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theScore's Top 50 Premier League Players: 20-11

Reuters

With the 2015-16 Premier League season set to get underway this weekend, theScore is counting down the top 50 players the top flight of English football has to offer heading into the campaign. Our list was compiled by theScore's quintet of footy editors: Gianluca Nesci, Carlo Campo, Gord Brunt, Michael J. Chandler, and Armen Bedakian.

Agree or - more likely - disagree? Let us know on Twitter, where you can find all five of our editors responsible for the rankings you either love or loathe.

theScore's Top 50 Premier League Players: The Rundown

No. 20: Oscar, Chelsea

2014-15: 32 appearances, 8 goals, 8 assists, 1.3 key passes per 90 minutes

Nesci Campo Brunt Chandler Bedakian
36 19 28 39 18

Oscar hasn't had a break in years. The Brazilian attacking midfielder has been playing football without a break for the better part of the last five years due to offseason international obligations, and enters his first ever preseason training camp with Chelsea. Refreshed and rejuvenated, Oscar could finally thrive and dominate this year. - Armen Bedakian

No. 19: Laurent Koscielny, Arsenal

2014-15: 33 appearances, 1.3 tackles per 90 minutes, 3.5 interceptions per 90 minutes

Nesci Campo Brunt Chandler Bedakian
21 28 20 11 19

Arsenal's ethos has long been that as strong as they are in attack, they're as porous in defence. Since Laurent Koscielny's arrival from Lorient in 2010, things have steadily been improving. The French international could have very well been on the PFA Team of the Year, and this season could see him supplant John Terry as the league's best center-back. - Michael J. Chandler

No. 18: Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool

2014-15: 43 appearances, 9 goals, 5 assists, 1.6 key passes per 90 minutes

Nesci Campo Brunt Chandler Bedakian
18 20 16 23 20

Philippe Coutinho's nomination for last season's PFA Player of the Year award came as a surprise to many, but there should be no mistaking how he flies under the radar. A phenomenally well-rounded attacking midfielder who also provides a defensive contribution, Coutinho is a monster in one-on-one scenarios, ranking fifth in dribbles per game (3.1) in 2014-15. - Carlo Campo

No. 17: John Terry, Chelsea

2014-15: 42 appearances, 6 goals, 1.1 tackles per 90 minutes, 0.9 interceptions per 90 minutes

Nesci Campo Brunt Chandler Bedakian
15 23 23 12 7

Okay, so we're not going to tiptoe around it: John Terry is not a very likable fellow. But he's an absolute beast in the Chelsea back line, finding his form once again under Jose Mourinho. Incidentally, Terry's best season for Chelsea saw him lift the Premier League title once more, capping off a year where he played every single game for his boyhood club. - Armen Bedakian

No. 16: Morgan Schneiderlin, Manchester United

2014-15 (Southampton): 27 appearances, 5 goals, 1 assists, 3.7 tackles per game, 2.6 interceptions per 90 minutes

None of Manchester United's new arrivals will be expected to fill the void left by Angel Di Maria quite like Morgan Schneiderlin, a tackling machine who also possesses an eye for the goal and is capable of controlling the midfield. Schneiderlin was the engine of Southampton's squad last season, and he's fully capable of becoming an icon at Old Trafford. - Carlo Campo

Nesci Campo Brunt Chandler Bedakian
17 7 14 16 21

No. 15: Harry Kane, Tottenham

2014-15: 34 appearances, 21 goals, 4 assists, 3.3 shots per 90 minutes

Nesci Campo Brunt Chandler Bedakian
16 15 12 17 12

Rock you like a hurricane. The young English striker blasted his way into the conversation as one of the Premier League's best last season, scoring goals at a frightening pace and evolving into nothing short of a deity at White Hart Lane. The best part for Tottenham supporters? Kane doesn't look like he's slowing down any time soon. - Gianluca Nesci

No. 14: Santi Cazorla, Arsenal

2014-15: 39 appearances, 7 goals, 11 assists, 2.1 key passes per 90 minutes

Nesci Campo Brunt Chandler Bedakian
19 8 21 8 14

Arsenal's diminutive two-footed midfield magician Santi Cazorla continues to shine under manager Arsene Wenger's fluid style, and this season should be no different. The Spaniard appeared in all but one of Arsenal's Premier League matches last season, scoring seven goals with 11 assists. - Michael J. Chandler

No. 13: Wayne Rooney, Manchester United

2014-15: 37 appearances, 14 goals, 5 assists, 1.4 key passes per 90 minutes

Nesci Campo Brunt Chandler Bedakian
11 29 7 13 10

The desperation is real for Wayne Rooney ahead of his third attempt to win a Premier League title without Sir Alex Ferguson. Rooney's impact and leadership, which may not have received deserved credit under the shadow of Ferguson, will undoubtedly be a critical factor in determining if Manchester United can to return to its perch atop the league. - Gordon Brunt

No. 12: David De Gea, Manchester United

2014-15: 37 appearances, 2.5 saves per game, 10 clean sheets

Nesci Campo Brunt Chandler Bedakian
12 11 17 10 16

From someone who, generally speaking, loathes goalkeepers and thinks they are mostly interchangeable, the fact David De Gea was a point-saving behemoth for the Red Devils in 2014-15 can't be denied. Would they be in the Champions League this year without the pliable Spaniard between the posts? You know the answer to that. - Gianluca Nesci

No. 11: Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea

2014-15: 35 appearances, 1.91 saves per game, 19 clean sheets

Nesci Campo Brunt Chandler Bedakian
13 - 15 20 15

Teams wait years, sometimes decades, to find and develop goalkeepers into a dominant shot-stopper needed to win titles like Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian has provided Chelsea with the perfect replacement for legendary 'keeper Petr Cech and figures to replicate his predecessor's achievements with multiple trophies. - Gordon Brunt

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