With the dreaded international break now upon us, the Premier League table is beginning to take shape. Manchester City and Manchester United lead the way, but can expect to have Tottenham and Chelsea pounce on any potential slip up over the coming weeks. Two of the top four have since relied on performers exceeding expectations to raise them to their lofty position so far this season and here, we run through five such players to do so thus far.
Ben Davies - Tottenham
In an interview days before the start of the season, Danny Rose revealed he hopes Spurs make a couple of signings. “Not players you have to Google,” the England international said. He wouldn’t have had to Google teammate Ben Davies, however, who has made a blistering start to the season. The Tottenham star has played an influential role in their rise up the table. The Welshman was always renowned for his defensive solidity, but has added attacking verve to his repertoire his term. A goal and an assist at Huddersfield on Saturday means he has been directly involved in four league goals for the north London side, all of which have come away from home.
A host of Spurs players have been hogging the limelight, but Davies’ impact should not go under the radar. He has been an effective performer at left wing-back, providing the offensive thrust Mauricio Pochettino requires from his full-backs to help stretch opponents. Indeed, he’s made more key passes (16) than any other defender in England’s top tier this term. Pochettino has made a habit of developing full-backs and Davies is the latest in an ever-growing line of defenders to have come on leaps and bounds under the Argentine. Fans were worried when it was confirmed Rose would miss the start of the season. Now, the injured left-back should be concerned whether he’ll even get his place back in the team upon recovery.
Marouane Fellaini - Manchester United
You have to hand it to Marouane Fellaini for the way he has handled his critics. The Belgian was a key reason for Manchester United’s Europa League triumph earlier in the year, yet some quarters of the United fan base felt the team was better than the former Everton man. He was booed by supporters back in December, but those boos have now been replaced by cheers, particularly after his brace against Crystal Palace on Saturday, his two-goal salvo at the weekend his first in the Premier League since February 2013. Injury to Paul Pogba could well have derailed United’s title charge, yet Fellaini’s impact has been of the highest standard.
That he’s made only three top-flight starts this season is symbolic of the strength in depth available to United head coach Jose Mourinho, but even he could not have anticipated Fellaini having such an impact for the club this season. Nemanja Matic’s arrival threatened to push the 29-year-old further down the pecking order, however he’s now a key man for United in their bid to lift the Premier League trophy. His style may not be as aesthetically pleasing as some of his United teammates, but Fellaini is the archetypal Mourinho player, in that he is prepared to carry out his manager’s instructions without complaint and gets the job done. He’ll be a key man over the coming months for United, that’s for sure.
James Tarkowski - Burnley
When Burnley sold Michael Keane to Everton, they did so with a heavy heart. However, his refusal to pen a new deal meant that if they did not sell the England international over the summer, they will have lost him on a free next year. Rather than invest in a new centre-back, though, Sean Dyche merely promoted James Tarkowski to first choice alongside Ben Mee and Burnley haven’t looked back. The 24-year-old was used primarily from the bench last season and when Burnley were leading as they looked to defend and see out wins. Making just four league starts, the former Brentford man could have strived to seek a move away from Turf Moor in a bid to secure first team football, but instead he has bided his time and has been rewarded with a prominent role for the Clarets.
Burnley sit 6th in the Premier League coming into the international break and have conceded just five goals in seven games, in part due to the centre-back partnership for Mee and Tarkowski. Indeed, the latter has won the second most aerial duels (35), blocked the joint-most shots (15) and made the most clearances (74) in England’s top tier with his no holds barred approach to defending and notable reading of the game key in Burnley’s strong start to the season. Keane kept Tarkowski out of the starting XI last term, but his early season form means fans have quickly forgotten Keane and found a new defensive hero in the solid Tarkowski.
Abdoulaye Doucoure - Watford
Similar to Burnley, Watford have also enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, with Marco Silva’s influence yielding immediate results. The Hornets are eighth in the Premier League and level on points with the Clarets, but behind Sean Dyche’s side on goal difference. The midfield impact of Abdoulaye Doucoure has again been essential for Watford, with the 24-year-old’s performances assisting in Silva’s strong start to life at Vicarage Road. Having struggled for game time last term - Doucoure made just 14 league starts under Walter Mazzarri - he’s undroppable for the Hornets now, noted in that he is the only outfield player to have played every Premier League minute this term for Silva’s side.
While not one to shirk his defensive responsibilities, as averages of 1.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game notes, Doucoure is key to retaining possession and maintaining dominance for this Watford team. He is making more passes per game (63) than any other Watford player this campaign, while an 85.3% success rate ranks highly for the club. The injury to Nathaniel Chalobah is a blow, but by keeping Doucoure fit, the Hornets have their man to keep play ticking over. It may have taken time to establish himself in the midfield under Mazzarri last season, but now a key first teamer, it’s evident to see why he is rated so highly by Watford fans and those who witnessed his outings in a Rennes shirt prior to his move to England.
Alberto Moreno - Liverpool
Liverpool rejected a number of offers for Alberto Moreno over the summer, even after the arrival of Andrew Robertson from Hull. James Milner was Jurgen Klopp’s first choice left-back last season and the Scot’s arrival threatened to push Moreno further down the pecking order. Moreno made only two Premier League starts last season, so an Anfield exit was not entirely out of the question. However, Liverpool wouldn’t dream of selling the former Sevilla man now, with the 25-year-old starting five of seven league games under Klopp this term. The Reds may be floundering considering the quality running through the squad, but Moreno is one who is exceeding expectations for the Merseyside outfit.
His attacking output has never come in for criticism and he’s excelling when pushing forward as a return of 1.8 key passes per game, the fourth best for Liverpool, suggests. It’s his defensive duty, though, that has improved. When he first joined from Sevilla, Moreno was an excellent attacking full-back, yet shirked the defensive side to his game and rather relied on his athleticism to cover the space he has left behind. This aspect of his game has improved, however, in that he is third for tackles (2.4) and fourth for clearances per game (2.8) of all Liverpool players this season. The Reds need to improve in certain areas of the pitch in January, but left-back is no longer one of them, particularly with Moreno in good form and Robertson a solid understudy. Klopp will be enthused that he has two specialists in the position and one of which has repaid the faith shown in him after a rocky period in his Liverpool career.
