The holiday season is upon us, and it’s the perfect time to reflect on who has unexpectedly been making waves for the top clubs of the Premier League so far
There are always players every season who exceed expectation. This season though there has been a remarkable turn around in the careers of several players who would otherwise have been branded ‘past it’ or ‘not good enough.’
Chelsea and Liverpool have been buoyed by the performances of such players, while Manchester United are now learning to rely on them. All three of the clubs boast of some of the biggest names in world football, but it currently looks like it’s the hard workers and not the record breakers who have held them together so far this season.
Here’s a look at the one surprise package playing for Chelsea, Liverpool and United who has been absolutely key for them so far this campaign.
Chelsea
Victor Moses
The big switch from 4-4-2 to 3-4-3 reaped immediate benefits for Chelsea and manager Antonio Conte. The Blues have been unbeaten since, and are now sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table heading into Christmas.
Most of the starting XI remained the same after the switch, with one big exception. Right-back Branislav Ivanovic was dropped in favour of winger turned wing-back Victor Moses. The Nigerian has since gone on to become one of the most important players in the team.
The Nigerian’s marauding runs down the wing have often been an integral part of Chelsea’s attacking play, while his defensive game has been lifted by Conte. His form has been such that there are rumours Barcelona may be interested in him.
Moses’s resurgence is especially remarkable considering that this is a player who had spent the previous three seasons out on loan.
Liverpool
James Milner
At the start of his career if someone had told James Milner that he would be playing left-back for Liverpool at the age of 30, he’d probably have been met with a bemused stare. However, Jurgen Klopp has made a full-back of the English midfield veteran, and it seems to be working beautifully.
The error prone Spanish left-back Alberto Moreno has been completely ousted from the first team set-up since Milner has taken over. The 30-year-old has shown great competence at tracking back, as well as providing defensive stability to allow the attacking players to get forward.
In addition to fulfilling his defensive duties admirably, Milner is also a penalty specialist for Liverpool, converting five spot kicks this season already.
Manchester United
Phil Jones/Marcos Rojo
Manchester United have not one, but two completely unexpected reasons to be full of Christmas cheer this holiday season.
The Red Devils had got off to a great start to the season with three successive victories in the Premier League. Then came the crisis, as defeat to Manchester City triggered a free-fall that has seen them lose to the likes of Watford, Feyenoord and Fenerbahce.
Amidst all of the chaos, the defence seems to have come unraveled. Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling and Daley Blind looked to be a relatively stable and dependable trio of center-halves at the start of the season, but it’s all changed since then.
The Ivorian Bailly and Smalling are both out with injuries, with the latter also coming under fire from manager Jose Mourinho. Meanwhile, Dutchman Daley Blind was moved to left-back to replace Luke Shaw and now seems to have dropped out of the starting XI picture completely.
This has left United with an unlikely pair of hardmen at the back, as the perennially injured Phil Jones and oft erring Marcos Rojo partnership has taken over at Old Trafford. The pair often seem to be living on the edge, but have brought some level of stability to an otherwise leaky United defence.