. The Uruguayan hit an extraordinary 31 goals in 33 matches as Liverpool went so, so close to ending their long wait for a league title. A complete centre forward, who worked tirelessly, assisted his team-mates and was utterly ruthless in front of goal. MC. Getty Images 70/101 32. Gianfranco Zola A pioneer thanks to his time at Chelsea, where he charmed a generation of fans with his fancy tricks and delightful free-kick goals. The diminutive Italian sparked a period with the Blues of expansive, attractive football. Capable of bamboozling the league's toughest defenders, Zola's class deserved to be surrounded with better quality. JR. Getty Images 71/101 31. Petr Cech "I feel I have achieved everything I set out to achieve,” the goalkeeper said upon announcing his retirement for the end of the season. It’s hard to dispute. Indeed, how could you after a career that brought one Champions League, four Premier Leagues, one Europa League, five FA Cups and three League Cups? At the peak of his powers, he was simply one of the best goalkeepers to have graced the Premier League. SL. Getty Images 72/101 30. Cesc Fabregas Fabregas broke into Arsenal's first team as a teenager and quickly starred in midfield with his technical quality, eventually taking up the club captaincy. A decade on he won the Premier League with Chelsea, playing an instrumental role as Diego Costa's provider. Also famous for throwing a slice of pizza at Sir Alex Ferguson. LO. Getty Images 73/101 29. Yaya Toure Once a player who looked slow and sometimes used as a centre back, Yaya Toure's game was almost entirely reinvented when he moved to Manchester. A goalscoring midfielder, powerful runner with pin-point accuracy. One of the leaders of City's domestic dominance. AH. Getty Images 74/101 28. Michael Owen England and Liverpool’s boy-wonder, Michael Owen’s best years game in his youth before injury took its toll – both physical and mentally. Owen was the last Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, having notably helped Liverpool to a Treble in the 2000/01 season. He scored 118 goals for the Reds across 216 league appearances. SL. Getty Images 75/101 27. Robin van Persie One of the best strikers of his generation, there are too many moments of brilliance to list when it comes to RVP. His move from Arsenal, where he made a name for himself, to Manchester United will always remain a point of contention but it certainly paid off. In his first season, he won the 2012/13 Premier League and finished as the league's top scorer with 26 goals, winning his second consecutive Golden Boot award. A world-class player. SL. Getty Images 76/101 26. Gareth Bale The 2012/13 PFA Young Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season. How amusing that, at the beginning of his Spurs career, fans thought he was jinxed, with the Welshman coming close to a cut-price move to Birmingham. Over six seasons he developed from a promising left-back into one of the best forwards in the world, eventually recruited by Real Madrid for a world-record fee as Cristinao Ronaldo’s heir apparent. LB. Getty Images 77/101 25. Andy Cole Never the most talented Cole earned every one of his 187 Premier League goals with a relentless will to win. A journeyman career spanning 13 clubs it is his time at Manchester United alongside favourite running mate Dwight Yorke that he is remembered for. A five-time champion only two players in history have scored more. BB. Getty Images 78/101 24. Vincent Kompany Mr Manchester City few sum up the rise and rise of his football club than Kompany. A three-time title-winner and instrumental in two the Belgian led from the front as the beating heart of some of the best teams we’ve seen. A modern defender with athletic prowess and technical skill to match Kompany will be remembered as one of the finest foreign imports the English game has seen. BB. Getty Images 79/101 23. Eden Hazard Irresistible at his absolute best and one of the very few players capable of not only deciding games on his own, but doing so without the help of team-mates. The Belgian showcases total control when dribbling the ball, a skill he can stake claim to be the very best at throughout his time in the league. The finest player in the league in two title-winning seasons, Hazard is a true Premier League great who may only be appreciated when he has gone. JR. Getty Images 80/101 22. Ruud van Nistelrooy Van Nistelrooy broke 20 goals in four of his five Premier League seasons, winning a Golden Boot and a PFA Player of the Year Award en route. He perhaps should have won more than his solitary title, but was competing in an era of Wenger's Invincibles and Mourinho's Chelsea. Even so, he is undoubtedly one of the league's greatest finishers. LO. Man Utd via Getty Images 81/101 21. David Beckham The lowest ranked of Manchester United's famous midfield four in our list but no less impactful during his time in England, racking up 15 league assists during the treble-winning campaign. Beckham won six titles, made four PFA Teams of the Year and scored several iconic goals, and his record of 15 Premier League goals scored from direct free-kicks still stands. LO. Getty Images 82/101 20. Peter Schmeichel The impenetrable foundation upon which five of Manchester United’s Premier League titles were built. A natural and formidable leader who helped to redefine what we expect from his position, while dragging United’s defence up to a new level of excellence. Sir Alex Ferguson’s long struggle to adequately replace him demonstrates just how brilliant he was. LB. Getty Images 83/101 19. Nemanja Vidic Struggled slightly after his £7m move from Spartak Moscow, before forming the best centre-back partnership in the history of the Premier League with Rio Ferdinand. Freakishly strong and hardly ever beaten in the air, Vidic was also an important goalscorer, memorably scoring five times as United won the 2010/11 title. Eventually left in 2014 for Internazionale; were it not for injuries he would