Premier League 2019/20: 5 players who have exceeded expectations

#3 John McGinn

John McGinn's all-action style has made him a crowd favorite at Aston Villa

Aston Villa might appear to be in a sticky spot in the Premier League right now – 17th position – but in reality they’ve performed much better than their results thus far have suggested, and with 3 wins to their name there’s every chance that they could start climbing up the table any time soon.

Captain Jack Grealish might’ve gotten many of the plaudits for the Villains thus far, but it could definitely be argued that the driving force this season has been John McGinn.

The Scottish midfielder – who cost a paltry £2.7m from Hibernian in the summer of 2018 – was one of Dean Smith’s most outstanding players in the EFL Championship last season, but few people could’ve predicted how well his all-action style would do in the Premier League.

McGinn has been fantastic for Villa literally from the first game of the season – when he shocked everyone by putting the Villains up against Champions League finalists Tottenham in their own stadium. Since then, the Scotsman has scored 2 more goals, provided 2 assists, and established himself as one of the Premier League’s best midfielders.

When Villa are on attack, it’s often McGinn driving forward and looking to find shooting opportunities, but without the ball, the Scotsman is equally effective, constantly harrying the opposition – and he never seems to tire, either.

It should come as no surprise that McGinn has been linked with a move to Manchester United, but with a long contract at Villa Park, the likelihood is that he’ll remain in the Midlands for the foreseeable future.