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The English Premier League, the most-watched football league in the world, is widely renowned for its fast-paced games and physicality.
It essentially means that players need to be physically strong to ward off opponents and avoid being 'muscled' off the ball, a reason why many skilful players coming from other leagues often struggle to get going in the Premier League.
The long-ball approach, a quintessential aspect of the English game, is quite prevalent in the Premier League too, which explains the presence of tall players in defence to counter aerial balls.
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Five shortest players in the Premier League at the moment
However, the fast-paced nature of the competition means that players, especially on the flanks, need to be quick enough to be able to run in behind opposition defences and whip in crosses to colleagues in the attacking-third.
These players tend to have a low centre of gravity that gives them more stability and better balance than physically taller and imposing opponents. On that note, let us have a look at the five shortest players in the Premier League at the moment.
Note: All stats have been taken from transfermarkt.com unless mentioned otherwise.
#5: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea) - 168 cm
N'Golo Kante was a relative unknown when he arrived at Leicester City in the summer of 2015. However, after playing a key role in The Foxes' maiden Premier League triumph that season, the defensive midfielder was signed up by Chelsea in 2016.
The diminutive Frenchman also impressed for The Blues in his debut season in London as he joined a select group of players to win successive Premier League titles with two different clubs.
Kante, who has also won the FA Cup and Europa League with Chelsea, has since featured in 130 Premier League games for the club, scoring nine goals and providing six assists. However, the player has impressed more at the other end of the field, breaking up opponents' attacking plays with his timely interceptions and tackles.
#4 Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City) - 167 cm
Nampalys Mendy arrived in Leicester City in the summer of 2016 after spending six seasons in Ligue 1 with Monaco and Nice.
After reportedly rejecting offers from English giants Manchester United and Arsenal, the diminutive Mendy chose to join Premier League champions Leicester City.
The defensive midfielder is renowned for his resilience, tactical intelligence and ball-distribution prowess, something he showed while at Nice.
However, Mendy has struggled to be a permanent fixture in Brendan Rodger's first-team. That is evident in his paltry tally of just 45 Premier League games in four seasons at the club.
#3 Lucas Torreira (Arsenal) - 166 cm
After impressing during his two seasons at Serie A club Sampdoria, Lucas Torreira was swopped up by Arsenal in 2018 and inherited Mesut Ozil's number 11 shirt, with the German player taking up the number ten one.
In two seasons at the London club, Torreira has made over 60 Premier League appearances, scoring three goals and providing as many assists.
Torreira is renowned for his tactical discipline, short-passing game and penchant for tackling, but his short stature has not aided his cause in dealing with aerial threats as a defensive midfielder.
#2 Christian Atsu (Newcastle United) - 165 cm
Christian Atsu first made his name in the Portuguese Liga with Rio Ave and FC Porto before he arrived in the Premier League as an Everton player in 2014-15.
However, after managing only five appearances in one and a half seasons in the competition, the Ghanian winger was loaned out to La Liga club Malaga and then to Championship side Newcastle United.
Atsu has since managed to become a permanent fixture with the Magpies who were promoted to the Premier League in 2017-18. The diminutive player has since played 75 Premier League games for Newcastle United, scoring three goals and assisting in five during this period.
#1 Ryan Fraser (Newcastle United) - 163 cm
Ryan Fraser made his debut in professional football with Aberdeen in the Scottish league in 2010 before making his Premier League debut with Bournemouth three years later.
The diminutive winger, who is presently the shortest active player in the Premier League, impressed during his four years with The Cherries, scoring 16 goals and 29 assists, with 14 of those assists coming in the 2018-19 season alone.
However, with Bournemouth suffering relegation the next season, the player received a lot of flak for refusing to turn out for the club in the Premier League restart after the COVID-19 outbreak.
Fraser has since moved to Newcastle United for whom the 26-year-old made his Premier League debut in a 0-3 home loss to Brighton.
