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The 30th edition of the Premier League is less than a week away and will kick off on August 14. The opening match of the 2021-2022 campaign will be the London Derby between Brentford and Arsenal.
It won't be an easy task for the champions Manchester City to defend their Premier League title as other clubs have reinforced their squads in the summer.
Manchester United have done some solid business, acquiring Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho. Meanwhile, Chelsea are on the verge of bringing Romelu Lukaku to England from the Serie A. Virgil van Dijk has also returned from injury for Liverpool and will make them a stronger side.
We all know who the best players are at every club. Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City. Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus. Youri Tielemans at Leicester. The most important player, however, is someone quite different. He is the player who has the biggest influence on his team and someone the squad would struggle to replace.
On that note, we look at the most important players at five specific Premier League clubs.
#1. Arsenal - Kieran Tierney
We start with one of the toughest selections on the list as several players in this Arsenal team can be considered. But let's understand why Kieran Tierney is the most important player for the Gunners.
Tierney is a brilliant full-back with a first-class attitude. He brings energy, solidity, and a real threat down the left flank to Mikel Arteta's side. Tierney also adds a winning mentality to the team. The Gunners looked all at sea when he was injured last season and that speaks volumes about his importance.
Other important names in the squad are Pierre-Emerick Emiliano Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka.
Aubameyang is undoubtedly Arsenal's most ruthless and decisive player when he's at the races. However, he has been a bit of a hit-and-miss for 18 months now and was outscored by both Alexandre Lacazette and Nicholes Pepe last season. While Bukayo Saka is still only 19, he often provided the creative spark for the Gunners last season.
#2. Aston Villa - Emiliano Martínez
If Jack Grealish hadn't moved to Manchester City, he would definitely be making an appearance on this list as his contributions to the club have been immense. One player who is still at the club and performed exceptionally well in the previous campaign is Emiliano Martinez.
The Argentine had a lot of work to do for Villa in the Premier League last season and is a brilliant shot-stopper in excellent form. Under Dean Smith, Martinez was an ever-present in the 2020-21 season and recorded a staggering 15 clean sheets while he also saving one penalty. His 75% save percentage per 90 was more than Ederson Moraes' 70% in the last term.
Martinez had to wait for his time to shine in the Premier League, but he now looks like a fantastic goalkeeper and has proved to be a terrific addition to an exciting Aston Villa squad.
A special mention should go to Ollie Watkins, who surprised everyone last term by scoring 14 goals and assisting five times. He was also named in Gareth Southgate's 33-man provisional squad but missed out on the final 26-member team.
#3. Brentford - Ivan Toney
Brentford were promoted to the Premier League at the end of last season when they beat Swansea 2-0 in the Championship play-off final. The team consists of solid players but there was one man who always stole the show, Ivan Toney.
He played the most number of minutes of anyone at Brentford last season with 3,851 minutes to his name. Toney's 33 goals were the highest in the Championship last season while he also made the joint-most assists for his club with 10. His 49% aerial duel success rate was equally impressive.
#4. Brighton & Hove Albion - Yves Bissouma
Yves Bissouma has been one of the hardest-working players for the Seagulls. He can provide on both the attacking and defensive side of the game and his dribbles and tackle success rate are higher than Declan Rice's numbers last season. Bissouma's tally of 64 interceptions in the 2020-21 season also highlights how difficult it is to get the ball past him.
Lewis Dunk is probably of equal importance to Graham Potter's side, but the Seagulls have had terrific depth in the centre-back position. The same could not always be said for them in the center of midfield where Yves Bissouma provides the team with solidity and energy.
Bissouma is currently linked with a few other Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Liverpool.
#5. Burnley - Nick Pope
It's not an exaggeration to say that Nick Pope is one of the best goalkeepers not just in the Premier League but in all of Europe. Statistics back that claim as his 76% save percentage per game is better than Hugo Lloris and Gianluigi Donnarumma. His 3.6 saves per 90 is also quite impressive.
You only need to watch Burnley on a handful of occasions to pick up on the fact that Pope is a masterful goalkeeper. Burnley has had a lot of good goalies over the last decade, but Pope is the pick of the bunch.
Other key players in the Clarets squad are Tarkowski and Chris Wood, who joined the side in 2016. Tarkowski has been the most consistent centre-back for the Clarets. Meanwhile, Chris Wood scored 12 goals out of the 33 scored by Burnley last season. Wood also scored his 50th goal for the club against Fulham in the 2020-21 campaign.
#6. Chelsea - N'Golo Kante
The European Champions have a plethora of talent at their disposal. World-class players like Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, N'Golo Kante, Timo Werner, and Ben Chilwell are to name a few. Since Thomas Tuchel took over at the club, Chelsea have been on a different level altogether. Their Champions League glory is an indication of the German manager's impact at the club.
It is difficult to choose who makes this list between the two exceptional midfielders equally adored by the Chelsea faithful, Mason Mount and N'Golo Kante.
Mount plays almost every game for the Blues, linking their play from midfield and contributing with both goals and assists. However, Kante was a bit in and out of the team last season due to injuries, but he makes a huge difference to games when he is fit.
Long-term: Mount is probably Chelsea's most indispensable asset but Kante was Chelsea's most important player when it mattered most last season. Kante is capable of dragging his team to trophies with his individual performances.
#7. Crystal Palace - Wilfred Zaha
Wilfred Zaha is arguably more important to Crystal Palace than any other single player is to their club.
Since returning to Palace in January of 2015 from Manchester United, Zaha has been named the club's Player of the Season for three consecutive years as he evolved into the Premier League's most eye-catching attacking threats. His 68 goals for the Eagles exhibit his importance to the club.
The Eagles announced the acquisition of Patrick Vieira as their new manager in July. Vieira – who has been out of work since being sacked in December by Nice - was originally interviewed in April after expressing an interest in replacing Hodgson at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace will be the team to keep an eye on ahead of the upcoming Premier League season and Zaha will have a huge role to play under Vieira.
#8. Everton - Dominic Calvert-Lewin
James Rodriguez was probably Everton's most impressive player when fit last season and he is certainly the most talented individual in the squad. However, Richarlison is pivotal for the Toffees going forward and they look a shadow of a team without him. Lucas Digne also exerts a significant influence from left-back and Jordan Pickford was excellent from January onwards last season.
All the aforementioned players are quite crucial for the Toffees. Ultimately though, without Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton wouldn't score anywhere near the number of goals required to finish in the top half of the Premier League.
Calvert-Lewin is a target man and a complete poacher for the People's Club. Last year, his 2.3 shots per game were better than both Alex Lacazette and Marcus Rashford. He also works hard and has a really clever movement. Moreover, he's still only 24-years-old and he looks to be improving with every game.
#9. Leeds United - Kalvin Phillips
Raphina is probably the Peacocks' most important player following his six goals and nine assists last season, most of which came during the second half of the campaign. However, the emergence of Phillips as a strong box-to-box midfielder has made his side formidable opponents.
Doubted by many Leeds fans and unknown to everyone else before Marcelo Bielsa arrived at Ellen Road. The Argentine has improved the performances of many of his players, but none more so than Phillips.
The Englishman has turned into one of Bielsa's favorite players because of his stamina, work rate, and recycling of possession. The number of minutes Phillips clocked up at the Euros was also impressive and highlighted why he got called up to the national team. Phillips' quick thinking and range of passing is key to Leeds' incisive attack and counter-attacks.
A special mention should go to Patrick Bamford, who scored 17 goals and provided seven assists last season.
#10. Leicester City - Wilfred Ndidi
There are probably more candidates for Leicester City than there are for any other club in the league. Jamie Vardy is a strong striker given Leicester's reliance on him to score goals. Youri Tielemans and James Maddison are also both key players for Brendan Rogers' side in midfield. Meanwhile, Kasper Schmeichel has been talismanic in goal for the Foxes for many years now.
However, there is one individual who is an irreplaceable player in the team's starting XI, and that is Wilfred Ndidi. Living up to N'Golo Kante's standards is no easy feat and that's exactly what Ndidi has gone on to achieve at Leicester City.
Ndidi is probably among the top 3 defensive midfielders in the Premier League. With 63 tackles in 25 starts last season, he has established himself as one of the best tacklers in the Premier League.
His most recent match-winning performance in the Community Shield final against Manchester City is an example of the sheer talent that he possesses. Ndidi made three interceptions and attempted five tackles in the clash against Pep Guardiola's side.
