The 20 best players in the Premier League, December 2018

Sure, it's January 2019 but it wasn't so long ago that we were all celebrating the end of 2018.

No matter, we're halfway through a season and there are players to rank - in order. Who of the Premier League's finest individuals have truly shone during the month of December (and one weekend in January)?

Last month's winner was Raheem Sterling, has he done enough to retain his prize?

20. Sol Bamba (Cardiff)

Do not adjust your viewing device - Sol Bamba has been outrageously good all season and has finally made it into our holy list. Every month he's close to the top of the table for tackles made, interceptions and recoveries and since Cardiff are subjected to attack after cross after attack, he gets a lot of clearances and headers in too.

This month he's played seven games, helped Cardiff keep three cleansheets and was integral to them accumulating seven points. The no-nonsense way Bamba steamed in to deny James Maddison a chance to score from his penalty rebound in the recent win over Leicester was greeted with a roar of a volume you'd associate with Champions League winning goal. Nearly sending a rival player into orbit is celebrated hard in Cardiff.

Bamba is a hardy, strong centre-back with great positional awareness and the ability to snuff out danger. He's very good.

19. Declan Rice (West Ham)

Rice earned himself a lovely contract extension with his performances over the season and has become an integral part of the West Ham team, sitting between the defence and midfield to cut out danger and keep things tidy.

He made 76 recoveries in December - the third most in the league - and 19 tackles, giving bite and calm to a midfield which has needed both for a long time.

18. Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)

Townsend hit a volley so stunning and powerful against Man City that had the net not been in place, there's a good chance the ball would still be travelling now. That helped secure the most unlikely of wins at the Etihad for Crystal Palace and Townsend did even more for his side last month, scoring another to bring his total to two goals, two assists and, in eight games, 22 chances created - the second most of any player in the Premier League.

17. Xherdan Shaqiri (Liverpool)

Shaqiri has reinvented himself as a central midfielder this season, playing a slightly more advanced role in Liverpool's midfield three and doing it really well. The most surprising thing hasn't been the transition from wide forward to a deeper position but more in Shaqiri's willingness to do all the hard running and chasing that is expected of Jurgen Klopp's players. He made nine tackles and 26 recoveries last month, in addition to scoring four goals.

16. Robert Snodgrass (West Ham)

Snoddy, the Scottish man with the blue and claret car, is one of those confusingly talented players who can either win a game on his own or disappear within it like the remote control down the side of a sofa. In December he turned up. From eight games he created 20 chances, made three assists and scored twice himself, with crucial goals in wins over Fulham and Crystal Palace.

15. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)

A superb hat-trick against Arsenal was the highlight but as ever, Firmino's busy-bee style has been fundamental to the success of Liverpool's forward play. The Brazilian continues to drop into space to allow others to play better and is regularly the catalyst of Liverpool's siege-like counter-attacks, making 28 recoveries this month in addition to his five goals, one assist and seven chances created.

14. Leroy Sane (Man City)

Somehow, still not guaranteed a place in the Man City starting XI, Sane assisted three goals and scored twice himself in the eight appearances he did make, providing a constant attacking threat on the left or right wing, depending where he was placed. Sane is not only absolutely rapid but his close control and attacking wont makes him horrible to play against - his 38 attempted dribbles (18 completed) helped him create 14 chances in December.

13. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)

Aubameyang scored six goals in eight games in December and if you forget the absolute pummelling his team took against Liverpool, was excellent in all of them. The thing with Aubameyang is he either scores and wins you a game, or he offers very little. Provided nothing against Man Utd and less vs Southampton but was instrumental in the North London Derby and the win over Burnley.

12. Ander Herrera (Man Utd)

Had fought his way into Jose Mourinho's starting XI before the manager was punted into touch and will very likely remain there under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Herrera provides the snap and energy in the United midfield, making 48 recoveries, 29 tackles and 24 interceptions (the most of any player in the league) while also creating eight chances to score. That's not all! Herrera scored two goals and assisted three last month too and is another player to have been buoyed and freed by the new order at Old Trafford. Attack!

11. Felipe Anderson (West Ham)

West Ham's record signing has been worth all of the pennies they had couriered to Italy to land him and he scored four goals in seven games in December, creating 14 chances and providing one assist. The numbers are important but Anderson does a lot of work that goes unnoticed and his very presence scares defenders - the Brazilian can go inside or outside a full-back, his first touch is magical and he always wants to go forward. Plus, he made 49 recoveries helping turn defence into attack, always available as the out-ball for a West Ham counter.

