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(33 league appearances, 43 total appearances): 7/10
As a lover of the little Brazilian that could, it's hard for me to not get rabbit holed into watching Fernandinho highlights when doing this post. I have finally gotten myself of that hole and put this piece together.
After losing his spot in the starting XI at the end of last season, Fernandinho was hoping to reclaim that spot. It took a little longer than he had expected with the likes of Fernando being brought in during the transfer window. Due to some unfortunate luck for Fernando via injuries and poor form, Ferny got his place in the team back. And once he got his place in the team he showed Pellegrini why he should be in the starting XI more consistently. Strong tackles are his strong suit and it was those crunchy tackles that kept opposing players from countering. His reputation as a defensive midfielder allowed Yaya to push forward a bit more, which is when Yaya is at his best. His strong tackles did get him in trouble some times as he accumulated 10 yellow cards throughout all competitions. He isn't much of the goal scoring threat, but when he scores I always scream the loudest because, well, it's Fernandinho!
Other than being a solid defensive midfielder, he was also one of the more consistent players this season. Sure, he had his low moments (the pass to Kompany in the Liverpool match), but you Always knew what you were going to get from him day in and day out. I like to describe him as the defensive David Silva. You love it when he's in the team and you're confused when he is not.