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Football at the highest levels is a game of fine margins. It doesn't take much for a player to be thrown off his game. Mounting pressure, a loss of confidence or setbacks in their personal lives could all significantly affect their form.
But as we all know, form is temporary and class is permanent. World-class quality can't be kept dormant for a long time. Things will eventually fall into place and players will start performing when push comes to shove.
We have plenty of examples of the same in the 2021-22 season. This term, several players who had rather underwhelming outings in the 2020-21 campaign, have come to their own once again.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five stars who are back to their best this season.
#5 Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
After being one of the best players in the Premier League in the 2019-20 season, Sadio Mane couldn't replicate those heroics in the 2020-21 campaign. With all their primary options at centre-back sidelined with injury, Liverpool were not at their best. This affected their attack as well, with Mane and Roberto Firmino underperforming.
Mane scored 16 goals and provided nine assists in 48 appearances across all competitions for the Merseysiders last term. He wasn't at his best and his finishing and decision-making inside the final third was suspect.
But this season has been a different story altogether. Liverpool have fared well so far and have lost just a single game across all competitions so far. Mane has been quite effective alongside Salah, scoring nine goals and providing an assist in 17 appearances across all competitions.
#4 Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich)
Bayern Munich won the continental treble in the 2019-20 season. By those standards, they weren't at their very best last term and Leroy Sane is one of the players they would have wanted more out of.
Sane scored 10 goals and provided 12 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions. While they are not poor numbers for a winger, they are quite low for a player of Sane's quality.
However, the German international has bounced back with a vengeance this term. He has almost equalled his tally from the entirety of last campaign already and we're not even halfway through the season.
Sane has looked a lot more assured in the final third and is playing with a lot of confidence. He has scored eight goals and provided 10 assists in 20 appearances across all competitions so far this term.
#3 Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Ciro Immobile won the European Golden Shoe in the 2019-20 season. He scored 36 goals for Lazio in Serie A and was one of the best strikers in Europe that season. The Italian international underperformed, by his own lofty standards, in the 2020-21 season.
He just didn't look sharp enough in front of goal and he scored just 20 goals in the league, which was nearly half of his output from the 2020-21 season. He did well in the Champions League though, scoring five in five appearances. Lazio had the eighth-best attacking record in the league and finished sixth in the table last season.
But Immobile has been immense for Lazio this term. The 31-year-old has been in great form and has now become Lazio's all-time top goalscorer. Immobile has scored 11 goals and provided two assists in 15 appearances across all competitions so far this season. He definitely seems to be getting back to his best.
#2 Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva struggled to impress in the 2020-21 season. He started only 24 Premier League matches last term and seemed to have taken a step back after the 2019-20 season. But he has upped his game massively this season and has now become an undroppable member of this Manchester City side.
Silva has looked as sharp as ever and is affecting games more regularly these days. He alternates between playing as a false nine or as a right-sided player in a three-man midfield. Silva's dribbling ability, passing and incredible work rate make him a nightmare to go up against.
For a while it had looked like the Portuguese international's lack of pace might stop him from fulfilling the initial promise. His performances this season suggest that he's found a way to circumvent those shortcomings. He has scored four goals and has provided two assists in 17 appearances across all competitions so far.
#1 Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
Paulo Dybala became a peripheral figure at Juventus during the 2020-21 season under Andrea Pirlo. The legendary Italian did not seem to feel like Dybala was crucial to his system. After suffering an injury early last season, the Argentina international struggled to break into the starting lineup.
He made just 26 appearances across all competitions for the Bianconeri last term, scoring five goals and three assists. It even looked like Dybala was starting to regress at the age of 27. But he has proven his worth and has been one of Juventus' best players this term.
He has already bettered his numbers from last season and he has done that in 12 appearances across all competitions. Dybala has scored six goals and provided four assists so far this term. He has a much more influential role to play following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.
Dybala was also one of Juventus' best players in Massimiliano Allegri's first stint as their manager. The partnership seems to be working again and the Old Lady seem to have got their talisman back.
