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The Premier League has begun with a bang and after the fourth week, there have been quite surprises looking at the table. Only Liverpool, Chelsea and Watford have been able to achieve a 100% record and it is astonishing how none of the Manchester clubs failed to achieve the same.
That being said, the Premier League has always seen clubs with consistency achieve success and it is a long way before the outcome of the league can be predicted. In the early stages of the new season, we have witnessed some phenomenal individual performances and by the look of it, we take a look at some of the best left-backs in the league right now.
#5 Luke Shaw
The former Southampton full-back came under a lot of criticism from both the fans and manager Jose Mourinho last season. The Portuguese manager didn’t shy away in expressing his criticism publicly and it was rumoured that all was not well between Jose and Shaw. Manchester United were linked strongly to make a move for Juventus’ left-back Alex Sandro and strengthen their left side of the defence. But the move never materialized and Jose was left with very limited options. With Daley Blind leaving United, it only meant Luke Shaw had a major role to play this season. It cannot be denied that the Englishman has done remarkably well to get fully fit at the start of the season.
With all the positivity, Shaw has went on to have a very successful early spell at United this season. His energy and presence on the left flank has been one of the biggest positives for United in spite of a poor start to the season for the Red Devils. Shaw has already scored and assisted once and it is not the goals and assists but the threat that he is creating from his runs from the left that have been impressive. Shaw has cut inside, stayed wide, dribble past defenders and done almost everything that United wanted in their left back. In fact, Jose Mourinho has quite publicly expressed his happiness with Shaw’s performances and the Englishman was recently rewarded for his superb form by getting a call-up for the international friendlies starting from this week.
We can only expect Shaw to be more involved for United this season and play an important role as the season progresses.
#4 Jose Holebas
The German-born former Greek international has seen it all in his football career. From playing for Viktoria Kahl in Germany’s 6th tier league to playing for Roma and now Watford, Holebas has had quite a journey.
The 34-year old can play both as a left back and a left winger and has been involved with Watford since 2015. Holebas is an aggressive presence on the back, he can lunge into tackles, challenge strongly in the air and most importantly is quite an asset going forward. Watford have started the season very strongly, winning all the four games so far. Holebas had a very important role in helping Watford achieve this feat. He assisted twice in their opening games against Brighton & Hove Albion, scored once against Crystal Palace and played exceptionally well in helping Watford register a 2-1 against Tottenham Hotspur. Holebas has already scored once and assisted four times this season, contributing five times in the nine goals scored by Watford so far. He has been quite effective going forward and manager Javi Garcia will only hope Holebas continues to perform in similar fashion throughout the season.
#3 Benjamin Mendy
The Frenchman was sidelined for the majority of the season last time around and although it did not affect Manchester City’s chances of winning last season, Pep Guardiola would surely have loved having Mendy on the left side of the defence.
Nevertheless, the former Monaco man is back with the Blues this season after being a part of the 2018 World Cup winning squad and it is safe to say that he looks quite dangerous on the left. Mendy started the season with two assists against Arsenal in the opening game. In the next three games, Mendy has went on to assist twice, taking his assist tally to four for this season. Mendy almost acts as a second left winger in the current style which with City have been playing and it certainly has resulted well for them but against a better opposition Pep would like to be wary of Mendy’s positioning being exposed and may insist the Frenchman to not commit much depending on the opponents.
#2 Andrew Robertson
Robertson was one of the stars for Liverpool last season. Jurgen Klopp faced a tricky scenario last season with Alberto Moreno not playing anywhere near his best and it only instigated the German manager to go ahead and sign Robertson from Hull City.
Not many had heard about the Scottish defender and against all the odds, the former Dundee United defender did a phenomenal job for Liverpool last season. Robertson made 11 assists and scored twice last season, contributing a significant amount for the Reds while going forward. To the delight of the Liverpool fans, he has carried on with the same form this season as he has been already involved in assisting twice this season. He has been delivering some fine crosses from the left and at the same time, he has been able to divert the attention of the opposition defenders, allowing his teammates to be more productive in front of the goal.
In light of his amazing performances, Robertson has been recently named the captain for the Scottish national team for the international friendlies to be played and it can only boost Robertson’s morale to a higher level.
#1 Marcos Alonso
It is safe to say that many had doubts over Marcus Alonso’s performance as a left full-back given he likes to be very adventurous going forward. Under former Antonio Conte in the role of a wing-back, Alonso did extremely well for the Blues. He was heavily involved in the goals and created quite a threat from the left. But under new manager Maurizio Sarri, Alonso saw his role get a little trickier as the Italian prefers a 4-3-3 formation, meaning the Spaniard had to play as a left full-back. It must be said that irrespective of his tendency to go forward more than often, the former Fiorentina man has done pretty well this season.
In the four games Chelsea have played this season, Alonso has managed to score once and assist in five other goals. His goal against Arsenal turned out to be the winning goal, helping the Blues maintain a 100% record this season. Also, his partnership and chemistry with Eden Hazard looks quite amazing and it can turn out to be a lethal combination for the Blues in their bid for the title this season.
