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Before the new campaign in the Premier League gets underway, the bookies set the rhythm with their favorites for the title and individual accolades. They do have a habit of getting many things right on the money, but football is unpredictable and it does not take long for tables to turn.
Premier League always has a few overnight sensations
There are a few players known to be the face of the Premier League and a reflection of the quality of football on display in the English top-flight. However, one can never rule out the darkhorses.
This Premier League season in its infancy has witnessed some absolute surprise packages that many didn't expect to rise to the occasion. The following are the 5 Premier League players who have surprised everyone with their performances
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#5 Aaron Ramsdale
When your career highlights include spells at two clubs, both of which were relegated in successive seasons, there is little you can do to protect your image. This was the case with Aaron Ramsdale. For the last two seasons in the Premier League, he was part of AFC Bournemouth and Sheffield United. Both clubs got relegated when Ramsdale was employed with them.
The Arsenal faithful were worried whether the goalkeeper would be jinxed because they were not too pleased with his abilities. It is noteworthy though that at both those clubs, the English goalkeeper was their Player of the Year. So it was clear that the leaking goals issue wasn't his fault alone.
Fast forward to 1st October 2021, Aaron Ramsdale has made four Premier League appearances for the Gunners and kept clean sheets in three of them.
Hehas turned into a fan favorite almost immediately. His calm, composed nature and accurate distribution has allowed Arsenal to play from the back without much hassle. He's shown that he's got strong hands and that keeping ferociously struck shots isn't a big problem for him.
The cherry at the top has been his character and mentality at the north London club. With every clearance that his back-line makes, Ramsdale can be seen passing high-fives and exalting with pleasure, keeping everyone motivated. Mikel Arteta is slowly giving the club its DNA back, all they need to focus on now is consistency.
#4 Ethan Pinnock
It took Ethan Pinnock six years to move on from non-league side Dulwich Hamlet to help Brentford in their fairytale rise to the Premier League. Six years is quite a remarkable time because many dream of the English division while spending their lifetimes in the Championship.
The Jamaica international is an adventurous centre-back who likes to venture forward from time to time and contribute to the rhythm of his team's attack. Playing in the non-league comes with its own benefits, one would say. Last season in the championship he was Brentford's top-ranked defender in terms of shot attempts on goal.
Pinnock has so far scored twice in the Premier League and provided one assist. Out of the 38 duels he has contested, he has won 68% of them and has also made 10 crucial interceptions. One would think that a player like him would be full of indiscipline, but Pinnock has put on a string of no-nonsense displays in the Premier League and he's only going upwards.
#3 Demarai Gray
Demarai Gray is not a new name to the Premier League audience. Five years ago, he moved from Birmingham City to Leicester City, who were in their fairytale campaign under Claudio Ranieri. Leicester paid his release clause of £3.7m to add depth to their squad and expected the youngster to flourish in the future.
But until 2020 he could never truly become the breakout star at the King Power and made more league appearances from the bench than the ones he started. Finally, after a brief spell at Bayer Leverkusen for six months, Gray came to Everton as a rather uninspiring signing for a mere £1.7m.
Little did the Premier League know what to expect from the Englishman, who has made that price look like an absolute bargain. This time the winger has developed himself behind the scenes in the best possible manner for the Premier League. He's exploiting his quick pace and slick passing ability to skid past defenses in a flash.
Everton were short on natural wingers, but with Gray's arrival and superb form, they are probably looking at a man who can start 30+ games for them this season. He can also constantly feed players in the attacking third. There's an end product to his game this time, which was absent during his spell with Leicester.
The winger has scored three goals so far and assisted oncee in six games. His seven key passes from open play are the best in the Everton squad. Everton are currently only one point shy of the top spot in the Premier League.
#2 Shane Duffy
When an individual is not in his ideal mind space, however hard they may try, their body doesn't move the way they wish it to move. Last year has been quite horrendous for Shane Duffy, who has had to deal with personal loss and his declining form. The fans at Celtic, where he was on loan, weren't making life easy for him.
Duffy had been playing for Brighton since 2016 and was even their Player of the Season for the 2018-19 season. A dip in form saw him shift down the pecking order with Ben White becoming more prominent. But this season, with Ben White's departure and other injury issues, Duffy received his first start. A solid display saw him get his confidence back and he has since started all six games for Brighton. Duffy has proved to be a strong leader in the backline.
Duffy has settled as boss in that Brighton back-three and has not given Graham Potter a moment of slack. He's been a very effective presence aerially, eager to attack the ball from set piece situations He made it back to the starting XI of Northern Ireland as well. His goal in the World Cup qualifiers, an equalizer against Azerbaijan, earned them their first points. He also scored against Watford in the Premier League.
#1 Andros Townsend
Not every player's exit as a free agent from a club is rued by its supporters. Neither does every free agent get a warm reception on their arrival to new clubs, especially when they are 30 or above. Willian's recent flopping in the Premier League belongs in the that category. Similar was the case with Andros Townsend.
When he left Crystal Palace after making almost 185 appearances for them in all competitions, there was little showering of love from the Eagles faithful. There was no fretting upon losing an experienced man for free. For Everton fans, it was yet another financially beneficial signing that they did not know what to make of.
Townsend had a habit of producing moments that could send the Premier League into a frenzy. He is good at scoring from way outside the box, but that is not why you buy a player. The player is happy to join manager Rafa Benitez, who he knows from his time at Newcastle United. That has made all the difference.
The experienced English winger has already scored four goals and assisted another three in the Premier League. He is being allowed to play much higher in the system, which has seen Everton benefit from his directness and his ability to feed crosses.
When the former Crystal Palace man joined, he said he wanted to prove that he wasn't finished and that he had the ability to notch some crucial goal contributions in the Premier League. Good going then, mate.
