Pep Guardiola doesn't shy away from making big statements, does he?

On Wednesday night, after picking up his 150th Premier League win as Manchester City's manager, he was asked whether Bernardo Silva was one of the top players in England's top-flight at the moment.

His response was emphatic, with The Mirror quoting him as saying: "The best. When we made 98 points two or three years ago, he was the best, too. Take the videos and you will see."

Given what he has won in the game, Guardiola's words hold significant weight. But is he right on this occasion? Is Silva really the best player in the Premier League right now?

Here at GIVEMESPORT, we've done our best to answer that question by putting together a list of the top 10 players in the Premier League this season so far...

10. Virgil van Dijk

It's good to have him back, isn't it?

Liverpool missed the towering Dutchman last season as they slipped out of the title race in the second half of the campaign when he was sidelined.

He has settled back in quickly after his lengthy injury lay-off, though, helping the Reds keep eight clean sheets in their opening 14 league matches this term. If Jurgen Klopp's men want to win the title this year, van Dijk simply has to stay fit.

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9. Reece James

James doesn't turn 22 until next week. We are watching an exceptional player blossom right before our eyes.

Operating as a right wing-back, he is given freedom at Chelsea to get forward on a regular basis, and he has made the most of that in recent months.

With four goals and four assists to his name in 2021/22, he has become on the side's leading attacking outlets.

8. Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold has been in exceptional form lately

Do you remember when Alexander-Arnold was dropped from the England squad earlier this year? That won't be happening again any time soon.

The 23-year-old is arguably the finest crosser of a ball in the league, and his statistics this season have been little short of ridiculous.

He has chipped in with seven Premier League assists, and has three in the Champions League for good measure. Backing up Mohamed Salah down Liverpool's right flank, it is hard to see how that duo can be stopped.

7. Antonio Rudiger

A year ago, it was not exactly clear where Rudiger's career was heading. Frank Lampard did not appear to particularly rate him, so his days at Chelsea looked to be numbered.

Fast forward 12 months, and things have changed dramatically. The German centre-back is now the Blues' most important defender, and is completely trusted by Thomas Tuchel.

Chelsea have only conceded six league goals in 2021/22, and Rudiger deserves a huge amount of credit for making the league leaders' backline so formidable.

6. Rodri

Why did Rodri not start the Champions League final in May? It's a decision that came back to haunt Guardiola, but the Spanish international has hardly been wallowing in self-pity in the months since.

Instead, he has kicked on this season, and is now a crucial cog in City's winning machine. According to WhoScored, he has completed 92.1% of his passes this season, and has completed 27 tackles - no other City player has managed more.

Perhaps he is not the player that immediately stands out in City's star-studded line-up, but you simply cannot deny how important he is to the team at the moment.

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5. Declan Rice

David Moyes has previously said that Rice is worth more than £100m. His comments raised a few eyebrows at the time, but now fans may be starting to see that the Scot was onto something.

Rice has developed into the complete midfielder in recent months, and has played an important role in getting West Ham into contention for a top four finish.

As per WhoScored, he leads the way at West Ham this season for interceptions (27), tackles (37) and total passes (782), plus only Jarrod Bowen has completed more successful dribbles than him. At just 22, Rice is a special talent.

4. Edouard Mendy

Edouard Mendy has become a commanding figure in goal for Chelsea

When Mendy arrived at the club last year, Chelsea supporters probably would have settled for anyone who was better than Kepa. They may not have realised at the time that they had just signed one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.

The Senegalese shot-stopper was outstanding as Chelsea won the Champions League in May, and he has gone from strength to strength since.

His save percentage in the Premier League this season stands at 90.2%. That is staggering. He has to be considered the best goalkeeper in the division right now.

3. Joao Cancelo

He can play on the left, he can play on the right, and he even pops into central midfield from time to time. Come to think of it, there is very little that Cancelo can't do.

This year, he seems to have taken his game to another level. Across all competitions, he has already racked up six assists, including one for Raheem Sterling against Everton last month which was as good a pass as you will see. 

We are so lucky to have full-backs like Cancelo, Alexander-Arnold and James playing in the Premier League right now.

2. Bernardo Silva

Sorry Pep, we're going to go against you on this one. Just missing out on top spot is Silva, who has been phenomenal this season. 

The Portuguese playmaker was linked with a move away in the summer, but City fans will be so glad that he stayed. He has racked up six goal contributions in 2021/22 in the league, and has become the player that makes Guardiola's side tick.

A wizard with the ball at his feet, and he works just as hard to win possession back for his side. Silva gets into any team in the world on current form.

1. Mohamed Salah

Salah may have finished down in seventh place in the recent Ballon d'Or, but he'll get no such disrespect from us.

The 29-year-old scored a brace against Everton on Wednesday, and Jamie Carragher took to Twitter afterwards to hail him as the best player in the world right now. It is hard to disagree.

Salah has now scored 19 goals this season, and has only failed to be directly involved in a goal in two of his 14 Premier League appearances. The level he is playing at is scarcely believable.

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