have remained at Old Trafford for even longer. LO. Getty Images 84/101 18. Didier Drogba The greatest signing of the Roman Abramovich era was the spearhead of Jose Mourinho's title-winning teams of 2004-05 and 05-06, linking brilliantly with a young Frank Lampard. His most prolific season came in winning the 2009-10 title under Carlo Ancelotti, scoring 29 league goals, before leaving and then returning in 2014, a decade after he first arrived, to win his fourth and final Premier League medal. LO Getty Images 85/101 17. David Silva A midfield maestro capable of playing the game at his pace; speeding up and slowing down while painting a picture amid the frantic action in Premier League games. Silva has never been flustered and can always be relied upon to stand up in the most opportune moments, a cornerstone of the Manchester City era and a candidate for their best ever player, despite the money lavished on numerous other players. JR. Getty Images 86/101 16. Rio Ferdinand The prototype defender of the modern age Ferdinand was the trailblazer for, and best example of, what is now a staple of every backline: the ball-playing centre-half. At his elegant peak Ferdinand made defending look easy and while others were perhaps more effective few did it so effortlessly. His partnership with Nemanja Vidic was the standard all others aspired to for years and still do to this day. BB. Getty Images 87/101 15. Steven Gerrard The greatest player in our list to never win a Premier League title. He instead remained at Liverpool, spending 17 seasons at Anfield during which he captained his side to two European titles as well as five domestic cups. An extremely versatile and well-rounded player, who completely remodeled his game as he grew older. TK. AFP/Getty Images 88/101 14. Ashley Cole One of the very few England players of a generation who could claim to be the absolute best in the world in his position. Cole could defensively lock down the very best in the world and his longevity at the top makes him an all-time great with an enviable trophy cabinet stuffed with every major honour in the club game. JR. Getty Images 89/101 13. Dennis Bergkamp If this was a technically gifted list then the non-flying Dutchman would be even higher. A pleasure to watch Bergkamp didn’t just play, he conducted, regularly dictating games to his own particular tune. A great goalscorer and a scorer of great goals it is his telepathic partnership with Thierry Henry in one of the great teams in Premier League history that most fans remember most fondly. Nikos Dabizas probably disagrees. BB. Getty Images 90/101 12. Paul Scholes His numbers are simply extraordinary. 499 Premier League appearances. 107 goals. Eleven league titles. One of Fergie's Fledglings, Scholes developed into one of the finest midfielders in the world, renowned for his crisp passing, intelligent movement and eye for goal. Xavi famously remarked that Scholes was a “spectacular player who has everything”, while Pele once commented: “If he was playing with me, I would have scored so many more.” SL. Getty Images 91/101 11. Eric Cantona The man who helped transform Manchester United from a promising side into the greatest team English football has ever seen. Before that he was a cult hero at Leeds, but it was his £1.2m move to Manchester that truly made him. Oozed both class and arrogance, while scoring a slew of memorable goals. And of course there was the controversy, with his infamous attack on a Crystal Palace fan resulting in a two-week prison sentence (which he avoided), 120 hours of community service and an eight month ban. LO. Getty Images 92/101 10. Sergio Aguero Manchester City’s great survivor. A first-team regular for eight seasons now – no mean feat in a side which is constantly and ruthlessly evolving. A three time Premier League winner who has scored 161 goals, regularly exceeding the once-fabled 20 goal a season mark. But why write any more words when just one will suffice: ‘AGUEROOOOOOOOOOOOO!’ LB. Getty Images 93/101 9. Patrick Vieira Captain of the greatest side in Premier League history. A true box-to-box midfielder: dominating, aggressive and always ready to lead from the front. Without his bite in midfield there is simply no way the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry would have scored so many goals. TK. Getty Images 94/101 8. John Terry The greatest defender in Premier League history. Brash, brave but above all technically brilliant: he possessed an uncanny ability to read play and be in exactly the right place to sniff out danger. Often controversial but a born leader: won five Premier League titles, making close to 500 appearances. SL. Getty Images 95/101 7. Alan Shearer The best to ever do it Shearer’s record 260 Premier League goals may never be matched. A relentless scorer of all types of goals he made his name and won his only trophy as a Blackburn player but it is his time at Newcastle, where he broke Jackie Milburn’s scoring mark over 10 years of devoted service to his hometown club, that he is most fondly remembered for. Blessed with every conceivable asset you could want from a No 9, born in a different era Shearer would’ve easily been a £100m player. BB. Getty Images 96/101 6. Wayne Rooney We all knew he was going to be special from the moment he stunned David Seaman from distance as a 16-year-old, ending Arsenal’s 30-match unbeaten run. A move to Manchester United followed, where he won five Premier League titles, eclipsed Sir Bobby Charlton to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, and formed one of the most fearsome strike forces ever seen alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. A modern great. LO. Getty Images 97/101 5. Frank Lampard A midfielder with the goalscoring record of an elite-level striker. Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer, he hit 22 in a single season in 2009/10, netting a grand total of 147 Premier League goals. Incredibly versatile, deployed everywhere across the midfield in Chelsea blue, before enjoying an unexpectedly profitable Indian Summer at Manchester City. TK. Getty Images 98/101 4. Roy Keane Sir Alex Ferguson once described Keane as the embodiment of his winning attitude on the pitch and that is all the more appropriate because, if the great manager is the figure to have influenced the Premier League more than anyone, Keane is the player to have psychologically influenced the Premier League more than anyone. That really isn’t an exaggeration, not when you consider his longevity, the number of titles he won and his absolutely key role in all of them. MD. Getty Images 99/101 3. Ryan Giggs 13 titles. 672 Premier League appearances. 114 goals. Another player who adapted his game as he grew older, proving his class across multiple roles. First he was the wiry winger, beating statuesque defends with his mazy footwork and turn of pace. Then, as the years ticked by and the shock of black hair grew steadily shorter, he moved into the middle, dominating matches with his composure and outstanding passing range. LO. Getty Images 100/101 2. Cristiano Ronaldo One of the greatest players of all time. But before all of the titles at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo matured into the player he is now at Manchester United. He made an instant impression at Old Trafford, eventually scoring 84 goals in 196 Premier League matches – over half of those coming in his final two seasons when he was utterly unstoppable playing alongside Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez. Where he to have resisted Real’s inevitable approach, there is no doubt he would top this list. LB. Man Utd via Getty Images 101/101 1. Thierry Henry The greatest player in the history of the Premier League. When Thierry Henry first arrived at Arsenal in 1999 from Juventus, there were those who doubted whether he would be able to cut it in the boisterously physical Premier League. How he silenced his critics. Scored 174 goals for Arsenal, winning two titles. But he was about so much more than just the goals. A true athlete, Henry was also a natural creator, and although Arsene Wenger moved him into the middle he never lost his eye for an assist, almost 50 alone between 2002-2004. A total player. An all-time great. Getty Images
There is a good reason why no English team has previously won all four major honours in a single campaign: it is hard enough to win three. And what followed from Guardiola was an even-handed appraisal of the current, greatest single-season achievement in English football’s history.
“We can’t forget that even the team that won the treble with Sir Alex Ferguson – an incredible team in 98/99 – won the league with 79 points,” he said. “In the semi-final of the Cup, they had 10 v 11 and Ryan Giggs ran past five or six. In the final of the Champions League against Bayern at Nou Camp, you know everything there.
“To win the treble is so tough. One point difference in the Premier League. That semi-final of the Cup against Arsenal, Bergkamp missed a penalty, red card for Roy Keane. And the chances Bayern had – hitting the crossbar two times – and then with the last two corners United scored.”
Guardiola, not shy of showing admiration for the greatest triumph of City’s greatest rivals, continued: “The spirit, the desire to win the treble and of course the quality of everybody at United means they did it, but it shows how difficult it is, the way they won it. That has only happened once in our entire lives.”
He is great admirer of Ferguson and knows the story of ‘99 well enough to recall United’s points total without skipping a beat, but Guardiola’s argument here was that as brilliant as the treble-winners were, they still had to fall on the right side of the fine margins. Lucky generals, and all that.
And ultimately, whether his City team will be as fortunate down the final stretch is out of his control. They could do everything within their power between now and end of the month to put themselves in the best possible position to achieve a hitherto unprecedented feat. Still, they fall short.
That’s why, at the start of April, with as many as 14 potential games left remaining, it is still too early to focus on anything but the forthcoming game. “The reality is Cardiff, no more. It’s about training good, training well again, preparing, resting in the afternoon, winning the game, the recovery and then – what’s next?”
It was April where United’s class of ‘99 began to flounder a little, as it turns out. After winning 14 of their 17 games since the turn of the year, they won just three of their seven that month, drawing the other four. Guardiola and City do not have the same room for error.
And yet, two of those United victories – the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal and the return leg in Turin – made their legend. It is now, in the final run, as the blossom grows on trees and arses start to twitch, that claims to greatness are counted and weighed. Can City surpass all that has gone before them? Ask Pep at the end of the month.
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Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League table with a routine 2-0 victory over Cardiff at the Etihad.
Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring for the Blues before Leroy Sané doubled the lead before the break.
The margin of victory might have been more had City been more clinical in front of goal, with Pep Guardiola's side struggling to beat the impressive Neil Etheridge in Cardiff's net. Gabriel Jesus was unfortunate not to register on his 22nd birthday amid Sergio Aguero's injury woes.
Phil Foden made his first Premier League start for City and did not look out of place alongside De Bruyne, whose energy in midfield was the driving force for City.
Liverpool will leapfrog City back to the top of the league with a win against Southampton on Friday night, though City hold a game in hand.
We'll bring you all the highlights and reaction.
