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The 2021/22 Premier League season has been a poor one in general for strikers. Most big-name players have failed to live up to their billing. Several players were expected to shine this term to either justify their worth to the club or increase their stock in the market. Yet many have failed in the first half of the season.
The Premier League has seen several stars underperform this season
The pressure of a massive price tag is often enough to put a lot of pressure on a star while injuries are also hugely discouraging. Similarly, too much burden on a single player can also lead to inefficiencies in one's game.
This season was expected to be rough for a few individuals, especially after the amount of football some players have played over the last 18 months. Regardless, they could turn their season around in the second half of the campaign.
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On that note, let's take a look at 5 Premier League players who need to perform better in the second half of this season. (2021-22)
#5 Raul Jimenez
Wolverhampton Wanderers have performed well under new manager Bruno Lage this season but their talisman Raul Jimenez is oddly missing out on goals. The Mexico international has functioned well as a team player but seems to be missing his shooting boots.
Few expected Lage to do well in the Premier League in his first season but the Molineux outfit have taken well to his tactics. The defense has been stringent and the midfield has been industrious.
The attackers also perform their defensive duties but when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net, they have not stepped up to the plate. But this is not something unimaginable because Wolves have always relied on the brilliance of Jimenez to do well going forward.
He could only manage 10 appearances last season due to injury but was expected to fire on all fronts this term. However, he has only managed four goals and two assists in 19 league appearances.
Although he is still the club's joint-top scorer, Lage will be expecting his main man to get amongst the goals in the second half of the campaign. The burden on him will increase since Pedro Neto will be eased back into the side after his long-term injury while Adama Traore left the club in January.
#4 Harry Kane
Harry Kane has been anything but a leader for Tottenham Hotspur this season. The Englishman is visibly struggling in front of goal, despite the arrival of Antonio Conte. The Italian manager is getting a little more out of the 28-year-old ace than Nuno Espirito Santo ever did but it has still not been enough.
He looked tired at the start of the season. But a huge gap in December due to a number of Covid-19 cases within the Spurs camp gave him a well-deserved break.
Despite all of that, he has not been able to conjure any kind of form in front of goal. One can argue that the service for him has been poor but Son Heung-min has still flourished to a certain extent this term with little help. In contrast, Kane has scored five goals and provided two assists in 19 games.
A lot more is expected from the player who won the Premier League Golden Boot and Playmaker of the Year last season. Kane is still Tottenham's best player but needs to start firing again if Spurs hope to seal a top four spot in the Premier League this term.
#3 Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish is perhaps someone who would have been labeled a flop had his team not been cruising to the Premier League title. Manchester City have done exceedingly well this season, but the brilliance of some players has overshadowed how poor their £100million signing has been this term.
Pep Guardiola has a way of incorporating new signings into the squad and more often than not his process works. Few believed Riyad Mahrez was worth the money before he turned into one of their best players in the last two seasons.
There were concerns about Rodri and Joao Cancelo but both have proved their critics wrong. But Grealish seems like a different case. There is a lot of competition in his role and he does not add anything extraordinary to the side.
Of course, all of this could change soon but until then, many would doubt the player's caliber and whether he can fit into this high quality squad. So far, he has scored two goals and provided two assists in 16 Premier League appearances.
Grealish is currently one of the most talented English players but he needs to make a case for the same in the second half of the campaign. Playing a pivotal role in winning a trophy shall certainly do so.
#2 Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho has been one of the most confusing cases to crack in the Premier League this season. The Manchester City academy graduate joined Manchester United in a big-money move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. But there has been no upside to this deal for the Red Devils so far.
The winger was a high-flying creative prospect at Borussia Dortmund and got past people with relative ease on most occasions. But the Premier League has turned out to be a harder challenge than expected and Sancho looks to be struggling.
He looks off the pace and often appears bereft of ideas in the final third. He cannot get past players as easily and his decision-making lacks tenacity. The 21-year-old ace works hard defensively but lacks the same vigor going forward.
All of this has led to the English international only scoring one goal in 17 Premier League appearances. Sancho needs to be far more decisive in the second half of the season if Manchester United hold any hopes of landing a top four spot this term.
#1 Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku might have been a few places down this list a month ago but a lot has changed since then. Chelsea have fallen off in their Premier League title challenge and the Belgian ace also made some unwise comments in an unauthorized interview.
So the onus has turned on Lukaku to produce and deliver for the club that paid £97.5million for him in the summer. He was viewed as the final piece in the jigsaw but he has disrupted the environment rather than being a catalyst for success.
Thomas Tuchel has tried him out in several combinations but neither has proved useful in churning the best out of the 28-year-old ace. The other Chelsea attackers have not done any better but these are the moments when the centre-forward has to come through for his team.
He was brought to the West London club to score goals but has only brought about doubts from critics about his abilities. Lukaku has scored five goals in 16 Premier League appearances and this tally needs to start increasing soon.
There is little idea about Chelsea's ambitions in the league in the second half of the season but getting Lukaku scoring again will be high on the agenda.
