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Welcome to ESPN FC's #PremRank.
ESPN FC is counting down the top 50 players in the Premier League right now, as voted for by various columnists, editors and analysts. Who makes the cut? Disagree with our list? Tell us on Twitter using the hashtag #PremRank.
Why Nemanja Matic makes the list
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho described the midfield enforcer as his "best player" back in November, and while others may have taken on the more glamorous roles in the Blues' title-winning charge, the Serbian rarely put a foot wrong. Acting as Chelsea's screen in front of defence and the starting point of so many of their forward surges, Matic's importance to the Blues' side was highlighted when he was absent this season. There can be little doubt that he has justified the faith shown in him by Mourinho after the manager brought Matic back to Stamford Bridge in January 2014.
Rarely do players get a chance to return to a club of Chelsea's stature when they have been deemed to be surplus to requirement, but the performer who was sold to Benfica in 2011 returned as a more complete footballer and his title-winning medal from this season was confirmation that his second coming in a blue shirt has been a triumph. "He is a giant, not for his size but for the way he plays. The man is a giant," Mourinho declared as he summed up Matic's contribution. Few would disagree.
-- Kevin Palmer
The stats that tell the story
- Led Premier League with 101 successful tackles this season, 18 more than any other player.
- Led Premier League midfielders with 326 defensive touches (tackles, clearances, interceptions and shots blocked), 74 more than any other player.
What the experts say
"Chelsea have lost three games all season, and it's not a coincidence that Nemanja Matic was absent for two of them ... Matic is arguably Chelsea's most important player in terms of what is lost when he's not around." -- Gabriele Marcotti, March 2015.
"The Rolls Royce of defensive midfielders, Matic is simply imperious. A stifling presence for Silva, smothered loose ball, and got important tackles and blocks in throughout the game. Distribution second to none." -- Mark Worrall, January 2015.
"The defensive midfielder seems a dying breed at Liverpool and Arsenal. Matic highlights a philosophical divide in football. This summer Chelsea paid 21 million pounds to re-sign the man they sold for a sixth of that amount three years earlier." -- Richard Jolly, December 2014.
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