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The Premier League will kick off its final leg of the 2020/21 season this weekend when Chelsea take on West Brom at Stamford Bridge. A maximum of 10 matches are left for each PL side, and the battle will heat up as three spots in the Top 4 are up for grabs.
While Manchester United are 8 points clear of 5th placed West Ham, the Red Devils will be wary of the hunting pack, which includes Spurs, Liverpool, and Everton.
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In the build-up to an action-packed two-month finale of the Premier League season, we take a look back at some of the best performers of the season. The players in our list today have not garnered the kind of attention their performances deserve and have flown under the radar in terms of recognition.
Without further ado, let's have a look at:
5 Premier League stars who have been under-appreciated this season
#5 James Tarkowski - Burnley
Our list begins with Burnley's backbone in defense - James Tarkowski. The 28-year old has been an enormous presence at the heart of Burnley's defense and is vital to the Clarets' grounded approach of resilient defending and an overall physical style of play.
Tarkowski has been vital to his side's fortunes this season, securing them another season in the top flight (barring a major goof-up in the final few games of the season).
In 27 Premier League appearances this season, the English centre-back has contributed to 9 clean sheets, with just 32 goals conceded under his watch. "Tarky" as fans endearingly call him, is an aerial threat, on both sides of the pitch.
Of the 10.2 aerial duels attempted every 90 minutes this season, Tarkowski has won 7.1, notching up an impressive 69% in aerial duels won. Along with this, the 28-year old is adept with the ball at his feet and has a calm head to play out from the back with a passing accuracy of over 70%.
#4 Illan Meslier - Leeds United
Leeds United's man in goal is one of the brightest prospects in his position in world football at the moment. Leeds United do not hold back against any team, be it Sheffield United or Manchester City, and they always try to find avenues to attack their opposition.
While this leads to many chances in front of goal, Leeds are susceptible to a barrage of counter-attacks. This makes the exploits of Illan Meslier in Leeds' goal particularly admirable.
In 28 Premier League appearances this season, the 20-year old has 9 clean sheets, with an impressive 4.1 saves per 90 minutes. The French youngster is skillful with the ball at his feet as well, playing an important role as a sweeper-keeper, which is vital in Bielsa's tactics of passing the ball out from the back. Meslier has one of the best pass completion rates among Premier League keepers (80%).
#3 Harvey Barnes - Leicester City
Next up, we have one of the Premier League's most talented wingers - Harvey Barnes. The 23-year old was arguably one of the best Premier League players this season but a knee injury against Arsenal has kept him on the sidelines since February.
Until that point, Barnes was Leicester's leading goal-scorer from open play in the 2020/21 Premier League season and has been vital to Leicester's foray into the Top 4. In 29 appearances across all competitions this season, the Englishman has notched up 13 goals and 4 assists.
Leicester City have been the favorites to challenge the "Big 6" consistently since their magical 2015/16 season, but it has only materialized this season, owing in part to their top-notch performances against the "Big 6".
Harvey Barnes has played a starring role in these big matches, scoring a goal each against Liverpool and Manchester United. The Foxes gave the best account of their counter-attacking prowess at the Etihad, beating City 5-2, and Barnes on the wing was the perfect foil to transition the play from midfield to attack, creating plenty of goal-scoring opportunities.
The 23-year old is a talent to watch out for in the coming years.
#2 Kelechi Iheanacho - Leicester City
Coming in at the penultimate position is Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho, who has had a stellar season in front of goal. He was recently announced as the FA Cup's and Premier League's player of the month in March, scoring 5 goals last month alone, including a hat-trick against Sheffield United.
In the absence of Maddison and Barnes, Iheanacho has found himself in a starting role more often and looks to have finally settled into the Leicester lineup, coming out of the shadow of Jamie Vardy.
In just 16 appearances, 14 of which were from the bench, the Nigerian has notched up an excellent tally of 12 goals and 5 assists. The 24-year old wasn't a part of Brendan Rodgers' initial starting XI, especially in the Premier League, but high-profile absentees gave Iheanacho an extended run in the first team, helping him gain more and more confidence in his abilities.
Like most football teams worldwide, Leicester employ a sole striker up front, but the Nigerian has made Rodgers switch to a 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 formation. The strike pair of Iheanacho and Vardy have been a joy to watch, with the older apprentice setting up the 24-year old's first two goals of the hat-trick against Sheffield United. Iheanacho has allowed Vardy's goal drought not to affect the side all that much.
#1 Tomáš Souček - West Ham United
Our Numero Uno is West Ham midfielder Tomáš Souček, who's having one of his best seasons in front of goal. His goalscoring exploits have kept West Ham in contention for a Champions League spot. The Czech has shown incredible consistency for the Hammers and has been involved in 20% of West Ham's goals this season.
29 appearances in the Premier League has seen a return of 9 crucial goals for Tomas Soucek, making him West Ham's top goal-scorer this season.
The 26-year old is extremely composed with the ball at his feet, with an impressive 77% passing accuracy and 11.6 passes completed per 90 minutes in the final third. Playing from the heart of West Ham's midfield, the Czech forms the Hammers' backbone and is exceptionally skilled at transitioning play from defense to attack.
Souček is an excellent reader of the game as well, getting into goal-scoring positions and his darting runs forward have caused more than a problem or two for opposition defenders. The runs have also helped in freeing up more space for the likes of Pablo Fornals, Jesse Lingard and Michail Antonio to express their creativity.
Expect the big boys of Premier League football to make an inquiry into the Czech international's availibility ahead of the summer transfer window.
