'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Ross Barkley (Chelsea/Aston Villa)
Ross Barkley arrived on loan at Aston Villa at the start of the 2020-21 Premier League season and appeared to get into his stride before a hamstring injury forced him off after just five minutes into the game against Brighton.
The 26-year-old midfielder has been beset by injuries in the past. Barkley has missed games galore for Everton and Chelsea over the last few seasons because of hamstring and foot injuries.
Following his latest injury, Villa would fervently hope that Barkley wouldn't be sidelined for too long, as the player has already scored twice and assisted once in six Premier League games this season.
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith spoke highly about Barkley after the Brighton game:
"He's a high-calibre player. I'm thankful to Chelsea that they've loaned him to us, and I sold him the project here and told him I'll get him in the Euros squad, and he's going to try and help us win football games. He's certainly done that in his first couple."
Barkley, along with Jack Grealish, has been at the forefront of everything good that has been about Aston Villa in the 2020-21 Premier League as the Cottagers find themselves in a creditable seventh place in the league table.
#2 Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
Joao Cancelo became the most expensive right-back in history when Manchester City acquired his services last summer.
The 26-year-old Portuguese player became a regular in Pep Guardiola's side, appearing in over 30 games in all competitions and impressing with his speed, dribbling ability, creativity and crossing prowess.
Cancelo has been quietly going about his job in the 2020-21 Premier League too, producing a Man-of-the-Match performance against Arsenal. He has been one of the rare bright sparks for a rather dismal City, who find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the table after their latest setback at Tottenham Hotspur.
#1 Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur)
Signed up by Tottenham Hotspur this summer, 25-year-old Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg did not take much time to hit his stride at his new club. He particularly stood out in Spurs' impressive Premier League win over Manchester City.
Hojbjerg arrived at Spurs with a 'nasty' reputation of breaking up opposition play - he won possession more times than any other player in the Premier League last season. Endeared by these attributes, Jose Mourinho - a manager who doesn't mind winning ugly - landed the Danish midfielder at Tottenham Hotspur.
Hojbjerg has brought much-needed steel to the Spurs midfield. Although he does not score too many goals or produce assists to hog much of the limelight - blame it on Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min for that - the Dane is becoming an indispensable player under Mourinho.
In the Premier League win against City, Hojbjerg covered more ground than any other player as he executed Mourinho's tactical gameplan to perfection.
Mourinho would love to see Hojbjerg continue in the same vein (read 'do more of the dirty work without any qualms') as an impressive Spurs look to make a title run in the Premier League this season.
