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The gap between the so-called big teams in the Premier League and those lower in the table appears to be widening: it could be claimed that there is now a clear ‘top 6’ teams, battling out for the league title and the top 4 Champions League spots (Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal).
These clubs have the greater resources, the bigger support and can attract a higher calibre of talent. That is not to say that the rest of the league is worthless, though. Teams near the bottom end of the table might be struggling collectively, with teams like West Ham are struggling despite being tipped to do well at the start of the season.
Within these sides are many players of better quality than their team’s league position would suggest, and would be a loss to the Premier League if they were to suffer relegation.
This slideshow will look at the 5 best players in the lower half of the Premier League table, the best 5 players in the bottom 10 teams capable of playing at a higher level, even a ‘top 6’ side.
#1 Wilfried Zaha
On his day, Crystal Palace’s winger is electrifying to watch. There are few better players in the league, even Europe, at beating an opposing player one-on-one; perhaps only Chelsea’s Eden Hazard is a better dribbler than him.
Zaha has played for a bigger side before but his spell at Manchester United was short-lived, more a result of not being given a fair chance under David Moyes. Pep Guardiola is known to be a fan, though, which should tell one all they need to know. Zaha is a bit too similar in playing style to Raheem Sterling for a move to Manchester City to be imminent, but there is no question that he is capable of playing for a ‘top 6’ side.
Tottenham and Arsenal certainly do not currently have better natural wingers in their first team. Crystal Palace has struggled this season, especially at first under manager Frank de Boer, but the one constant was the rousing performances on the right from Zaha. With better teammates surrounding him, the player could easily be an elite Premier League player for years to come.
#2 Javier Hernandez
The little Mexican’s struggles for West Ham this season has been mystifying. It seemed like a coup when the Hammers landed him in the summer: Hernandez had been one of the Bundesliga’s best forwards for a few seasons, scoring 28 goals in 54 league appearances for Bayer Leverkusen.
He had Premier League pedigree too, functioning as an excellent squad member under Sir Alex Ferguson for Manchester United. He has sadly not performed anywhere near his top level this season, however. This has much more to do with his team’s terrible form though, as the striker has not been provided with the chances needed to score.
Given the service Hernandez is amongst the best natural goalscorers in Europe: he is a player that thrives on playing in the penalty box, lurking for chances from crosses and through balls. In a team struggling to get any rhythm like West Ham, he has been decided proper help, adrift from his teammates. This all means that Hernandez would represent a safe bet for a side higher in the league table.
He was superb as an impact substitute in his time at Old Trafford, reliable and effective when Wayne Rooney or Dimitar Berbatov needed a rest, and he would certainly be able to do it again; perhaps for Chelsea to cover for Alvaro Morata. Playing in a team with better attacking players around him, there is no doubt that Hernandez would start scoring more goals.
#3 Xherdan Shaqiri
This player’s time at Stoke City has been a curious one, to say the least. Shaqiri possesses so much footballing talent but never seems to consistently show it.
He has scored some sensational goals for the Potters, end-of-season contenders; he has bullied left-backs on occasion with his lethal combination of skill and power. What he has not done, however, is put together a quality run of games. Too often, the real Shaqiri does not show up and Stoke are bereft as a result.
The Swiss international has now not found his best form at 3 different clubs since leaving FC Basel: at Bayern Munich he struggled to find a chance amidst their plethora of superstar attackers, he did not spend enough time at Inter Milan to show his talents, and his years at Stoke so far can’t be called a complete success.
In his defence, Shaqiri has not been able to gain a good relationship with those around him, because ex-manager Mark Hughes never settled on his best first team. Playing in a side battling relegation has meant Shaqiri has not found the time and space a player like him needs to show their best football.
What he has shown when on form is good enough to mean that his career is not dead yet, and it feels like Shaqiri just needs to find the right club and the right coach to unleash his true best form consistently.
#4 Mikel Merino
The Spaniard has been one positive aspect of Newcastle’s disappointing season so far. Signed from Borussia Dortmund, Merino has seamlessly moved into his new team’s centre midfield.
He has dominated play, dictating passes around the pitch and providing quality cover for his defence. On loan initially, Merino has been terrific value for money. He is the type of player that every side need and sometimes lacks, and his classy style would suit any number of teams in the top half of the Premier League.
Perhaps Arsenal would be the strongest destination, due to their perennial struggles to find a great defensive midfielder but Liverpool could use a player like Merino in the future too
He simply has not put a foot wrong for Newcastle thus far, and his ability deserves a higher platform: Rafael Benitez just does not seem to be receiving the transfer funds needed to properly improve his side, so a move elsewhere in the league may be incoming for Merino.
#5 Jack Butland
The best goalkeeper in the bottom half of the league, there are many who deem Butland to be England’s best option in the position.
This has a lot to do with current number one Joe Hart’s terrible form for Torino and West Ham over the last 2 seasons, but Butland has performed admirably for Stoke City in that time; if he replaces Hart it would be entirely on merit.
Goalkeepers always stand out more when they play in struggling teams, given they face more shots from the opposition, but Butland’s form has been resolutely stellar. He is still really young for a player in his position, meaning he has plenty of years left at the top. It has seemed only a matter of time before Butland made the step up from Stoke, and he represents great value for money given his team’s current league position and his youth.
Arsenal, with Petr Cech getting closer to retirement, will be in need of a replacement shortly; Liverpool have infamously suffered from their goalkeeper choices in Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius for far too long. Butland has the handling skills, the height, and the overall presence to be a success for a ‘top 6’ side and for his sake one hopes he gets the chance soon.
