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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 Vincent Kompany makes the list
The City captain remains one of the Premier League's finest defenders, but this was far from a fine season for him. It exposed some of his flaws more extensively than in any previous campaign, not least a tendency to get caught out when overstretching himself in overly conscious attempts to "be seen as the leader," as well as the odd slip.
Even that, though, is a consequence of the context in which he was playing. It is really no coincidence that this has happened in a campaign when his only adequate central defensive partner was veteran Martin Demichelis. City's defensive midfield effectively fell apart this season. Kompany's mentality means he has typically tried to cover too many areas, and that has inevitably seen him pulled and pushed too far. He is not a perfect centre-half, but this season should not lead to any deeper doubts about his ability.
-- Miguel Delaney
The stats that tell the story
- Made tackles at a lower rate this season (1.16 per 90 minutes) than in his previous four seasons combined (1.7 per 90 minutes).
- Injuries limited him to 25 league games this season, matching his fewest since the 2009-10 season (he joined Man City before the '08-09 campaign)
What the experts say
"Perhaps one of the things that makes it easy for the watching world to pick up on the captain's errors is that he's very much the 'new breed' of defender. He breaks rank often, coming out of the back line to attack the ball. Rather than reacting to the situation as it progresses, he tries to get in there first." - David Mooney
"Kompany's tendency to take on too much responsibility and overcomplicate things frequently does more harm than good." - Nick Miller
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