Top Five Premier League Wingers 2015/16 (2) feat. Leicester and Arsenal stars
As The Boot Room’s series draws closer to an end; in line with the season itself, the latest top 5 candidates are the latter half selection of wingers. Most suffer from the dreaded trait of inconsistency, but these stars have put in consecutive top quality displays to earn points for their side, but which one will make it into The Boot Room’s Premier League Team of the Season? Have your say in the poll at the end. Follow the links at the end of the page to flick to the next player.
Riyad Mahrez
What hasn’t already been said about Riyad Mahrez this season? With 17 goals and 11 assists to his name, the Algerian has had a huge impact on a statistical basis alone. Mahrez has the most direct contributions of anybody in the Premier League alongside his team-mate Jamie Vardy, whose figures are understandably more goal-heavy. The 400k acquisition from Le Havre has recently been named as the PFA Player of the Season; courtesy of recognition by his fellow players, and this truly marks a phenomenal rise to fame for the naturally gifted midfielder. Admittedly, he had begun to show an upturn in form towards the end of the last campaign, playing his part in The Foxes’ survival surge that has ultimately rolled straight over into 2015/16, taking the top flight by storm.
Riyad Mahrez possesses a wand of a left foot, able to bring all kinds of magic and wizardry to the party on a weekly basis. He adds that essential essence of flair to Leicester City, as for all of the industry, application and work ethic displayed in abundance by the rest of their regular starting eleven, momentary flashes of brilliance are not something that you would necessarily associate with the likes of N’Golo Kanté, Marc Albrighton or even Jamie Vardy for that matter (even considering some of the special goals that he has scored this year). While Kanté is the enforcer combined with a midfield general, and Vardy is the go-to guy for finishing off chances, Mahrez knits the whole team together and ensures it functions to its full effect.
A move to a giant of the footballing world on the continent in the summer has been mooted, with Real Madrid and Barcelona likely to be the leading candidates. He is unlikely to go elsewhere in the Premier League, as Champions League football has been confirmed for next season and with the additional funds that come with that, Ranieri should be able to splash the cash in an attempt to maintain Leicester’s competitive edge. The Premier League will certainly be worse off should the mercurial Algerian decides to move on.
