Tottenham have put together another exceptional season only for their Premier League title challenge to end in near-certain heartbreak for the second campaign in a row.
Chelsea are just three points away from the championship following their 3-0 win over Middlesbrough on Monday, with Spurs' pursuit of them faltering last week as they lost 1-0 to West Ham at the London Stadium.
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Nevertheless, Mauricio Pochettino's men have surpassed all expectations in 2016-17 and there are numerous worthy picks for their Player of the Season prize.
The likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Victor Wanyama, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Kyle Walker and Hugo Lloris have all been superb for long periods of the season but Goal has decided on a top three, presented in descending order.
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3. DELE ALLI
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The former MK Dons midfielder has taken to Premier League football like a duck to water.
This is only Dele's second season in the top flight but he has already made himself at home, producing a mammoth return of 17 goals and seven assists in 34 Premier League games despite only turning 21 in April.
The playmaker has a near-telepathic understanding with Kane, and his form in the second half of the season in particular deserves recognition.
Pochettino's side put together a run of nine wins in a row following a 2-0 loss to Liverpool with Dele contributing either a goal or an assist in seven consecutive appearances. He also scored in the vital 2-0 win over Arsenal in the final north London derby at White Hart Lane.
Greater things are sure to come; if Dele continues to play like this, though, that may be at Camp Nou or the Santiago Bernabeu.
2. JAN VERTONGHEN
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Toby Alderweireld won the club's official Player of the Season award in 2015-16 on the back of a stunning campaign, but this time it is his central-defensive partner's turn to take the plaudits.
Vertonghen has barely put a foot wrong all season, with this surely his finest term since his first year at the club following his signing from Ajax. With Alderweireld, he has helped Spurs to concede just 23 goals in 35 matches - the best record in the English top flight.
Vertonghen did miss four games earlier this season with an injury, and it is no surprise that Spurs won just once in that period - a 1-0 win over relegated Middlesbrough.
The 30-year-old has been utterly integral to Pochettino and summed up his season with a faultless display against Arsenal two fixtures ago.
1. VICTOR WANYAMA
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It is rare that a player will adapt seamlessly to his new surroundings, and instantly become one of his new club's best players. Victor Wanyama has done just that.
Signed from Southampton last summer for a fee of around £11 million, Wanyama was expected to provide backup to Eric Dier, who had emerged as Spurs' best defensive midfielder.
Instead, Wanyama has usurped Dier - rendering links between Manchester United and the Englishman all the more laughable - and has proven the doubters, who claimed that Spurs' signing of the Kenya international was an example of them taking the cheap option, remarkably wrong.
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Wanyama has made 33 appearances thus far this season, and has also scored two vital goals - against Crystal Palace and Hull City - while confirming his status as the club's most important midfielder.
While many would claim that either Christian Eriksen or Mousa Dembele are more technically gifted, they are allowed to thrive thanks to Wanyama's excellent ability to break up play and redistribute possession.
His performance against Arsenal showcased an attacking side to his game, too, as he repeatedly strode forward and created chances for his team-mates. In a nutshell, Wanyama can do it all.
