4 Best players from teams outside the top six in the Premier League this season

The 2019-20 Premier League campaign has been interesting to watch so far. After 16 games, elite teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are not in the top six, Leicester City are more of a threat to Liverpool than Manchester City, and teams that were predicted to finish among the bottom three are breaking into the top 10.

Almost every team made some quality signings over the summer and some of these new faces are quietly having a significant impact on their teams and on the league, in general. Brighton, for instance, beat multiple teams to secure the signature of Neal Maupay, who scored 25 goals for Brentford last season and has continued that trend in the top flight.

Newly-promoted Sheffield United have exceeded expectations this season as a result of collective effort and urgency. The Blades did not make any major signings this summer, but they have a few players who are more comfortable playing in the top tier of English football than they were in the Championship.

The list goes on and on as several teams are claiming impressive results because of the stellar performances from certain individuals in their squads. In some cases, players who were simply mediocre last season are performing at an elite level this term.

Everyone knows who the top players are in the Premier League, but there are a few players from outside the top six teams who have been going about their business very efficiently and have gone under the radar.

Jetro Willems

Jetro Willems is currently under contract with Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, but is playing for Newcastle United as a loanee. Newcastle brought Willems over in a deal that gives them the option to buy next summer, but the Dutch wing-back has been a top player for the Magpies and it looks like he will be handed a permanent contract in January.

Steve Bruce has gone back and forth between DeAndre Yedlin, Emil Krafth and Javier Manquillo at right-back, but Willems has solidified his place on the left flank. As a defender, Willems has scored on two occasions, against Liverpool and Manchester City, and has registered two assists.

Willems' ability to bring the ball forward and make overlapping runs into the final third has helped Newcastle United become one of the most dangerous counter-attacking teams in the Premier League. Fans would be wise to keep an eye on the 25-year-old who will most likely regain his place in the Dutch national team as a result of his good run of form with the Magpies.

Neal Maupay

Several teams in the Premier League expressed interest in Neal Maupay over the summer, but Brighton & Hove Albion managed to secure his services and he is proving to be a worthwhile investment.

Signing players from the Championship is always risky as these strikers tend to dominate in the second tier, but only have average careers in the top flight. So far, Maupay is proving that he clearly belongs in the Premier League.

The French striker already has six goals to his name this season, which makes him the seventh-highest scorer in the league after 16 games. Only Marcus Rashford has taken more shots, 51, than Maupay.

Maupay scored 37 goals for Brentford in the Championship in two seasons and it looks like he has brought that good form with him to Brighton. He is on track to finish the season in double-digit figures.

Danny Ings

Danny Ings has been the only bright spot for Southampton this season. The former Liverpool striker has been on fire, scoring nine goals in 16 games for the Saints. Ings is currently setting a personal record this season as he has scored in five consecutive games, with his most recent goal being against Newcastle United last weekend.

Ings is currently fourth in the Golden Boot race in the Premier League behind the following strikers: Jamie Vardy (16), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (11), Tammy Abraham (11) and Marcus Rashford (10).

Three of the players ahead of Ings in this race play for top five teams, so seeing Ings, whose team is currently in the relegation zone, compete with them is quite the achievement. The Saints will be in trouble at the end of this season if more players from wide positions and central midfield do not start contributing goals. Ings has scored an alarming 50% of the Saints' goals this season.

At the age of 27, Ings is still in his prime and he looks like a man on a mission. If Southampton avoid relegation in May, they will have their primary striker to thank for that. Keep a close eye on Ings for the remainder of the season as he aims to carry Southampton on his back.

Anwar El Ghazi

Anwar El Ghazi is quietly having himself a great season with Aston Villa. The Dutch midfielder's diving header against Derby County in the play-off final last season earned the Villans their promotion, but his contribution has carried over into the Premier League as well.

El Ghazi has scored three goals and registered four assists in 14 appearances this campaign. The former Ajax and Lille midfielder is playing under the shadow of Jack Grealish and John McGinn at Villa Park, but he is a dynamic player whose contributions to the team have been noteworthy.

El Ghazi's ability to combine strength and pace as a winger is a key reason why he gets into the right positions near the penalty area or inside the box when Aston Villa press forward. Standing at 6'4" (1.95m), El Ghazi is a threat in the air and he is one of the most dangerous players in the league during set-pieces.

At times, El Ghazi does struggle with consistency, especially defensively, but when the winger gets going he is capable of dictating terms on the pitch and influencing the final outcome. Aston Villa find themselves in a relegation battle in their first season back in the Premier League and they will turn to players like El Ghazi to lead the way to safety.