Ranking the Premier League's 50 best players: 30-21

With the Premier League set to return on June 17, theScore will be counting down English football's top 50 players as voted by our editors. We'll reveal 10 stars every day until the top 10 are unveiled on June 14.

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

30. Rodri (Manchester City)

Manchester City paid the big bucks to secure a long-term replacement for Fernandinho, the versatile Brazilian who's covered the cracks in midfield and defense. Rodri is excellent at controlling the tempo of play and keeping his team in possession. He also operates with a certain serenity - no other Premier League midfielder has made more passes while under pressure. At 6-foot-3, Rodri has the physical attributes to hold off opponents and protect the ball from preying feet.

29. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)

Despite playing second fiddle to Sergio Aguero, Jesus continues to make an impact with Manchester City. He's one of the Premier League's most economical strikers, routinely putting himself in position to score. The Brazilian ranks second behind Jamie Vardy with a shot accuracy of 54.2%. But Jesus isn't just a scoring threat, he's also a team player. When asked to play as a left-winger against Real Madrid, the 23-year-old followed Pep Guardiola's instructions to a tee, tracking up and down the left side and bagging a goal in the 2-1 win.

28. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)

At 24 years old, Grealish is set for his first big move. Manchester United and Tottenham have long been linked with the Aston Villa playmaker, and for good reason. Grealish has recorded nine goals and six assists on a team that's fighting against relegation, proving he's more than able of carrying all attacking duties. He's an aggressive dribbler, too, and unafraid to advance play from deeper positions. With the Euros being postponed until next year, Grealish has every opportunity to carve out a spot in England's starting lineup.

27. Fabinho (Liverpool)

Fabinho's transition to the Premier League was difficult. Despite making the move to Liverpool in June 2018, the Brazilian didn't make his first Premier League start until months later in late October. Eventually, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp positioned him at the base of a three-man midfield, and he's played there ever since. But Fabinho is more than just a so-called midfield destroyer; he has a much broader skill set than that. When he's on the ball, he rarely loses it, and when he surges forward, he's hard to stop.

26. Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Jimenez flopped at Atletico Madrid and hardly lit the world afire at Benfica, but he has become one of the league's most productive goalscorers at Wolves. Jimenez is a clinical finisher and aerial menace who combines fluidly with Diogo Jota and Adama Traore while also providing a towering target for Wolves' midfield architects Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves. It's quite remarkable that Jimenez's reputation abroad now mirrors the El Tri standout's prestige in Mexico, something few would have predicted.

25. Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City)

Somewhere on the spectrum of elite right-backs, between crossing czar Trent Alexander-Arnold and defensive stalwart Aaron Wan-Bissaka, lies Leicester City's Pereira. The versatile Portuguese international leads the league in tackles while being fifth in total touches (2,330) and sixth in progressive carrying distance (5,867), and his tireless energy and positional awareness give gaffer Brendan Rodgers both an outlet on the right flank and a dependable ball-stopper.

24. Harry Maguire (Manchester United)

Maguire is starting to get the respect he deserves. His big face and lumbering gait were often used as sticks to beat him with, as ways to depict him as an unsophisticated, throwback footballer. But in truth, Maguire leads Premier League defenders in key passes, and only Wilfried Zaha, Jack Grealish, and Adama Traore are better at carrying the ball upfield in the division. The United skipper is the archetypal modern center-back and was pretty good value at £80 million.

23. Alisson (Liverpool)

Adrian has managed two clean sheets in the 11 league matches in which he's deputized for Alisson. By comparison, Alisson got seven consecutive clean sheets in December and January. Liverpool's celebrated shot-stopper is just one shutout behind Burnley's Nick Pope in the race for the Premier League's Golden Glove despite appearing in nine fewer matches, furnishing his reputation as arguably the greatest goalkeeper on the planet. Oh, and he's quality with his feet, too.

22. Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)

This wasn't in the script. Henderson was signed during Sir Kenny Dalglish's second coming as manager and is therefore a reminder of that ill-fated tenure. He was the unpopular choice to succeed Steven Gerrard as captain. He ran funny and didn't do anything noteworthy when he had the ball. But somehow he's the nucleus of Jurgen Klopp's high-octane system, providing leadership and impeccable work of the ball. A swift swing of his right peg can deliver a perfect ball ahead of the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

21. Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

There is no more polarizing player plying his trade in England's top flight. A majestic and skillful steamroller capable of flipping a match on its head with a perfectly timed run or precise pass, World Cup winner Pogba is also a frequent recipient of not-so-thinly veiled hatred from blowhards like Graeme Souness. "But his hair is purple!" Who cares. Despite being injured this season amid rumors of unrest, Pogba remains one of the league's elite players and a fountainhead of authority and initiative for the club's young stars.