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The Premier League has very high expectations to live up to, having set such high standards over the years. That has only been possible because teams have played an exciting brand of football.
Given the demands of the Premier League and the quality of opposition, managers have preferred to stick with the winning lineup more often than not. This has sometimes led to some good players being left on the bench.
Premier League teams have a great squad depth
Many of the Premier League teams right now have an amazing set of players in the squad. While it enriches the squad's depth, it doesn't necessarily guarantee game time for every player.
It is a blessing for a manager to have amazing squad depth but at the same time, it is a headache to smartly rotate players. Top Premier League teams have frequently been forced to leave out quality players. On that note, let's take a look at some of those exciting players struggling to get game time this season:
#5 Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur)
Having played his youth career in Ireland, Matt Doherty wasted no time in signing for Wolverhampton Wanderers to kickstart his senior career in 2010. The versatile full-back saw it all at Wolves.
Doherty was part of the squad that was relegated to League One in 2013. With some intense fighting spirit, Wolves were promoted to the Championship and four years later, they were promoted to the Premier League. With his impressive performances on the flanks, he earned a move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2020.
Unfortunately, with injuries and managerial changes, Doherty has struggled to cement a place in the starting eleven. Spurs' defense hasn't been that great and with Antonio Conte now in charge, the Irish defender deserves more game time, especially considering the Italian manager's liking for wing-backs.
#4 Ayoze Perez (Leicester City)
Ayoze Perez came through the ranks at Tenerife in Spain. He only got more recognition when he signed for Newcastle United in 2014.
The Spaniard has got some fine tricks up his sleeves. Perez, with his dribbling, flair, agility and creativity, can be a very useful player in breaking defenses. When he signed for Leicester City in 2019, it looked like he was going to be a regular at the club for years to come.
But after last season, the Spanish midfielder has somehow not been able to get enough chances. The Foxes haven't been doing that great lately and it is best that Brendan Rodgers opts to give Perez more chances to prove his worth.
#3 Nathan Ake (Manchester City)
The reigning Premier League champions Manchester City probably have one of the best squads in the world right now. Manager Pep Guardiola has been very picky about the kind of defenders he wants and has assembled some world-class players in the department.
In 2020, Nathan Ake signed for the Cityzens after his former club Bournemouth were relegated to the Championship in the 2019-20 season. The Dutch defender can play both as a centre-back and a left-back. His aerial abilities combined with his ball-playing skills are of great help given Guardiola's style of play in the Premier League.
Despite all these capabilities, the left-footed defender has struggled to get regular game time at Manchester City. With the presence of Ruben Dias, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte in their Premier League squad, it has been a struggle for Ake to start regularly. If things remain the same, it is likely that the 26-year old might opt to join a new club next summer.
#2 Donny van de Beek (Manchester United)
The case of Donny van de Beek has been no secret. Under former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Dutchman failed to get regular game time in the Premier League despite working hard in training.
To date, it remains uncertain as to what was the reason behind it, but nonetheless it was the wrong call. Under interim manager Michael Carrick, Van de Beek managed to start once and came on as a substitute in the second match.
With Ralf Rangnick announced as Manchester United's new manager, it will be interesting to see how he goes about using Van de Beek. Should the German not opt to play the Dutch midfielder regularly, it is only just that the 24-year old seeks a move away from Old Trafford for the betterment of his career.
#1 Saul Niguez (Chelsea)
Having come through the ranks at Atletico Madrid, Saul Niguez has played more than seven seasons with the Spanish club. It did come as a surprise when they allowed the midfielder to join Chelsea this summer on loan.
The move would also allow the Blues to sign the Spanish player on a permanent basis, if required. The left-footed midfielder is capable of playing in multiple positions in midfield as per the requirements of the manager. With his amazing passing range and crazy long-range goal-scoring abilities, Saul is a very difficult player to contain.
Unfortunately for him, Chelsea are currently blessed with some superb midfielders. Manager Thomas Tuchel must be really having a tough time with options like N'Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount and Saul Niguez at his disposal. This hasn't helped Saul's cause one bit and as of now it looks like his loan move isn't working out well for him.
The Spaniard has also struggled to adjust to the demands of the Premier League so far.
