April 2018 in the Premier League will mostly be remembered for Manchester City officially clinching the title at the end of a campaign in which Pep Guardiola’s side have enjoyed unprecedented dominance over the rest of the division.
But that was by no means the only eye-catching moment in the top flight last month, with a whopping 111 goals scored across 42 games and plenty of dazzling individual performances to boot. Here’s a rundown of the six players who impressed Premier League supporters the most, earning nominations for the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month award for April.
Christian Eriksen
This season has seen Christian Eriksen shift from a promising young player to a maturing star at the peak of his powers and April was another impressive month for the Tottenham midfielder, grabbing three goals and two assists in just four Premier League appearances. That potent return saw him become only the third player in the English top flight this season to reach double figures for goals and assists – the others being Manchester City duo Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling.
Alexandre Lacazette
Alexandre Lacazette’s debut campaign with Arsenal has endured its ups and downs but the summer signing has really come into form during the tail-end of the season, scoring seven goals in his last eight across all competitions. That includes four Premier League strikes throughout April, averaging just two shots per goal, while registering five key passes and four dribbles.
Jordan Pickford
Jordan Pickford solidified his case to enter the World Cup as England’s No.1 throughout April with three clean sheets from four appearances – the most of any goalkeeper in the Premier League – including one against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby. In fact, the Everton goalkeeper conceded just one goal last month in a 1-1 draw with Swansea City, while making twelve saves.
Paul Pogba
For all the criticism Paul Pogba receives, there’s no doubt the Frenchman is a fantastic asset when at the top of his game. April was a good month for the former world-record signing too, most notably inspiring Manchester United’s incredible comeback to stop Manchester City lifting the title against them by bagging a second-half brace. The powerful midfielder, who completed 13 dribbles last month, added to that with another strike against Arsenal and an assist at Bournemouth.
Raheem Sterling
What a fine season it’s been for Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, defying the sceptics to hold down fourth spot in the Premier League’s scoring charts. That mission was aided by two strikes in April, but the England international actually played a direct hand in six goals last month, grabbing an impressive four assists as well. In total, the Citizens forward registered ten key passes – alongside nine dribbles.
Wilfried Zaha
Crystal Palace just aren’t the same team without Wilfried Zaha and it’s not difficult to see why – with four goals and one assist in April, his incredible potency has all-but mathematically got the Eagles over the line in their bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League. The tricky Ivorian also completed a staggering 20 dribbles last month and weighed in with one assist.