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The 2021/22 Premier League campaign has witnessed some incredible attacking play. A total of 800 goals have already been scored in the top flight this season. But this number could have been very different if certain players had not been fouled in key areas on the pitch.
The Premier League has seen an emphasis on attacking football once again this season
Lighting fast transition goals has been the norm in the current Premier League campaign. Every team is finding different ways to score more goals than their opponents rather than working on not conceding goals. However, the emphasis on attacking football has also seen many more fouls, especially in the final third of the pitch.
On that note, let's take a look at the top five players who have been fouled the most inside the final third in the Premier League this season (2021-22).
#5 Michail Antonio- 17
Michail Antonio has enjoyed yet another effective campaign with West Ham United this season. The Jamaican has performed admirably for the Hammers and not just through goals.
David Moyes has been a success at the London Stadium as he has been able to get each member of the team working hard. This includes Antonio, the full-back turned striker who runs hard yards off the ball before tapping his clinical ability to score goals.
The striker is a menace to defenders due to his physicality and ability to hold the ball up until his teammates join him in outnumbering their opponents on the counter-attack. This often leads to the Jamaican ace getting fouled in and around the penalty box, something that has happened on 17 occasions this season.
Winning free-kicks in dangerous areas is helpful for any team, let alone for a club like West Ham that thrives in set-pieces. Antonio is a massive presence in the final third, something that has helped the Hammers quite a bit over the years, including in the current Premier League campaign.
#4 Conor Gallagher- 17
Conor Gallagher has been indispensable for Crystal Palace this season and that is an understatement at best. The Chelsea loanee has been the heart and soul of the Eagles this term, proving integral in the defensive as well as the attacking half of the pitch.
Driving runs, progressing the ball up the pitch, sound decision making, strength in possession and incisiveness in front of goal are just some of the abilities of the English international.
His eight goals and three assists in 25 Premier League appearances proves the same. Gallagher is also defensively resilient but his main threat lies in the final third of the pitch. He knows how to make possession count, courtesy of which opponents tend to bring him down before he can enter the six-yard box.
This has led to the 22-year-old ace being fouled 17 times in the final third of the pitch this season. A true box-to-box midfielder, Gallagher has been key to Palace's attacking style of play this term.
#3 Daniel James -17
Daniel James has been a game changer on a number of occasions for Leeds United this season. Multiple injuries to Patrick Bamford this season have seen the former Manchester United star move into the centre-forward position this year.
Excellent as a striker as well as a false nine, James can cause havoc amongst most defenders due to his speed and quick thinking. His finishing could use some improvement but his off-the-ball contributions make up for his inefficency in front of goal.
A bit like Jamie Vardy, James does not allow defenders time and space on the ball and presses them into conceding the ball or committing mistakes. This often leads to the Peacocks winning the ball high up the pitch, with James often leading a counter-attack or being at the end of it. So it's no surprise that he has been fouled 17 times in the final third of the pitch this season.
A crucial element of the Jesse Marsch-led side, James' pressing coupled with a hunger to counter attack, could help Leeds avoid relegation this season.
#2 Ivan Toney- 18
Ivan Toney has been incredible this season, especially for someone who is playing his first campaign in the top flight.
The striker has scored 11 goals this season, making him the most productive center forward so far outside the traditional top six sides. But there is so much more to his game than these numbers. Brentford do not enjoy majority possession in most games. They have to make their chances count and Toney is the man responsible for doing the same.
The Englishman holds up the ball brilliantly, dominates defenders in the air and bullies them on the ground, making him a nightmare for opponents. Toney is well aware of it, courtesy of which he wins fouls in useful areas, like the final third of the pitch.
The 25-year-old star has been brought down 18 times in that zone this season and this number is only going to get higher in the final weeks of the campaign.
#1 Jordan Ayew- 20
Jordan Ayew has been the unsung hero for Crystal Palace this season. The Ghanian star has only one goal and three assists to his name in the Premier League this term.
But Patrick Vieira has continued to select the striker due to his other advantages. Things may not be working for Ayew in front of goal, but he is doing the majority of the grunt work in the attacking half of the pitch for the Eagles.
Chasing down centre-backs, finding space in tight areas and faciliating play have been some of the key elements of his game this season. However, this has led to him being fouled 20 times in the final third of the pitch, more than any other player in the Premier League this season.
Ayew is a massive team-player for Palace and his work off the ball could be key to the club securing a top-half finish in the Premier League table this season.