10. Alisson (Liverpool)

Alisson has the best record of any goalkeeper for December, saving 80.7 per cent of the 26 shots on target fired his way. There have been a couple of wee mistakes here and there but goalkeepers are always highlighted for errors more than the rest and Alisson has made Liverpool's defence formidable. Some of Liverpool's best attacks are started by the goalkeeper too, with his distribution closer to that of Andrea Pirlo than David Seaman. Other goalkeeper examples are available.

9. Gini Wijnaldum (Liverpool)

The secret genius at the heart of Liverpool's midfield. Wijnaldum not only calms things down when needed but is always ready to burst past an opponent with a turn of pace and turn midfield into crazy attack in an instant. His first touch and close control under pressure are exceptional but his understanding of space, movement and ability to always be in the right place to link passes at the right time are what make him so important to the team. Wijnaldum does a bit of everything very well.

8. Christian Eriksen (Spurs)

Eriksen is probably one of the best creative midfield players in Europe. In seven games he scored four goals, made three assists and created 12 chances for teammates, but as you'll almost certainly have noticed from watching any Spurs game, those numbers don't do him justice - Eriksen tends to be the one that makes things happen. Eriksen's movement is superb and even though opposing teams spend a lot of time trying to keep him quiet, he usually finds a way to influence things.

7. Paul Pogba (Man Utd)

It turns out that if you play one of the most expensive and highly valued attacking midfielders in the world in an advanced attacking position suited to his skill set, he can be pretty useful. Pogba's media outbursts aren't a great look but by Jove the boy can play - five goals and three assists in six games (he was benched by Mourinho, remember) is a phenomenal return and with attacking runners either side and in front, Pogba has options to make passes rather than attempt a trick that results in him losing the ball.

6. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Chelsea games have turned into passing exhibitions where nothing happens until Hazard gets involved, drags defenders around and either creates a chance to score or starts the move that does. Five assists and three goals in eight games is his output for December and the 23 chances he created (the most of any player in the league) suggests most of the good things Chelsea do go through him. No player completed more dribbles (24) than Hazard last month.

5. Marcus Rashford (Man Utd)

The two-part trick Rashford performed against Bournemouth defenders to assist United's first goal was so outrageous that it was enough to warrant him a place in our list based on it alone.

Rashford is one of the best young players in world football and when able to run with the ball with support nearby, is scarily great fun to watch. There are tricks, flicks and bursts of pace and all of them are used for a purpose - never showboating - and now Man Utd are daring to attack their opponents, Rashford's ability is clear. In eight games he has provided five assists and scored four goals, creating 15 chances too. His is a special talent.

4. Harry Kane (Spurs)

Kane is a goalscoring robot. Seven goals in eight games, programmed to find the ball and shoot it at goal at every opportunity. Destroy the goalkeeper. Kill all humans. Score the most goals. There's more to Kane's game of course but he does have an uncanny knack and unrelenting desire to fire things between two posts and into the back of a net - the left-footed rocket that opened the scoring against Wolves was moving so fast it basically had flames trailing it.

3. Son Heung-min (Spurs)

It's hard to tell how good Son Heung-min really is. On one hand, he scored a mental seven goals and assisted four others in eight games, but on the other hand he doesn't seem to be universally praised as the incredible scoring machine that he is. Son has everything too - pace, cunning, great control, he can dribble, shoot from distance and works hard off the ball. He's also won quite a few Player of the Month awards and it still doesn't feel like he's a guaranteed started for Spurs. It's weird, because he's obviously brilliant. But is he? Yes.

2. Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)

Has been described as the best defender in the world by various pundits in recent weeks, with Jamie Carragher stating the Dutchman is already one of Liverpool's greatest centre-halves. It sounds like hyperbole but on current form, it isn't. Van Dijk has transformed the Liverpool back four from rickety bridge to laser protected, showing incredible pace to beat runners through on goal, strength to hold off massive strikers and a calmness and composure that allows him to think, look and send searching passes to start counter-attacks. Believe the hype!

1. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

The shiniest star at the top of Liverpool's incredible football tree, Salah has shown over the course of 2018 - not just December - that he is no one-season wonder.

He goes down far too easily in the box and the way he crumpled to the floor against Newcastle was embarrassing, if not, plain unfair, but there is no denying that Salah is special. In eight games he's scored six goals (joint first), assisted four (second) and created 20 chances (joint third). Defenders Hate Him.

Top tip: replace the word "Rosanna" with "Mo Salah" and you have a new hit to sing around the house in 2019: