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The Premier League is the most widely followed club football competition in the world. The high-octane, end-to-end nature of the English top-flight has helped it earn fans all across the globe. Naturally, the Premier League is also populated by extremely athletic footballers.
The Premier League features some of the fastest footballers in the world
There are plenty of players in the English top-flight who possess blistering pace. That's not limited to attackers as the league has no shortage of full-backs and even centre-backs who surprise us with their speed.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the fastest players in the Premier League right now.
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=5 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) - 36.1 km/hr
Aston Villa have had a few impressive spells in the ongoing season. They are presently ninth in the Premier League table and Steven Gerrard's project has shown a fair amount of promise. One of Villa's main strengths is their dynamic forwards and Ollie Watkins has proven to be a good attacking outlet for them.
Watkins hasn't been at his best this term, scoring seven goals and providing just one assist in 27 appearances. But the 26-year-old helps keep things flowing in and around the final third. His link-up play is quite good but it is his runs in behind the defence that opponents are usually wary about.
Watkins is one of the quickest forwards in the league. He has clocked a top speed of 36.1 km/h this term.
=5 Patson Daka (Leicester City) - 36.1 km/h
Leicester City signed Patson Daka from RB Salzburg on a deal worth €22 million last summer. Daka had a spectacular outing in the 2020-21 season, scoring 34 goals and providing 12 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions for the Austrian side.
Daka has been a rare bright spot for Leicester City in what has otherwise been a thoroughly underwhelming season. The 23-year-old has enjoyed a decent start to life in the English top-flight and has scored 10 goals and provided four assists in 28 appearances across all competitions this term.
Daka looks like a great long-term replacement for Vardy as he also possesses incredible pace like the veteran striker. Daka has clocked a top speed of 36.1 km/h in the ongoing Premier League campaign.
#4 Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool) - 36.2 km/h
Liverpool signed Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig last summer for a sum in the ballpark of €40 million. Konate has proven to be a great addition to Liverpool's backline as he is also a pacy and aggressive presence alongside Virgil van Dijk.
The Frenchman is renowned for his aerial ability, passing and pace. Konate is one of the fastest defenders in the Premier League and has managed to hit a top speed of 36.2 km/h this season.
#3 Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers) - 36.6 km/h
Adama Traore is currently at Barcelona on loan until the end of the season. He spent the first half of the 2021-22 season at his parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers. Traore has terrorized Premier League defenders with his pace and physicality over the course of his stay with Wolves.
It was a common sight to see Traore stroke the ball beyond an approaching defender and then turn on the afterburners to chase it down. His final product may have been lacking, but having Traore on the team while breaking on a counter attack is like having a cheat code.
Traore clocked a top speed of 36.6 km/h in the Premier League in the first half of the season before leaving for Barcelona on loan.
#2 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 36.6 km/h
Mohamed Salah has been a force to be reckoned with down the right wing for Liverpool since joining the club from AS Roma in the summer of 2017. But he has been their standout performer by quite some distance this term and is one of the most in-form players in the world right now.
He has been as elusive as ever with his deft dribbling skills and ability to leave defenders dead with his chops, turns and blistering pace. Salah has scored 28 goals and provided 10 assists in 36 appearances across all competitions for the Merseysiders so far this term.
The 29-year-old has also clocked a top speed of 36.6 km/h in the Premier League this season, making him the second fastest player in the league.
#1 Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea) - 36.7 km/h
Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger is one of the most aggressive and committed defenders on the planet. The German international is a beast at the back for the Blus. He loves a tackle and is pretty adept at aerial duels as well.
But it's his blistering pace and ability to make recoveries that makes him an extraordinary centre-back. As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, Rudiger has agreed to join Juventus at the end of the season as a free agent in what is a huge blow to Chelsea.
Rudiger has hit a top speed of 36.7 km/h this season and has been the fastest player in the English top-flight in the ongoing campaign.
