Mahrez, Christensen and Iheanacho make our Premier League Team of the Month
The international break coupled with commitments in both domestic cup competitions saw a reduced schedule in the Premier League in March but there were still enough fixtures to carve our a best rated XI for the month.
Here we will run through the team for March, considering those only to have made three league appearances.
Goalkeeper: Illan Meslier (Leeds) - 7.84 rating
Leeds' three matches only saw five goals scored, in part due to Illan Meslier's form in goal. The 21-year-old has been a superb addition to the Premier League this season and has even been linked with a high profile move to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer. Meslier made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League in March (16) and was the WhoScored Man of the Match in Leeds' 0-0 draw with Chelsea.
Right-back: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United) - 7.30 rating
Manchester United avoided defeat in the league in March with two wins from three matches, turning in arguably one of their best performances of the season to defeat Manchester City and stop their remarkable winning run at the Etihad. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was at his typical best at the back, with only player managing more tackles and interceptions combined per game (6) than the United right-back in March.
Centre-back: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea) - 7.35 rating
Andreas Christensen has enjoyed a superb run in the Chelsea side and is fully deserving of his place in our best rated XI for March. Chelsea didn't concede in any of their three league matches, with Christensen playing an integral role at the back for Thomas Tuchel's side. Christensen ranked in the top five for passes completed (79 pg), with a thoroughly impressive pass success rate of 93.4%.
Centre-back: Harry Maguire (Manchester United) - 7.48 rating
Harry Maguire played a key role in Manchester United consolidating second place in the Premier League in March. Only one player averaged more clearances per game than the United captain (7.3), while the England international also won 12 aerial duels across their three league matches.
Left-back: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City) - 7.40 rating
The Manchester derby was one to forget for Joao Cancelo but the versatile full-back was otherwise at his brilliant best in March. Only one player averaged more tackles per game (4) than Cancelo (12), while the Manchester City ace capped off the month with an assist in their 3-0 win away to Fulham. Not only that, but Cancelo managed three shots, five key passes and six successful dribbles across his three league appearances.
Right wing: Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) - 8.68 rating
Riyad Mahrez finishes March as our Premier League player of the month. The Manchester City winger scored three goals in as many matches, impressively boasting a pass success rate in excess of 90% in two of those appearances, while averaging the second most successful dribbles per game (4) in the division. Mahrez even made four tackles in the Manchester derby, accounting for 21% of his total in the league all season.
Central midfield: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester) - 7.53 rating
Leicester's midfield star, Wilfred Ndidi, finishes March with the second most tackles and interceptions combined (20) in the Premier League. We have said it time and time again, but why no one has tried to prise Ndidi away from the King Power Stadium is bizarre. Not just at his best defensively in March, Ndidi even registered two assists in three league matches. He registered six key passes in that time, half of his total for the campaign.
Central midfield: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 7.55 rating
Kevin De Bruyne closed the month with a brace against Southampton to get himself in our best rated XI, as many as he had netted in his previous 21 league matches combined. De Bruyne didn't look himself in the Manchester derby but remarkably finished the game with eight key passes - a personal record in a Premier League game this season. Across his three league appearances in March he averaged 3.7 shots pg, 3.3 key passes pg and 1.3 dribbles pg.
Left wing: Leandro Trossard (Brighton) - 7.70 rating
Leandro Trossard was arguably the most unlikely player in the Premier League earlier this season, watching effort after effort, five in total, fly back off the crossbar but that now appears behind him after managing two goals and one assist in three league matches for Brighton in March. Trossard closed the month with back-to-back WhoScored Man of the Match awards to put Brighton in a better position to beat the drop.
Striker: Harry Kane (Tottenham) - 7.91 rating
Harry Kane closed March with five goals or assists in four games, earning a perfect 10 rating against Crystal Palace after playing a direct hand in all four of Tottenham's goals (2 goals, 2 assists). Kane won 12 aerial duels across his four league matches, had as many shots, completed five dribbles and registered four key passes.
Striker: Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester) - 8.02 rating
Kelechi Iheanacho scored in all three of his league appearances in March, finishing with five goals in total after capping the month with a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over strugglers Sheffield United. Iheanacho unsurprisngly claimed a perfect 10 rating against the Blades, having also completed six dribbles, one fewer than he had managed all season prior to that. The 24-year-old has now scored as many non-penalty league goals as striker partner Jamie Vardy this season (6).
