Premier League: The "benched XI" of the season 

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The "BIG SIX" of EPL have some amazing players on the bench.

English Premier League is the most competitive league in the world. The league boasts the highest number of title contenders (with 6) while no other league has more than three. Also, the domestic football schedule is the most hectic of all. In England, there are three titles to play for- The Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup.

The thrill of such competitive football generates some record-breaking revenues for the teams. As a result of which, they splash monstrous sums of money in the transfer market. Last summer alone, English teams spent £1.4 billion to make some eye-catching acquisitions across Europe.

Teams have been bolstering their squads with some sensational talent to provide them the much-needed depth. The fixture pile-up at the turn of the year accompanied with the FA Cup and League Cup ties are tackled by such players who ease the workload of the main XI. Thus, the bench strength of the best teams in England is unmatched to anywhere else in the world.

That said, we take a look at the Premier League's benched XI of the season so far.


Formation: 4-3-3

Goalkeeper

Sergio Romero (Manchester United)

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Romero is yet to play a single minute in the Premier League this season.

It would have been cruel on the Argentine if he was benched at United if David De Gea wasn't the team's first choice. Such is the quality of Argentine number #1 that only De Gea can outplace him regularly.

The 30-year-old has not made a single Premier League appearance so far for Man United this season. However, he has been Jose's first choice for the cup ties where he has been exceptional and is yet to concede a goal.

Sergio Romero guards the net of Premier League's benched XI of the season so far.

Defenders

Right-back

Davide Zappacosta (Chelsea)

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The Italian's game time at the Bridge has been limited.

Zappacosta was yet another full-back signed by Antonio Conte at Chelsea who has lived up to expectations. The Italian has made nine appearances for the club in the league and came on eight times as a substitute.

The 25-year-old is an exceptional crosser of the ball and has a brilliant ability to hold the ball up. The English champions have a lot of options at the full-back position due to which the player's game time has been cut short.

For both his attacking intent and defensive stability he deserves to be the right back of the team.

Centre-back

David Luiz (Chelsea)

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The 30-year-old carries the versatility to play anywhere in the back-line and in midfield.

Right rom his first spell in London to scoring the winner against the Blues for PSG in added tiime, Luiz had witnessed a special bond with the Blues' faithful. Widely considered to be among the best defenders in Europe, the Brazilian has been impressive in the blue shirt. However, he suddenly fell an out of favor for Antonio Conte this season.

Reports even linked him with a move away from London because of an ongoing feud between the player and the manager. Evidently, his game time has been restricted by Conte at the Bridge.

Luiz has only ten league appearances for Chelsea this season and has been struggling for game time with the team. If not for Conte, the Brazilian would be the first choice for a centre-back in this team.

Centre-back

Victor Lindelof (Manchester United)

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Victor Lindelof arrived from Benfica in the summer.

Jose's only defensive recruitment of the summer was the Swedish centre-back Victor Lindelof who arrived from Benfica. Lindelof found life in England difficult and faced a severe adaptability crisis since his arrival at Old Trafford.

He never looked composed on the ball and committed mistakes regularly. However, Jose's brilliant man management of the Swede has started to reap dividends for United.

The defender has only ten league appearances for United out of which three have been as a substitute. With his current rate of improvement, the defender is appearing to be a bright prospect for the Red Devils.

Left-back

Luke Shaw (Manchester United)

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Shaw has managed to fend off minor injuries recently.

If there was any player looking ascertained to leave Man United in January, it was Luke Shaw. The 22-year-old was an injury prone defender who failed to rise to the expectations of the fans since his arrival from Southampton.

However, December proved to be a renaissance in his career where he showcased to Old Trafford what he was capable of. Since then, the left-back has been tipped to be a long term asset for the team and is set to sign a big contract with United.

His game time has been strictly monitored by Jose who looks to bring out the best of the Englishman. Shaw has only six league appearances for United this season and grabs the spot of the left-back on this team sheet.

