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The Premier League has always been graced by amazing central midfielders over the years. That is also true for the current crop of midfield personnel in the league. The attacking midfielders, though, are always in demand and more often receive more appreciation than the ones plying back.
Players like Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and many other attacking-minded players in the Premier League are praised for their performances. While they deserve that, the same is also true of some of the other central midfielders in the Premier League.
Playing deep is not an easy task, especially when players need to be heavily involved in both the defensive and attacking part of the game. Some of the Premier League's deep-playing central midfielders have produced some impressive performances this season.
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On that note, let's take a look at the five most underrated deep-lying midfielders in the Premier League.
#5 James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)
It has not been the best of Premier League seasons for Southampton, but their captain James Ward-Prowse has fared quite well.
The English midfielder has started every Premier League game for the Saints this season and was recently awarded the Southampton’s Fan’s Player of the Season award. What’s even more phenomenal is that James Ward-Prowse has played every minute for the Saints since the penultimate game of the 18-19 Premier League season.
He is one of the most dangerous set-piece takers in the Premier League right now. The Englishman has scored eight goals and recorded seven assists this season.
All seven of his assists this season have come from set-pieces. With seven assists this season, James Ward-Prowse has surpassed his own personal best of six assists. His partnership with Stuart Armstrong in midfield has been pretty good, but unfortunately, the Saints have not always reaped benefits from the same.
Nevertheless, it has been a positive season for James Ward-Prowse. He has led his team by example and has given England manager Gareth Southgate a good headache ahead of his squad selection for the upcoming Euro 2020.
#4 Stuart Dallas (Leeds United)
The story of Leeds United returning to the Premier League has been a fascinating one. Marcelo Bielsa has done a commendable job of bringing the Whites back to the top division after winning the Championship last season. One of Bielsa’s best performers this season has been Stuart Dallas.
Dallas has arguably been one of the most versatile players in the Premier League this season. The 30-year old has played as a left-back, right-back and as a central midfielder as well this season. He has done amazingly well in all positions, but some of his best performances this season have come from midfield.
Dallas’ stunning brace against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium was arguably his best performance of the 2020-21 Premier League season.
The Northern Irishman has worked tirelessly and effectively in the positions he has played, making timely ball recoveries and providing himself with an option while moving forward. Even at the age of 30, Dallas has managed to start and play through all 90 minutes of almost every Premier League game for Leeds this season.
Stuart Dallas recently became the first Leeds player to record 100 wins for the club across all competitions. His transition from just being a squad player to a first-team regular has been a delight to watch, and it is time the former Brentford man got more acknowledgement for his wonderful exploits this season.
#3 Tomas Soucek (West Ham United)
West Ham United have done pretty well in the Premier League this season under David Moyes.
The Hammers were in the reckoning for the Champions League before their form tailed off. Nevertheless, they are likely to qualify for the Europa League next season, which would be a massive achievement for them.
While players like Declan Rice, Jesse Lingard, and Michail Antonio have got much appreciation, let’s not forget how wonderful Tomas Soucek has been for the London club.
The Czech Republic midfielder was signed from Slavia Prague by the Hammers in the 2019-20 winter transfer window. It is safe to say that Soucek has turned out to be a key player for West Ham in the Premier League this season.
Soucek is generally known to be a defensive midfielder, but this season the Czech Republic international has shown his prowess as a box-to-box midfield personnel as well. He has scored ten goals from midfield, making him the first Czech player to score ten goals in a Premier League season.
Soucek has won the most aerial duels (217) in the Premier League this season, proving to be a strong presence in the air for the Hammers. His aerial and defensive abilities have been beneficial for the team, while his partnership with Declan Rice has also been key for the Hammers.
#2 Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City)
It hasn't been easy for Leicester City to replace N’golo Kante, who left them for Chelsea at the start of the 16-17 Premier League season. But the Foxes made a smart signing in Wilfred Ndidi to replace the Frenchman, and Ndidi has been getting better season after season.
He has been a key player for Leicester City in midfield. His partnership with Youri Tielemans has been key for Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers in the Premier League this season. While Tielemans prefers to be more attacking, Ndidi loves the role of a holding midfielder.
The Nigerian midfielder has been important in helping out his defenders time and again. Ndidi has a knack of breaking the opposition’s gameplay and letting his attack-minded teammates do the damage up front.
His tackling prowess and interceptions have been very useful for the team this season, and that is a major reason why the Foxes have struggled the most during his absence. Ndidi has made the most tackles per 90 minutes (3.9) in the 2020-21 Premier League, with N’golo Kante second with 3.4.
Ndidi’s positional play is something that is often underappreciated. But his presence allows Brendan Rodgers to play more attacking-minded players around him. Ndidi’s progress as a holding midfielder has been immense, so it may only be a matter of time before one of the bigger clubs approaches the Nigerian for his signature.
#1 Yves Bissouma (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Graham Potter and his team have done enough this season to survive relegation. Amidst what has been a disappointing season for the Seagulls, there has been a silver lining in the form of Yves Bissouma. The 24-year old Malian midfielder has consistently done well for Brighton in the Premier League this season.
Bissouma is an aggressive player and loves to go into tackles. He has been one of the best tacklers in the Premier League this season, making 95 tackles this campaign, with only Leeds’ Luke Ayling (102) ahead of him.
Bissouma is heavily involved in recovering the ball for his team and also possesses the flair and agility to break and kick-start attacks. His defensive abilities have been of immense help. Had he been playing for a bigger club, he would have received more appreciation than what he’s getting now.
Bissouma, with his exploits this season, is likely ready for a bigger challenge. He has been an integral part of Brighton, but the former Lille midfielder is attracting interest from Premier League clubs and abroad.
It is possible he may not be with the Seagulls next season, given the rumours linking him with a move to Arsenal or Liverpool in the summer. If that happens, Bissouma could get more attention for his performances.
