Premier League's 'statistically best' eight players this season revealed including five not nominated for POTS

The Premier League Player of the Season shortlist would look very different if it went off statistics.

The nominees for the coveted award were released on Thursday, with the likes of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Virgil van Dijk all included.

Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Alexander Isak - all in the top four goalscorers this season - are also in the mix.

As always there has been plenty of debate over the picks and website SofaScore offers an alternative list if stats proved decisive.

The outlet collate stats for all players who play at least 60 minutes in the Premier League and the top eight is located on the sidebar of their top flight section.

The list, according to SofaScore ratings, features five players who did not make the POTS cut.

Foden, one of the favourites for the gong, is ranked second with a 7.76 rating - ahead of former teammate Palmer and Arsenal skipper Odegaard - who have been graded 7.71 and 7.67 respectively.

But a surprise member of the group is Brighton's Pascal Gross, who has been the eighth best player in the Premier League this season as far as stats are concerned.

Image: Getty

He has a rating of 7.59, placing him just behind Liverpool star Mo Salah.

Bukayo Saka made the list for the Young Player of the Season but he is fourth here, with a score of 7.73.

Surprisingly, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is in the top three for accumulative stats this season - with his contributions tying him with Foden.

But City midfielder Rodri is the best in the league by some distance after being given a huge 8.03 mark for his displays this term.

Image: SofaScore

The Spaniard, who is on a 71-game unbeaten run, has seven goals and nine assists and the most passes with 3,306.

Image: Getty

Astoundingly, he was not selected for the award, which will be announced on May 18 a day before the season ends.

Topics: Premier League, Manchester City, Erling Haaland, Rodri, Phil Foden

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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