Top 5 under-performers of the season so far | Premier League 2019-20

The Premier League title is heading towards Liverpool for the first time in 30 years in what has been a scintillating season so far for Jurgen Klopp and his men. The Champions League holders sit 16 points clear of second-placed Manchester City and 30 points ahead of bitter rivals Manchester United with a game-in-hand, a scenario perfectly showcasing their dominance this season.

This incredible gap between Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League has lot to do with the kind of football Klopp’s side are playing. The Reds have tormented opponents with their heavy-metal football and last-minute heartbreakers. In short, their pursuit of the title has been nothing but relentless.

Whilst Liverpool players are enjoying one of the best seasons in terms of performance, certain Premier League players are writing a different story altogether. In this section, we discuss the five biggest under-performers of the 2019/20 Premier League season so far.

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#5 Ryan Fraser

Ryan Fraser has not been able to replicate his 2018/19 form this season

Bournemouth’s high-flying winger Ryan Fraser was a breath of fresh air last season as he surprised many with his 7 goals and 14 assists for the Cherries. However, the Scotsman hasn’t been able to replicate that form this term as he currently has a solitary goal and just three assists in 22 appearances.

The 25-year-old has formed a formidable partnership with Bournemouth's front-two of Callum Wilson and Joshua King. The attacking trio was one of the most productive in the Premier League last season having scored 33 goals among them. All three of them have since then lost their touch, which is one of the key reasons Eddie Howe’s men find themselves 19th in the league.

Bournemouth have been one of the most exciting teams to watch since their promotion in the 2015-16 season. They play an extremely attacking brand of football, one which is not generally attributed to a bottom-half side. However, their often fearless and passionate football has not reflected this season.

Ryan Fraser will definitely need to step up if Bournemouth are to stay in the Premier League next season. The Scottish international’s pace and prowess has terrorised Premier League defenders in the past, and who’s to say we cannot get a glimpse of that before the end of this season.

#4 David de Gea

The Manchester United keeper has not been performing at his best since the last two seasons

Perhaps the biggest fall from grace in the Premier League can be attributed to Manchester United shot-stopper David de Gea. The Spanish keeper has been shockingly atrocious since the start of last season, committing six errors leading to goals in the process, more than any other player in the English top-flight.

De Gea arrived at Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid in 2011 at the age of 20 and transformed himself into one of the world’s best goalkeepers. In what has been a torrid seven-year period following the departure of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, the 29-year-old had been the club’s most consistent performer. As a result, he was honoured with the Manchester United Player of the Year award in four out of the last six seasons.

However, since the past couple of seasons, de Gea has often been unusually found fumbling shots, misplacing goal-kicks and making positional errors. De Gea’s ability, is without a shadow of a doubt, still one of the best in Europe and his heroics against Tottenham Hotspur last season was a testament to that. However, the Spaniard is currently incredibly low on confidence and United’s leaky defence is of no help to him either.

If the 20-time Premier League champions are to secure a Champions League spot for next season, David de Gea will surely have to return to his best form.

#3 Mesut Ozil

Mesut Ozil only has one assist to his name in the league this season.

Arsenal are playing some positive football under new manager Mikel Arteta, however, they are still only 10th on the Premier League table. The draws against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and most recently Sheffield United mean that the Gunners have a huge task ahead of them if they are to even sniff European football next season. And midfielder Mesut Ozil could play a part in Arsenal’s potential revival.

The incoming Manchester City assistant manager has kept faith in Ozil, but the German playmaker is yet to reward him with a match-winning performance. Ozil has started all six games in all competitions under Pep Guardiola’s former right-hand man but is yet to find the net this season and only has a solitary assist to his name. The former Real Madrid man, although, has just 12 Premier League appearances this term because of his alleged fall-out with ex-boss Unai Emery.

Ozil is still considered to be one of the best attacking midfielders in footballing history but even his die-hard fans will agree that he is no longer the same player. Mesut Ozil is still 31, three years younger than David Silva, who has 10 goal contributions in 18 Premier League games for Manchester City.

The three-time FA Cup winner is still to find his rhythm this season, but on his day, Mesut Ozil could still single-handedly turn matches on their head.

#2 Gylfi Sigurdsson

Sigurdsson has been battling with injuries and form throughout the 2019-20 season

Everton playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson has perhaps been a shadow of a player he was last season at Goodison Park. The Icelandic international, who tore apart Premier League defenses with 13 goals and 6 assists from midfield last term, has surprisingly only managed one of each in 21 appearances this season.

Despite having a largely talented squad of players, the Toffees have been underwhelming all season. Former manager Marco Silva had a win percentage of only 40.9 in his 18-month stay which came to an end following the 5-2 thrashing at Anfield at the start of December. After excelling with Watford, the Portuguese was appointed by the Everton hierarchy in the hope to battle the top dogs. However, the Merseysiders won 24 and lost 24 under Silva, and could have been roped in a relegation battle if Carlo Ancelotti would not have rescued them.

But Gylfi Sigurdsson, unlike teammate Richarlison, has still not been able to spark under the newly-appointed Italian boss. The 30-year-old attacking midfielder is known for his incredible passing range, free-kicks and outside-of-the-box strikes. However, even after 22 gameweeks, we are still waiting for him to reignite into life.

#1 Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard's non-productivity and inconsistency could force Manchester United to sell the midfielder

The fact that Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson has more assists than Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard this season perfectly sums up the Englishman’s campaign. Lingard broke out from the United academy as a promising attacker, but has never been able to display his talents on a consistent basis. At 27 years of age, he has racked up 129 Premier League appearances but only has a mere 17 goals and 10 assists to show.

His best numbers came in the 2017-18 season when he scored 8 goals and provided another 5 assists in the league under former boss Jose Mourinho. However, he has been non-existent during the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reign, not scoring or assisting in the whole of 2019. The Old Trafford faithful have therefore become increasingly frustrated with Lingard’s performances and are constantly calling out the Manchester United hierarchy to sell him.

No doubt Jesse Lingard has scored some vital goals wearing the United red, most notably the winning volley against Crystal Palace in the 2016 FA Cup final. It is also common knowledge that he thrives playing against Arsenal, having scored 4 goals and providing 1 assist against the Gunners.

His pacy runs from midfield and big-game heroics are often exciting to watch, but Lingard’s lack of consistency and unreliability might become the reason for his inevitable exit from Old Trafford.