4 best performing Premier League players from the UEFA Champions League group stage (2022-23)

The Group stage of the UEFA Champions League 2022-23 campaign, comprising 32 teams, is over and 16 teams have booked their spot in the knockout round of the competition. Furthermore, eight teams were relegated to the UEFA Europa League, while the remaining eight teams were completely relegated out of the competition.

All four Premier League representatives, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, booked their spots in this year's edition of the knockout round.

On that note, this article will look at the top four performing Premier League players in the group stage of the Champions League competition this season.

#4 Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea)

The Spaniard is arguably one of the best performing goalkeepers in the competition this season and his presence in goal was significant for Chelsea in the group stage.

Kepa kept two clean sheets and conceded only three goals in five appearances during the group stage.

The 28-year-old is one of Chelsea's players that helped them turn around their poor run of form in the competition by keeping two crucial clean sheets against Serie A champions AC Milan.

Kepa remains a key player for Graham Potter in this competition and it will be interesting to see if his presence in goal can help Chelsea progress beyond the knockout stage.

#3 Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

The Uruguayan joined Liverpool from Benfica on a hefty deal and his composure in attack has been pivotal for the Reds in the Champions League so far this season.

Nunez netted three goals and registered one assist in six appearances during the group stage.

The 23-year-old has netted a goal in his last three consecutive Champions League appearances for Liverpool and his intuition in attack is vital for Jurgen Klopp in this competition.

It will be interesting to see if he can surpass Erling Haaland's scoring tally in this competition this season.

#2 Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

The Norwegian is arguably one of the best strikers in the competition this season and his vision in attack is outstanding.

Haaland netted five goals in four appearances during the group stage. Furthermore, he's the third joint highest scorer in the competition so far this season.

The 22-year-old has so far scored 28 goals in 23 Champions League appearances and he remains a vital player for Manchester City in their quest for Champions League glory.

#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Despite Liverpool's inconsistency across all competitions, Salah is arguably the best performing Premier League player in the Champions League so far this season.

Salah netted seven goals and registered one assist in six appearances in the group stage and is currently the joint top scorer in the competition this season.

The 30-year-old has scored 47 goals in the Champions League, which is the highest number of goals scored by an African player in the competition’s history.

Salah remains a pivotal player in attack for Liverpool and his intuition will be crucial if Liverpool stand any chance of winning the trophy.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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