Arsenal: Laurent Koscielny
Unai Emery’s selections have been almost impossible to second guess but if there is one outfield player who is guaranteed to start – when fit – it is Koscielny. Arsenal have often looked shaky at the back away from home and the captain stands to be a galvanising figure in the run-in, particularly as five of the club’s eight games are on the road. David Hytner
Bournemouth: Josh King
The Norway forward has 11 Premier League goals this season and will be hoping to match his tally of 16 from 2016-17 as Eddie Howe’s side attempt to beat that season’s ninth place – their highest finish. The Cherries’ attacking trio of King, Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser have a combined 28 goals and 19 assists. Ed Aarons
Brighton: Glenn Murray
The veteran forward’s recent goal drought coincided with the dip that led to Brighton’s slide into relegation trouble. However the 35-year-old scored his 13th goal of the season in the recent win over Crystal Palace. Brighton will need Murray to keep firing as they look to stay out of the bottom three. Jacob Steinberg
Burnley: Tom Heaton
Burnley have just lost four games in a row, and the mid-season revival that saw Tom Heaton reclaim his goalkeeping place from Joe Hart has gradually faded to leave the Clarets perilously close to the relegation positions. To survive Burnley need to stop shipping goals and must hope Heaton can recover the form of a couple of months ago. Paul Wilson
Cardiff City: Víctor Camarasa
Signed on loan from Real Betis, Camarasa has been excellent this season. An elegant player with an eye for a goal, the Spaniard brings a touch of class to a workmanlike team with his craft, flair and intelligent use of the ball. There is nobody else quite like him at Cardiff. Stuart James
Chelsea: Eden Hazard
Maurizio Sarri might argue Jorginho remains his team’s key performer, and could argue it is only a matter of time before Gonzalo Higuaín finds his range. But Chelsea will surely not secure Champions League qualification without Eden Hazard fit and firing. The Belgian remains this team’s attacking inspiration, a live-wire propelling them forward and contributing goals (13) and assists (11) aplenty. When opponents double up on him, teammates are liberated into space. These might be the last few months we see Hazard wearing Chelsea blue. If he is to leave for Real Madrid, he will want to depart on a high. Dominic Fifield
Crystal Palace: Michy Batshuayi
Palace have leant heavily on Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s outrageous talent from right-back, or Luka Milivojevic’s authority in the centre, and will miss the injured Mamadou Sakho’s influence from centre-half. They will always be reliant upon Wilfried Zaha to provide an attacking spark, whether through outrageous skill or searing pace. Yet what this team have missed all season has been a natural goalscorer to convert the chances (not all of them clear-cut) they create. To that end, maintaining their Chelsea loanee Michy Batshuayi’s form will be key. DF
Everton: Gylfi Sigurdsson
The club record signing can leave Everton wanting more at times but, in another underwhelming season overall at Goodison Park, his quiet effectiveness has been valuable for Marco Silva. The Iceland international has repaid the manager’s confidence in his abilities as a No 10 with 12 Premier League goals – the highest total of his top-flight career – and an increased influence on the team. Andy Hunter
Fulham: Aleksandar Mitrovic
Despite spending more than £100m on signings in the summer, Fulham have increasingly relied on players who helped them achieve promotion last season after their fate became clear a few weeks ago. Aleksandar Mitrovic hasn’t found the net since his double in the win over Brighton in January but will be looking to put himself in the shop window for a potential summer move in the seven fixtures remaining. EA
Huddersfield: Karlan Grant
With relegation looming, the manager, Jan Siewert, aims to finish this campaign in a way that spawns hope for next season. Karlan Grant could fire in the goals required for a promotion charge from the Championship. The 21-year-old has scored three times in six Premier League appearances since joining from Charlton in January, more than any other Huddersfield forward has managed all season. Paul Doyle
Leicester City: Jamie Vardy
A case could be made for Youri Tielemans, who has showed some lovely touches since arriving from Monaco, but it is hard to look beyond Vardy. With five goals in his last six matches, the former England striker is thriving again and the focal point of a rejuvenated Leicester team. SJ
Liverpool: Virgil van Dijk
The polished rock in the Liverpool defence has been ever-present in the Premier League and Jürgen Klopp’s team depend on his fitness and form continuing for the duration of their enthralling title challenge with Manchester City. Sadio Mané has excelled in attack but it is Van Dijk’s composure, class and authority that shape the title push. AH
Manchester City: Raheem Sterling
For most of last season Manchester City was the Kevin De Bruyne show. This campaign has largely been an exercise in proving they can win without their most creative player, but to do that they need pace and penetration from Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sané and Riyad Mahrez on the flanks, with the in-form Sterling arguably the most important. PW
Manchester United: Paul Pogba
Everything at Manchester United seems to come down to money, and if supporters have been disappointed by the contribution of the highest-paid player – Alexis Sánchez – at least there have been signs that Paul Pogba can justify his record transfer fee. Now something of a bellwether at Old Trafford, if Pogba is happy the rest falls into place. PW
Newcastle: Miguel Almirón
“Wor Miggy”has breathed new life into Rafael Benítez’s side, proving a catalytic figure in a, so far, successful-seeming quest to escape a relegation skirmish. Unless you have seen the £20m Paraguay playmaker – signed from Atlanta in January – live, it is hard to appreciate just how devastating Almirón’s change of pace is. His speed with the ball at his feet is breathtaking and he is extremely sharp, mentally and technically. Almirón fazes opponents by drifting between the lines and inspires teammates to raise the collective bar. Louise Taylor
Southampton: James Ward-Prowse
His first competitive senior appearance for England in Montenegro as a substitute was just reward for the purple patch with his club that saw Ward-Prowse propel himself back into contention for his country. Now the onus will be on the 24-year-old set-piece specialist to maintain his form as Southampton prepare to enter the familiar territory of a relegation battle. EA
Tottenham: Harry Kane
Did he return too soon from injury? Has he undermined Son Heung-min? Does he make the team play too directly? Harry Kane is used to the questions and the scrutiny. But the fact remains that the Golden Boot-chasing striker is Spurs’s most potent threat, the player most likely to deliver when it matters. DH
Watford: Abdoulaye Doucouré
The dynamic central midfield duo of Abdoulaye Doucouré and Étienne Capoue have been, in every way, at the heart of Watford’s success this season. But while Domingos Quina and Nathaniel Chalobah deputised admirably during Capoue’s three-match suspension in December, Doucouré’s three-game, injury-enforced absence earlier this year saw the team perform poorly and confirmed his status as the team’s true linchpin. Simon Burnton
West Ham: Declan Rice
The 20-year-old has emerged as one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League and made his England debut this month after switching allegiance from the Republic of Ireland. West Ham’s hopes of grabbing seventh place will rest heavily on Rice’s calm interceptions and perceptive passing. JS
Wolves: Raúl Jiménez
You could take your pick from four or five but it arguably comes down to a toss of a coin between João Moutinho and Jiménez. The latter gets the nod here because, with six assists as well as 15 goals, the Mexican makes such an influential contribution when it comes to deciding games. SJ