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What separates the Premier League and most of the other European domestic leagues is the fact that even the mid-table sides in the English top-flight are capable of producing absolute shocks by beating the top sides.
The extent of this was visible when Leicester won the Premier League back in 2015-16 staving off the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United who have been the serial contenders for the trophy for the past decade.
The Premier League is one of the most exciting and adrenaline-pumping leagues in the world, and thus attracts young talent from other parts of Europe, which makes the league even more interesting with mid-table sides getting their hands on some really good youth talent.
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Even the mid-table sides have a great impact on how the top six ranks up due to the enormous pressure put by them on the top sides, especially in the home games.
Today we take a look at the top three players from the mid-table sides of the Premier League, who actually have the potential and probably are better than some of the similarly-positioned players of some of the top clubs.
#3 James Maddison (Leicester)
The 22-year-old Leicester midfielder, James Maddison, has been the heart of the Foxes' side for over a year now. His exploits in just his first season last year even led to a call-up from the England national team. Maddison made his debut in the Nation's League against Croatia in October, 2018.
The £36 million-rated midfielder operates mainly in the attacking-midfield position and usually drops back to central midfield when the team is defending.
Maddison played 38 matches for Leicester last season in all competitions scoring seven goals and providing deven assists, which are great figures for a young midfielder who was playing his first top-flight season, having joined from Norwich last year.
Maddison is one of the best homegrown talents currently in England, and can definitely walk into any top-six side's midfield easily if he consistently grows for the next three years. Definitely a star to watch out for this season and for the future.
#2 Teemu Pukki (Norwich)
Championship Player of the Season last year, Teemu Pukki has already announced his arrival to the Premier League after a very impressive performance in the defeat to Liverpool in the league opener, and of course, the sumptuous hat-trick against Newcastle United last weekend.
The 29 year old is at his peak of his career as a striker, and is sure to score loads of goals for Norwich this season too in the Premier League if you consider at his deadly positioning and finishing in the opening games.
What adds to his probability of scoring in double figures this season, is a young and blooming Norwich side which Daniel Farke has built in order to live up to the Premier League's expectations.
Pukki scored an astonishing 30 goals in all competitions last season for Norwich in addition to 10 assists, which, mathematically, directly involves him in his the 39 goals his side scored. His statistics prove his prowess.
There is no doubt the striker from Finland will be a player to keep an eye on this season. Another big test for Pukki comes this weekend as Norwich face a top-six side, Chelsea on Saturday.
#1 Lucas Digne (Everton)
The top spot goes to none other than the French full-back, Lucas Digne. The left-back, who is known for his overlapping runs on the left flank, has been Everton's best player for quite some time now since joining from FC Barcelona for a fee of £18 million last year.
The Frenchman has a rich experience in Europe, having played for Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona and even had a short stint at AS Roma, which makes him a great addition to the Premier League.
The 26 year old played 36 games for Everton last season in the Premier League, and his statistics do not justify the kind of impact the left-back hac on his side. He scored 4 goals and had 4 assists last season but his impact was more intangible.
Digne is a full package on the left flank. He is one of the fastest players in that position in the league and a combination of overlapping runs to provide assists and strong defensive principles make him a proper modern-day full-back.
