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A good midfield can be the difference between winning and losing - but an excellent one wins you trophies.
The Premier League is blessed with some of the best in their position, including World Cup winners, serial trophy winners and some of the greatest technicians in attack and defence.
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Just look at some of the legends who have lit up the Premier League from Frank Lampard to Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, and Paul Scholes.
All helped their respective teams dominate matches and win a ton of silverware in the process - it is no surprise to see the most-decorated player in the Premier League is a midfielder.
Now, there is a new era of superstars in midfield while one stat has had fans losing their minds regarding Manchester City star Rodri.
In an incredible year starting in February 2023, the Spaniard did not lose and won the treble in that time.
Not only is the 27-year-old one of the best midfielders in the Premier League but also one of the best in the world.
But who joins him in an illustrious list of Premier League midfielders and where do they rank?
Below are a range of positions from attacking to defensive-minded players, talkSPORT has ranked on their importance to their team, as well as the goals they score, assists record and overall impact on games.
10. James Maddison (Tottenham)
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Ange Postecoglou made signing Maddison his biggest aim in the summer transfer window after joining Tottenham as manager and it is clear to see why.
The midfielder is one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League and has been a transformative signing for Spurs, turning Antonio Conte's rigid machine into Postecoglou's entertainers in the blink of an eye.
Injuries have stunted the 27-year-old somewhat this season, who already has three goals and six assists in 13 Premier League appearances, but there is no denying that he could be Tottenham's most important player already despite joining only recently.
9. Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle)
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Eddie Howe might look back one day and consider Guimaraes as one of his most important signings at Newcastle, helping take them to a new level last season and landing a Champions League spot.
The Brazilian joined in January 2022 and has looked the complete package, a proficient tackler with a belly of heart and an eye for goal, it is no surprise to see Newcastle fans fall in love with him.
There have been links to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid and the Magpies will hope their FFP problems do not force them to sell the 26-year-old.
Without Guimaraes, Newcastle are considerably weaker as there are not many players in the world that can do the job he can, no matter how many millions are in the bank.
8. Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
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It is not everyday that a midfielder from Brighton wins the World Cup and it was a pretty big deal when Mac Allister returned to the south coast with the famous trophy in his bag.
A move to Liverpool followed and, after a difficult start, has found a home in Jurgen Klopp's new-look midfield and impressively in a number of positions, playing in Fabinho's old No. 6 role, as well as Jordan Henderson's former position alongside him.
Of Liverpool's new midfielders, Mac Allister has looked the most assured and, while he only has one goal so far, it was some strike with a beautiful strike against Fulham in December.
It is no easy feat to walk into an Anfield midfield but at the age of 25, he looks set to star there for years to come.
7. Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
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Aston Villa have been arguably the most in-form side over the last 12 months since Unai Emery arrived as manager and that is largely down to the transformation of Luiz, who has since become an integral part of the team.
The Brazilian has been linked with moves away over the last 18 months, including Arsenal, but instead he looks determined to lead Villa to the Champions League himself with the club currently fourth in the Premier League.
He has six goals and four assists this season in the league and is the complete midfielder, who can expertly pass, shoot, take set-pieces, set the tempo and dominate midfields.
It is no surprise why so many clubs are chasing his signature.
6. Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
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Much like Rodri and De Bruyne, Rice works well with Odegaard in a similar way at Arsenal, who has been a sensation since signing from Real Madrid in 2021 and helped the Gunners become the force they are today.
Last season, the Norway international came within touching distance of becoming the first Arsenal captain to win the Premier League since Patrick Vieira, and nearly did so by himself with 15 league goals.
But his vision and creativity betters his goalscoring ability, which takes some doing, and is one of Arteta's lynchpins as one of the best Premier League midfielders in recent years and he looks like he is fulfilling his potential that was seen at Real Madrid.
5. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
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Silva might go somewhat under the radar sometimes at City where there are superstars everywhere you look and De Bruyne pulling the strings in midfield but Silva deserves as much recognition.
Guardiola has described him as 'one of the best players I've ever seen' and his creativity and dribbling is also matched by his versatility and work-rate, making him the complete package in midfield.
Once part of a famous Monaco side that included Kylian Mbappe and Fabinho, Silva made the move to the Etihad in 2017 and has been an ever-present since, making 332 appearances and scoring 62 goals.
Silva has not only played every role in midfield from defensive to attacking, but also been used on the wing, as a full-back and a false-nine, proving crucial to Guardiola's plans over the years.
4. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
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Fernandes instantly became a fan favourite at United after joining in January 2020 and will surely go down as one of their best winter transfers, which is some saying considering the arrivals of Andy Cole, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra.
Since joining, the Portugal international has scored 71 times in 216 appearances for the Red Devils and has also been named as club captain, though he has been out of form this season with just seven goals in all competitions so far.
Nevertheless, that only further proves the point that when the 29-year-old is not on-key, neither are United, and it is no coincidence that Fernandes' best season when he scored 28 times in all competitions helped United to a runners-up position in the Premier League, trailing only a dominating City.
But it is not just scoring goals that Fernandes is an expert in but he can also thread a pass through a needle and there is no doubt that without the attacking midfielder, United would be in a much more difficult position.
3. Declan Rice (Arsenal)
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As far as defensive midfielders go, there are not many better in the world than Rice at the moment, who might just be the only £100million-plus player who might be worth the money right now.
Since arriving at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta's side have looked much more assured in midfield and have been able to control matches that otherwise might have proved tricky while he has also popped up with the odd goal - including a 97th-minute winner against Luton Town.
Even before he made the move to north London, Rice was already one of the best midfielders in the Premier League after breaking into the West Ham team and became their captain, as well as solidifying himself as England's best midfielder.
As well as being one of the first names on the teamsheet for club and country, he has grown from being a defensive midfielder to being a complete midfielder, driving forward from deep and helping out in attack as well as shoring up in front of defence.
2. Rodri (Manchester City)
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Rodri was a transformative signing for City when he arrived in 2019 with Guardiola desperate to win the Champions League, eventually doing so last season with a win over Inter Milan - which Rodri scored the winner in.
Yes, the Spaniard is renowned for his defensive positioning, range of passing, tackling and aerial duels, but his penchant for goals has grown in recent years and he is the epitome of a big-game player.
In 234 appearances for City, he has 23 goals - including his historic Champions League winning strike - and his presence on the pitch emboldens City and terrifies opponents after going 365 days without tasting defeat.
When Guardiola was at Barcelona, he had Sergio Busquets, Joshua Kimmich at Bayern Munich, now he has Rodri, who alongside De Bruyne in midfield make one of the best duos in Premier League history.
1. Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
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There can be little arguing that De Bruyne has not only been the best midfielder in the last few years in the Premier League but also likely the best player in general.
Without the mercurial Belgian's incredible vision, City would not be the dominating force that they have been under manager Pep Guardiola, who has won five league titles in six years.
De Bruyne will go down as a Premier League legend and there is also a strong argument to say that he is the best midfielder of all time, not just this current generation and in 362 appearances for City, he has scored 97 times and made 157 assists while he has the third-most assists ever in the Premier League, behind Cesc Fabregas and Ryan Giggs.
It is hard to imagine that once upon a time, he was struggling at Chelsea where he could not get a game only to go on to become one of the greatest passers ever.
