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#3. James Maddison
James Maddison is another Premier League player who houses exceptional talent. His ball-striking ability and laser-sharp vision have always set him apart from the competition. However, his performances have been below par this season and he is no longer in that England midfield position once destined to be his.
In 12 games so far in the Premier League, Maddison has only scored one goal and provided no assists. These are some below-average numbers for any attacking midfielder. However, the underlying stats for Maddison are what highlight his horror form.
Compared to Maddison’s mammoth 3.18 shots per 90 last season, this season, that number stands at 2.08, the lowest ever in his career. He is also averaging career lows in passes per game at 25.3 and passing accuracy at 73.7%. Furthermore, Maddison is creating only 3.06 shot-creating actions per game compared to his 4.51 last season.
Maddison’s dribbling numbers have also dropped off massively. From averaging 1.37 dribbles completed per game last season, the number has now fallen to 0.14 per game. Such a massive drop within just one season is unheard of. It only becomes worse when one realizes Maddison has only completed one dribble in the Premier League so far.
When on his best form, Maddison is an absolute treat to watch. He can shoot from long distances and provide pinpoint passes. However, when not at his best, it is instead a sorry sight. He is struggling to move the ball forward, or is often too conservative on the ball, which is playing against his strength.
Leicester City will be hoping Maddison can find his feet soon and be the threat he always has been.
#2. Luke Shaw
At the end of the 2020-2021 Premier League season, Luke Shaw was in prime form. He was solid defensively, was providing assists offensively, and was England’s first-choice left-back.
Shaw even had a stellar Euro 2020 campaign where he scored in the final which they lost to Italy on penalties. While many expected Shaw to stamp his authority in world football this year, he has instead gone backwards.
While Shaw is still performing decently on the offensive end, he has struggled defensively. His poor positioning in the defensive line, along with Harry Maguire, has led to Manchester United conceding goals they should not be.
Apart from that, he is also averaging only 1.17 tackles per game at a success rate of only 40%. This is a career-low and a number that puts him in the bottom 30% of all full-backs.
He is also averaging the lowest amount of pressures per game in his career at 9.91. Shaw’s clearances per match have also dipped from 1.83 last season to 1.17 this season, notably another career low.
Shaw has also struggled to dribble the ball this season. He averages a career-low of 0.45 dribbles completed per game and has a success rate of just 45.5%. Known to be strong with the ball at his feet, Shaw has looked a shadow of his former self this season.
It was terrific to watch Shaw succeed last season. After sustaining multiple career-threatening injuries, his recovery to form has been sensational. But this season has highlighted some weaknesses in his game.
Manchester United will hope Shaw can reach the same heights he did in the last Premier League season.
#1. Harry Kane
After leading the Premier league in goals and assists last year with 23 and 14, Harry Kane mentioned that he can still improve on these numbers. However, considering his performances this year, it would be quite a feat if he could manage even half of those.
So far, in 11 games in the Premier League, Kane has one goal and one assist. This is one of the worst starts to a season he has ever had. With Kane still an out-and-out striker, his assist numbers dropping are excusable. But scoring one in 11 is underwhelming for any striker, let alone a prolific one like Kane.
Furthermore, similar to the players above, Kane’s underlying stats highlight his poor start to the Premier League season so far. He is averaging career lows in shots attempted at 2.45, shots on target at 1.08, and expected goals at 0.27. Averaging career lows in all stats essential to a striker will naturally reduce their goal-scoring. This is a problem Kane is currently suffering from.
As far as playmaking is considered, Kane is creating 1.86 shot-creating actions per 90. This is almost half of last season and the lowest in his career. His progressive passes have also dropped from 3.65 last season to 2.25, further displaying his passive nature on the ball this season.
However, the reason for Kane’s underperformance may also be related to Tottenham's struggles as a team. Under Nuno Espirito Santos, Tottenham were one of the least creative teams in the Premier League. As a team, they are averaging less than one goal per match.
To further prove this, though, against weaker opposition, Kane has managed to score 10 goals in six games for England this season. Such contrast in form for club and country is rather unusual.
Under new boss Antonio Conte, it would be interesting to see if Kane can find his usual self. Conte is known for bringing the best out of his strikers, as seen with Romelu Lukaku and Diego Costa. If he can get Tottenham to play fluid attacking football, it should be a certainty that Kane gets back amongst the goals in the Premier League.
