WhoScored 2020 Rewind: Grealish joins Ronaldo as one of the best left forwards in Europe

 

In our penultimate review of the top rated players per position in Europe's top five leagues over 2020, we reveal the four nominees for a spot on the left wing of our Team of the Year.

 

You will have the chance to vote for your favourite on our Twitter feed, with the winner gaining a place in said XI. As with every position thus far, there are certainly some eye-catching absentees, including the likes of Son Heung-Min and Serge Gnabry, but the following foursome have more than warranted their inclusion.

 

4) Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) - 7.45 rating

 

Captaining your boyhood club to Premier League survival, scoring the goal that assured safety and completed a miraculous escape, before going on to end 2020 as the highest rated Premier League player of the current season, earning a first international call up in the process, 2020 was some year for Grealish. In truth he wasn't at his sensational best at the end of last season but the Villa skipper's performances this season have been outstanding. Of a eight goals and seven assists over the year, five and six respectively came in this season, whilst averaging 2.9 key passes (2.4 from open play), 2.5 dribbles, 2.3 shots and winning 4.6 fouls per game.

 

3) Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin) - 7.57 rating

 

Undoubtedly the most surprising name among the finalists, at least to those that haven't bore witness to Cunha's talents over the last year, the Brazilian has been a revelation since moving to Hertha. Still just 21 years of age, the flying forward has carried a strong goal threat, scoring 11 times in 23 league appearances in 2020, but it's his dazzling dribbling that has really caught the eye, completing 3.5 per game last year and drawing 2.4 fouls per game in the process. His work rate has been exceptional too, averaging a combined 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game this season so far, and it won't be long until the Berlin outfit a fielding big offers for their prized asset.

 

2) Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) - 7.86 rating

 

Splitting his Serie A duties 50/50 between the left of a front three in the tail end of 2019/20 and up front in 2020/21 so far, we've put Ronaldo in this category rather than centre-forwards given that the fourth highest rated striker has a far stronger rating than the fifth highest rated player on the left. Wherever the 35-year-old has played, after all, he did the thing he does best, scoring 33 goals in 29 league matches last year, which was more than any other player. Despite what many would have you believe, it wasn't all about him either, registering five assists from 1.4 key passes per game - all from open play - whilst completing 1.7 dribbles and drawing 1.5 fouls per outing.


WhoScored 2020 Rewind: Grealish joins Ronaldo as one of the best left forwards in Europe

 

1) Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) - 8.01 rating

 

Pipping Ronaldo to top spot in our ratings, Mbappe's Ligue 1 involvement was curtailed by the decision to abandon the 2019/20 season, but he still made 21 league appearances across the year. In that time the PSG star scored 19 goals, assisting a further five, having averaged 4 shots, 2.8 dribbles and 1.6 key passes from open play per game. Said figures are even more impressive when considering he has made four of 13 league appearances from the bench this season, and there is no question that the 22-year-old's future will once again be at the forefront of the gossip columns come the end of the campaign, if not this month.

 

Players of the Year: GKs, RBs, LBs, CBs, CMs, AMs, RWs

WhoScored 2020 Rewind: Grealish joins Ronaldo as one of the best left forwards in Europe