Midfielders

Yaya Toure (Manchester City)

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Toure has not started a single league game for City so far this season.

Yaya Toure is considered to be one of the most dangerous box-to-box midfielders in England. His physicality and ability to shoot from distances make him a constant threat at the edge of the penalty area.

The Ivorian midfielder was a star-man at Etihad before Pep's arrival in Manchester. The Spanish boss didn't find Toure to be ticking the boxes for his tiki-taka style of play. As a result, his role was reduced to that of a squad player.

In the 2017-18 season, Toure has made five league appearances for City all coming as a substitute. He has been an unused option on the bench fourteen times in the league.

Ander Herrera (Manchester United)

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Herrera has been a crucial option for Jose this season.

Ander Hererra was the candidate for Manchester United's Player of the Year trophy last season. The Spanish midfielder has been in good form for the Red Devils under the Portuguese boss, Jose Mourinho.

However, the arrival of Nemanja Matic from Chelsea in the summer saw Herrera lose his spot in the starting XI of the team. The 28-year-old has lived up to expectations whenever he's been called upon to do the job by Jose.

The midfielder has only 19 appearances in the league for United of which eleven have come as a substitute. Jose might have dropped the player but we welcome him to our XI.

Adam Lallana (Liverpool FC)

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Adam Lallana has been decent for Liverpool.

Adam Lallana was signed by the former Reds manager Brendan Rodgers in 2014 from Southampton. The midfielder has the versatility to be deployed in multiple roles including that of a number #10, #6 or #8.

Liverpool's current crop of attacking talent has made life difficult for the English midfielder. The likes of Emre Can and Oxlade-Chamberlin have reduced his chances of breaking into the midfield starting position. Moreover, the Englishman has been struggling with injuries due to which his performances have been severely affected.

Lallana has been a regular name featuring on the Liverpool bench. He has started just one game for Liverpool while managing only six substitue appearances. Klopp may find it difficult to accomodate the player but we wouldn't.

Forwards

Left Wing

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

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Rashford saw himself dropping down the pecking order after Alexis's arrival.

Widely considered to be among the best young talents in world football, Rashford has proved his credentials well beyond doubt. Discovery of Marcus Rashford is the only thing Man United fans thank Louis Van Gaal for.

The youngster is a product of United's youth academy who broke into the first team while being a teenager. His sublime pace and skills make him a player to watch out for on the field. At the beginning of 2017-18 season, Rashford was a regular in Jose's team.

However, the attacking sensations at United in the form of Alexis Sanchez, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial have rested in the youngster losing his sopt in Jose's starting XI. Rashford has been sent on as a substitute twelve times by Mourinho in the league alone.

Right Wing

Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

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Bernardo Silva has been an important squad player for City.

English media had the first glimpse of the Portuguese when he provided a sparkling performance at the Etihad against City in the last edition of the Champions League. His pace and vision impressed Guardiola so much that he decided to bring the player into his side.

Since his arrival in England, Sliva has been fighting for a place in Pep's starting XI. Moreover, there appears to be a problem of adaptability in the Premier League for the former Monaco man.

Silva has featured mostly as a substitute for Man City this season. He has nine league starts to his name while coming off the bench for the team sixteen more times.

Centre-Forward

Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal)

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The Frenchman lost his place to Aubameyang in the team.

Arsenal signed the French forward from Lyon in the summer, breaking their record transfer fee. Into his first minute of the debut for his side, the forward netted his first goal for the team. His finishing and movement in the final third opened spaces for Alexis and Ozil to operate.

However, just when it appeared that Arsenal had finally found a successor to Thiery Henry, Lacazette went out of form. Consequently, Alexis's departure saw Wenger sign a star-forward in Aubameyang to bolster his attack.

Lacazette currently warms the bench at the Emirates, just six months after he made Olivier Giroud go through the exact same thing. Karma indeed pays with all its might, doesn't it?

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Edited by Zeeshan Ali