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In a year ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-21 season had a belated start, as the previous campaign extended till August in a few leagues. That has had an effect on the performances of a bevy of top teams and players.
Owing to the shorter than usual off-season, the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Manchester City have made indifferent starts to the new season.
Virgil van Dijk and Joshua Kimmich, mainstays of their respective teams - Liverpool and Bayern Munich - are out with long-term injuries. Lionel Messi is only beginning to get into his stride after a slow start to the season for Barcelona.
5 players who are back to their best in 2020-21
The length of the 2019-20 season and the ensuing short turnaround before the start of the new one was expected to take a toll on the performances of most players and teams.
However, some players have managed to get back to their best in 2020-21 after rather lukewarm campaigns last season. On that note, let's have a look at five such players.
#5 Henrikh Mkhitaryan (AS Roma)
An out-of-form Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was deemed surplus to requirements under Unai Emery at Arsenal, was shipped out on loan to AS Roma, where the midfielder has been a man reborn.
Mkhitaryan has rediscovered his mojo he last displayed in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund but struggled to repeat that in the Premier League.
The Armenian midfielder made a creditable 14 goal contributions (nine goals and five assists) in the Serie A to help Roma finish fifth in the league table and qualify for Europe.
After joining the club on a free transfer in the summer, Mkhitaryan has been on a tear in 2020-21, seemingly carrying on from where he left off last season.
The attacking midfield player has been at his playmaking best this campaign. He has almost tallied a goal-contribution per game (12 in 13 games), scoring five goals and assisting four in the Serie A and netting a goal and providing two assists in the Europa League.
Mkhitaryan, who has started every league game for Roma this season, recently notched up his first hat-trick for the club against Genoa, before following up with a brace in the next game against Parma.
Mkhitaryan's form could be crucial for the club this season, as Roma seek a deep run in the Europa League and look to finish in the top 4 to return to the Champions League.
#4 Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Joao Felix arrived at Atletico Madrid in a gargantuan €127 million transfer from Benfica last season, but couldn't hit the ground running despite massive hype around him.
The 20-year-old Portuguese player scored only six times in 27 La Liga games and thrice in six matches in the Champions League as Atletico Madrid struggled to make an impact in both competitions.
However, after an indifferent debut campaign, Felix has been a different player for the Rojiblancos. He has already produced eight goal-contributions in five La Liga games this season (five goals and three assists) and has also netted twice in four games in the Champions League.
Felix's blistering form has reaped rich dividends for Atletico Madrid, who have won seven of their nine La Liga games this season to sit a point behind table-toppers Real Sociedad.
If the Portuguese player continues his good form and produces a breakthrough campaign, Atletico Madrid could end Real Madrid and Barcelona's six-year La Liga duopoly.
#3 Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona)
Philippe Coutinho has been in red hot form for Barcelona after he returned from a productive loan spell at Bayern Munich.
The expensive acquisition from Liverpool had a rather lukewarm debut campaign at Barcelona in 2017-18. He produced nine goals in 22 La Liga games, but much more was expected from the Brazilian midfielder after his blistering exploits for the Reds.
At the end of the season, Coutinho was inexplicably deemed surplus to requirements, and Barcelona loaned out the player to Bayern Munich. The move seemed to do wonders to the player's confidence.
After a decent campaign with the treble winners, Coutinho returned to the Camp Nou in the summer and has been one of Barcelona's few bright sparks in what has been a difficult 2020-21 campaign under new manager Ronald Koeman.
Understandably, Koeman is elated with the Brazilian player's early-season form, noting in this regard:
"He's a very good player. He's a player that learned a lot in England, a lot in Bayern Munich. My job as a coach is to get the best out of every player. And that starts by putting them in their position. I think that generates more confidence."
#2 James Rodriguez (Everton)
Real Madrid reject James Rodriguez has received a new lease of life at Everton after being reunited with his former manager Carlo Ancelotti.
The Golden Boot winner at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil has hit the ground running in the Premier League. He has conjured six goal contributions in eight games (three goals and as many assists) after spending large swathes of the last few seasons on the Real Madrid bench.
Still only 29, Rodriguez is thrilled at the prospect of being able to play regular first-team football again.
“Both (Everton and Ancelotti) trusted me when nobody did. I’ll forever be grateful to the club and to Carlo. That’s why I try to show my best in every game, that’s why I try to play at my highest level. This is what I want to do for the club," said Rodriguez after his arrival at Everton.
Once regarded as one of the best young players on the planet, the Colombian international can operate in a number of positions in the attacking and middle third of the pitch. Rodriguez is particularly renowned for his playmaking, dribbling skills and set-piece prowess.
If the player continues his early-season exploits at Everton, it may not be too long before James Rodriguez is courted by some of the bigger clubs in the continent once again.
#1 N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
N'Golo Kante has been one of the key players for Chelsea since his arrival from Leicester City four years ago.
He has played at least 34 Premier League games in three of his last four seasons at the club. However, a spate of injuries last season meant that the diminutive Frenchman only appeared 22 times in the competition for Chelsea.
Evidently, the defensive midfielder was not at his best, as Chelsea conceded too many goals and barely managed to clinch a top-four finish on the last day of the season to qualify for the Champions League.
However, in 2020-21, Kante has put a difficult campaign behind him and is back to his best. The Frenchman particularly put on a fabulous performance in the goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur, shutting out Spurs captain Harry Kane and closing down the channels for the in-form Son Heung-min.
It was a glimpse of the old Kante, who flourished in a deep midfield role and protected his two centre-backs. He has had a huge role to play in Chelsea's new-found defensive sturdiness after the club leaked goals galore last season.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is understandably elated about the player's rich vein of form, saying:
“Last year he missed 50% of the games with injuries, he had a tough time for different reasons and we are working very hard on that to get him as fit and fresh. Now we are managing his training and game-time, but his levels of performances are really high.”
