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The 2019-20 edition of the English Premier League has seen some exemplary performances, some surprise packages and some disappointing displays throughout the course of its season. The likes of Jamie Vardy, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sergio Aguero have once again showcased their brilliance at the highest level whilst Danny Ings and Tammy Abraham have caught the eye with their impeccable attacking exhibits.
Superstar players like David de Gea and Mesut Ozil have been largely underwhelming, but other high-profile names like Kevin de Bruyne and Sadio Mane have taken the league by storm. However, we have also witnessed some incredible improvements in performances of certain players who have surged into the spotlight this term. In this article, we will take a look at the five most-improved players of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign.
#5. Jonny Evans
The former Manchester United defender has become Brendan Rodgers’ most-trusted centre-back at Leicester City this season. Labelled as the ‘steal of the century’ by the former Liverpool manager, Jonny Evans arrived at the King Power Stadium from West Bromwich Albion for a meagre £3.5 million after the Foxes warded off competition from the likes of Manchester City in the summer of 2018 to get his signature.
The Northern Irishman was competing with Harry Maguire and Caglar Soyuncu for a starting spot in the Leicester defense in his debut season but still managed to rack up 24 league appearances. With Maguire’s big-money move to Old Trafford last summer, however, Evans became the principal centre-back at the club and developed a great partnership with Soyuncu at the back. The duo have since then been quintessential to Leicester’s sparkling season which has them cement a place in the top four.
The 32-year-old made just under 150 appearances for United but left the English giants after a lack of managerial trust and restricted playing time. Even legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson was left stunned by Louis Van Gaal’s decision to let go of the experienced Ulsterman. But Evans has reignited his career at Leicester City and looks to stay put in the East Midlands club in what could be the final phase of his career.
Statistically speaking, the centre-half has improved remarkably since last season. His tackle success rate has shot up to 73% this season compared to 54% in the whole of last season. His recoveries, duels won and interceptions have also seen an upward rise in contrast to the previous campaign. Evans is no doubt thriving under manager Brendan Rodgers and has adapted to his style of play with consummate ease. And he will look to attain Champions League qualification with the Foxes if and when the season is resumed after the break.
#4. Dominic Calvert-Lewin
At the start of the season, Everton boasted of a striking quartet of Richarlison, the club’s top-scorer of the previous campaign, Moise Kean, a highly-rated youngster signed from Juventus, Cenk Tosun, an accomplished centre-forward and Oumar Niasse, another experienced target-man. However, 23-year-old Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who broke through at Goodison Park last season, has emerged as the go-to man for the Toffees under both Marco Silva and Carlo Ancelotti.
The Englishman has scored a remarkable 13 Premier League goals this season which puts him level with Tammy Abraham and Raul Jimenez and one short of Sadio Mane and Marcus Rashford in the goalscoring charts. Everton were languishing in the relegation zone after a horrendous start to their season under Silva but their fortunes have changed since Ancelotti’s arrival. The Merseysiders are now vying for a top-half finish, much of this success has to be credited to Calvert-Lewin’s attacking exploits.
Calvert-Lewin scored memorable goals against Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United in what has been an impressive season so far. The England U21 international only managed 6 goals in the entirety of the 2018-19 Premier League season and has scored more than twice that amount this term with 8 games still to go. The coronavirus outbreak may not allow the youngster to improve on his tally but his dominant, rugged and hard-working displays up-front have received plenty of appreciation from around the footballing world.
#3. Bernd Leno
Arsenal’s leaky defense has again proved to be the reason for their downfall this season with Mikel Arteta’s side finding themselves a lowly 10th on the Premier League table with a Herculean task of attaining European football in front of them. However, the only positive for Arsenal at the back has been their 28-year-old goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
The German shot-stopper has been in scintillating form throughout the Premier League campaign. His super reflexes and sensational saves have helped bail out Arsenal on many occasions and prevented them from slipping further down the table. Leno is currently second in the league in terms of saves made (104) with only Newcastle’s Martin Dubvraka (117) ahead of him. He is also joint second in the punches category (17) with only Crystal Palace’s Vincent Guaita leading the charts with 21.
Leno was labelled as a liability in his debut season at the Emirates Stadium with many stating that he may not be a good fit at Emirates. The defense did not help him either with the back-four often coming under heavy criticism for their constant errors and mishaps.
This term, however, the former Bayer Leverkusen man has been Mikel Arteta’s stand-out performer alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who is second in the goalscoring charts. Leno’s consistency and reliability in goal makes him a serious contender for Arsenal’s Player of the Year award come the end of the season.
#2. Scott McTominay
The Lancaster-born midfielder was one of Manchester United’s most prominent performers before a knee injury in December halted his splendid campaign. Scott McTominay, who won United’s Player of the Month awards in both September and October, has greatly benefited from Paul Pogba’s absence this season as he has become Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s go-to man in the middle of the park. The 23-year-old is destined to be a future captain of the club, such is his influence on the team at this young age.
The Scotsman has scored 4 goals and provided one assist in 20 appearances from a defensive midfield position this season, already bettering his goal contribution tally from the previous three combined. He has been a solid presence as well as an attacking channel in the United midfield, constantly found breaking up play and distributing forward passes. He also has a knack for goals as he does not shy away from launching shots from outside-the-box as seen against Arsenal and most recently versus rivals Manchester City.
An extremely hard-working athlete, McTominay has hushed all critics who doubted his ability to perform at the biggest stages. He has not only transformed into a key member of the revolution at Old Trafford but has also become a mainstay of the Scotland national team. The box-to-box midfielder will look to develop a fruitful partnership with new-boy Bruno Fernandes and the injured Pogba when he returns to action. Their combination could become one of the most exciting midfield tridents in the Premier League.
Manchester United fans will be ecstatic with McTominay’s progress at the club and this season, so far, has been representative of what the youngster is capable of achieving in the coming years.
#1. Adama Traore
Wolverhampton Wanderers wide-man Adama Traore has lit up the Premier League with his remarkable performances this season. The Spaniard, who spent fourteen years at Barcelona as a youngster, has finally found his rightful place in the limelight under manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Initially deployed as a right wing-back by the Portuguese manager, Traore is now Wolves’ first-choice winger owing to his consistent displays in attack.
The 24-year-old has an impressive 4 goals and 7 assists in 28 league appearances this season. In his debut campaign, Traore only managed a total of one goal and one assist and largely disappointed the Wolves supporters. However, his stock has increased this term as he has spearheaded the West Midlands club to an incredible 6th place in the Premier League, just 5 points off the Champions League spots. Traore is one of the fastest athletes in world football but this season, he has developed into a player who is much more than just speed and agility.
The former Middlesborough and Aston Villa man uses his explosive pace to tear into defenses and his remarkable physique allows him to shield the ball effectively. Traore has added a much-needed end product to his dribbling and trickery as he gets into meaningful spaces and creates chances for the likes of Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota. His improved technique in the final third has also helped him add goals to his game.
Traore’s performances this term have not only caught the eye of many viewers across the world but also of some of Europe’s elite clubs who are ready to break the bank and land him in the upcoming transfer window.
