It’s the 9th and final month of the NextGoalWinner POTM for the Premier League in the 2020/2021 season, and what a season it has been. The awards will return in the new season, however the very final award for the season breaks the trend for this award, in that it is not being awarded for an attacking player. Instead this months award is going to a underrated midfielder who despite winning just about everything in his career, and adding to that with a Champions League in this month, still goes under the radar. He is not a ‘flash’ player, but the work he does is integral to his team, and every club could do with a player like him, Mr N’Golo Kanté.

What a month it has been for the Frenchman, helping his side claim a top 4 spot in the Premier League, and winning the Champions League trophy for only the 2nd time in the clubs’ history. Despite missing out on the FA Cup after the defeat to Leicester, Chelsea fans will be more than pleased with their exploits from this seasons campaign. Kanté has been at the heart of things once again for Chelsea, and quite simply he is winning this award for his performance in the Champions League final. Although Havertz was the hero on the night for the Blues, it was Kanté for me who was man of the match, winning the midfield battle which ultimately won them the game. Guardiola opted not to start a holding midfielder, however that was the wrong move and, if they had a Kanté in their side things would have ended much differently in the game.

The Stats

The stats for a player like Kanté just don’t do him justice, he doesn’t bag goals and assists and isn’t a defender to claim the clean sheets. His work is really unmeasurable by stats in the traditional sense, instead it’s about the battles he wins, the running he does and his link up play in transitions. Instead of waffling through a load of numbers, I will simply say that in the month of May, at the end of a tiring long campaign, Kanté appeared in 6 Chelsea games, and won 5/6 of those games, including Manchester City twice, Real Madrid and Leicester City. If that doesn’t warrant a player of the month award, I’m not sure what will.

Match By Match

May 1st: Chelsea 2-0 Fulham – In the months’ opener, Kanté only featured for 24 minutes as he came on as a substitute when the game was already over. His arrival cemented the clean sheet and kept things steady as Chelsea continued their aim of a top 4 finish. He received a 6.6 rating for his performance, which is expected considering his late arrival to the game and limited influence.

May 5th: Chelsea 2-0 Real Madrid – In the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, Chelsea really pressed on from the 1-1 first leg score to dominate Madrid and reach the final. Kanté was again influential in a great team performance, earning an 8.1/10 rating for his impact on the game. In the 90 minutes, his pass accuracy was at 85% with 29 passes being completed, 22 of those being in the oppositions half, and won 4/6 of his duels. He was once again on top form with 5 interceptions and 2 recoveries of the ball which for him is like counting goals.

May 8th: Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea – Back in the Premier League we were treated to a warm up of the Champions League final, as Chelsea went away to Manchester, and got one over their soon to be final competition. Playing 68 minutes, Kanté had a decent afternoon, earning a 7/10 rating, making 41 passes although most were inside his own half after being pinned back by Guardiola’s men. His superb stat from this one is that he made 8 recoveries in just 68 minutes. This again, I can’t stress enough is crucial to Chelsea’s football. Having a midfielder able to reclaim the football is invaluable when playing a possession heavy side like Manchester City.

May 15th: Chelsea 0-1 Leicester City – In what was the only slip-up for Chelsea in this fantastic month, they lost the FA Cup final to a valiant Leicester City side. Kanté played the full 90 as his side narrowly missed out on the trophy. However, he himself played reasonably solid, with a 7.5/10 rating he was his sides’ top performer, making 53 passes including 30 inside the opposition half, showing Chelsea to be the more dominant side in terms of possession and position. In the 90 minutes he made 2 interceptions and 6 recoveries as he swept up most Leicester threats.

May 18th: Chelsea 2-1 Leicester City – Chelsea got their revenge in the crucial top 4 clash, beating Leicester City 2-1 to set up an intriguing final day. Kanté played just 32 minutes as he came off in the first half with a potential knock. This was a concern for the Champions League final, however as we now know it wasn’t the huge issue many Chelsea fans will have worried about.

May 29th: Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea – In the biggest game of Chelsea’s season, Kanté showed up in style. With City not playing a holding midfielder and opting for a more attacking midfield 3, Kanté had a different battle than he will have expected, and dealt with the likes of Foden, Silva, Sterling, De Bruyne and Mahrez with ease, earning him an 8.2/10 rating and more importantly the Champions League trophy. In the final, his passes were down to 29 and 18 in the opposition half as Chelsea played like the dominant threat. In the 90 minutes, he made 1 interception and crucially 10 recoveries of the ball which as mentioned when they met in the league game, is crucial to block and defend against the threat of Manchester City.