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The second half of the Premier League awaits us as all teams are set to try to put their best foot forward to get the best possible finish. Most clubs have tried to strengthen themselves in their desired position in the recent winter transfer window. But it also gave players the opportunity to try and understand where they rank on the priority list of their managers.
The Premier League is not new to seeing players of great talent and potential sit on the bench as their quality gets wasted. Sometimes it's due to the strength of the squad and at other times it's just one of those mysteries that does not have an answer to it.
Lack of game time has frustrated many talented Premier League players
This season as well, there are some players who have been undervalued by their clubs. They deserve more playing time than they have been given. With the World Cup coming closer, these players are not wrong to think about their future with the national teams.
Despite showing sparks and flares while coming on from the bench, these players have not been given a sustained run in the team. On that note, here are the five players with the most Premier League appearances without a single start this season.
#5 Donny van de Beek - 8 appearances
Finally, Donny van de Beek is free from the shackles of Manchester United. Although only temporarily, with his loan move to Everton for the remainder of the season. There were growing concerns regarding how his career had been progressing since joining Manchester United.
The Dutch midfielder joined the Premier League side 18-months ago, at a time when he was indispensable in the Ajax squad. The Red Devils coughed up €39 million to secure his signature but in hindsight it looks like they rushed with his signing.
Former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer never gave him a consistent run in the starting XI to cement his place. The 2021-22 season began in the same fashion as the last, with van de Beek only being utilized as a benchwarmer. The change in management to interim manager Ralf Rangnick also didn't seem to help his case. Following this, he moved on loan to Goodinson Park.
The 24-year-old's eight appearances in the Premier League, which have all been from the bench, amounted to an aggregate of 68 minutes on the field. That is no way to treat a €39 million player, Manchester United.
#4 Takumi Minamino - 8 appearances
There's not many surprises with this one. Liverpool have a trident of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane starting games for them and Roberto Firmino on the bench. Hence, it is no surprise Takumi Minamino has been restricted to the sidelines. The forward was bought to play back-up for Jurgen Klopp's formidable front-three and he continues to play the same part.
The Japan international was sent on loan to Southampton for the second half of the 2020-21 campaign. There he saw increased involvement in the Premier League. However, his impact was only minimal with just two goals scored in 10 league appearances.
This season he has got a decent amount of game time in the Champions League and has started four out of five EFL Cup games. He scored the all-important equalizer against Leicester City in the quarter-finals that took the game to penalties as Liverpool won.
Despite his four goals and one assist in the EFL Cup, all his eight appearances in the Premier League have been from the bench. Minamino scored twice in the 86 minutes of total action that he has been involved in the English top-flight all season.
#3 Bryan Gil - 9 appearances
Bryan Gil moved to the Premier League just six months ago when he was signed by Tottenham Hotspur. He was part of a swap deal that saw Erik Lamela go to Sevilla along with Spurs paying €25 million to the Spanish club for Gil.
However, the left-winger never truly settled into the squad and the change in management further reduced the opportunities he had.
Former manager Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked in November while Antonio Conte took over from him. That meant a change of philosophy, a change of system and a change of personnel favored. The Italian clearly did not fancy the 20-year-old in his system and got rid of him for the rest of the season. The winger is now on loan at Spanish club Valencia.
It's funny how he went through the complete first half of the Premier League season without playing the full 90 minutes even once. But in the first game for Los Ches he started the game and played the full 90. In total, he made 20 appearances for Spurs in his six-month spell, but only nine of those came in the English top-flight.
#2 Jesse Lingard - 9 appearances
While the Premier League will hopefully get to see more of Donny van de Beek at Everton, the same can't be said about Jesse Lingard. The English international is stuck with Manchester United and continues to warm the bench.
Newcastle United pushed right to the wire to get a deal done for the player in January, but the Red Devils eventually stopped the transfer. Mason Greenwood is not being allowed to train with or play for the team as the investigation continues into his case of alleged sexual assault and rape. That was partially a factor behind blocking Lingard's move.
Last season was the same story as Lingard struggled for minutes in the Premier League and was then loaned out to West Ham in January 2021. He made a big impact under David Moyes and helped the Hammers book their place in the Europa League. He scored nine goals and had five assists in 16 appearances for the Hammers.
No wonder Eddie Howe was eager to see the attacking midfielder in Newcastle colors. In his nine Premier League appearances, Lingard has only played a total of 88 minutes. He also scored two goals in successive appearances against the Magpies and West Ham respectively in September last year.
#1 Andriy Yarmolenko - 11 appearances
Andriy Yarmolenko has played just 84 minutes in his 11 Premier League appearances this season. He played nearly as many minutes in the U23 Premier League (70) in one appearance. The 32-year-old has really struggled for game time this season in the English top-flight.
Manager David Moyes has tried to give him opportunities in the Europa League, the EFL and FA Cups. But Yarmolenko is the star of the Ukrainian national team and with the World Cup nearing wants more playing time. His manager, Oleksandr Petrakov, is also worried about the same and wants the veteran well drilled.
He has managed one goal and one assist in the Europa League this season. The 32-year-old has attracted criticism for his recent antics in the FA Cup against Kidderminster Harriers.
Yarmolenko pulled off a comical dive to win a penalty against the sixth-tier side and left the fans fuming. Luckily he escaped the booking as West Ham eventually managed to get a last gasp victory with Jarrod Bowen 120th minute goal.
