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The Group stage of the UEFA Champions League 2022-23 campaign, comprising 32 teams, is over and 16 teams have booked their spot in the knockout round of the competition. Furthermore, eight teams were relegated to the UEFA Europa League, while the remaining eight teams were completely relegated out of the competition.
All four Premier League representatives, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, booked their spots in this year's edition of the knockout round.
On that note, this article will look at the top four performing Premier League players in the group stage of the Champions League competition this season.
#4 Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea)
The Spaniard is arguably one of the best performing goalkeepers in the competition this season and his presence in goal was significant for Chelsea in the group stage.
Kepa kept two clean sheets and conceded only three goals in five appearances during the group stage.
The 28-year-old is one of Chelsea's players that helped them turn around their poor run of form in the competition by keeping two crucial clean sheets against Serie A champions AC Milan.
Kepa remains a key player for Graham Potter in this competition and it will be interesting to see if his presence in goal can help Chelsea progress beyond the knockout stage.
#3 Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)
The Uruguayan joined Liverpool from Benfica on a hefty deal and his composure in attack has been pivotal for the Reds in the Champions League so far this season.
Nunez netted three goals and registered one assist in six appearances during the group stage.
The 23-year-old has netted a goal in his last three consecutive Champions League appearances for Liverpool and his intuition in attack is vital for Jurgen Klopp in this competition.
It will be interesting to see if he can surpass Erling Haaland's scoring tally in this competition this season.
#2 Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
The Norwegian is arguably one of the best strikers in the competition this season and his vision in attack is outstanding.
Haaland netted five goals in four appearances during the group stage. Furthermore, he's the third joint highest scorer in the competition so far this season.
The 22-year-old has so far scored 28 goals in 23 Champions League appearances and he remains a vital player for Manchester City in their quest for Champions League glory.
#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Despite Liverpool's inconsistency across all competitions, Salah is arguably the best performing Premier League player in the Champions League so far this season.
Salah netted seven goals and registered one assist in six appearances in the group stage and is currently the joint top scorer in the competition this season.
The 30-year-old has scored 47 goals in the Champions League, which is the highest number of goals scored by an African player in the competition’s history.
Salah remains a pivotal player in attack for Liverpool and his intuition will be crucial if Liverpool stand any chance of winning the trophy.
