Southampton – Jose Fonte
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While Southampton continue to excel in the Premier League despite being shorn of their best players on a summerly basis by bigger financial powers, Jose Fonte has been a figure of consistency and continuity at the club. Already aged over 30, Fonte does not have many more years at the top level, but there are few defenders in the Premier League with a stouter heart and a composed head than him.
Southampton has been able to bolster its midfield and attack with newer signings, but till the time they find a new, long-term solution for the centreback role, the pairing of Van Dyk and Fonte will have to suffice for them at the back.
Sunderland – Jermain Defoe
Sunderland pulled off yet another improbably successful relegation battle last season, staving off relegation and consigning neighbours Newcastle to yet another stint in the Championship. But they look, by far, the thinnest squad in the Premier League, having failed to spend in the summer transfer window on bettering their depth. They have a fighting team, though, and a decent squad to fight other strugglers.
Having learned his trade in the Premier League and spent his best years with a number of British clubs, Jermain Defoe now finds himself back in the league from MLS, scoring goals for the Tynesiders. He was pivotal in ensuring Sunderland’s survival in the Premier League last season, and with no new signings in attack, Sunderland will look to him as their primary goalscoring source once more.
Stoke City – Joe Allen
Although they have kicked off on the worst possible note to the season, Stoke City has rarely been involved in relegation battles on account of a robust defensive system. Under Mark Hughes, they have also been able to play a more expansive style and attract the likes of Arnautovic, Shaqiri and Wilfried Bony to the club.
Joe Allen is another new signing to have come to the club this season, and he faces the task of leading Stoke to a respectable league finish on the lines of the season gone by. By adding him, Stoke have deepened their midfield and filled an important squad need – a box-to-box player with the ability to dictate the game against better opponents. Expect Stoke to spring a surprise or two this season, once again.
Swansea City – Gylfi Sigurdsson
The Swansea squad wears a settled look these days, with a number of key players sticking around at the club and pushing for the European places each season. Having signed Fernando Llorente in strike, Swansea finally has a good striker to complement Sigurdsson and double up with him as a legitimate aerial threat in the box.
Sigurdsson is one of those less appreciated phenomenons plying their trade in the Premier League – getting outshown by better players from bigger clubs. His playmaking skills and ability to score crucial goals of every kind gives Swansea a cutting edge that no other player in their squad possesses. Which is why he has been their most important player for a while now.
