As the Premier League takes a pause for the international break, it’s time to reflect on how the early season has panned out for the players. The returns of Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo have stolen most of the headlines, as has the scintillating form of Mo Salah for Liverpool. We’ve also seen underrated players rise towards new levels of stardom.
On the downside, fans are wondering what’s wrong with Harry Kane, who has been a shadow of himself after a summer of transfer speculation linking him with a move to Manchester City.
While the star players are used to being in the limelight, there are many others who are finally making their names in the Premier League, break out stars who have started the 2021/22 season with a bang. Below we pick out five underrated players who are dazzling the fans across the division:
Neal Maupay (Brighton)
At the time of writing, Maupay is just two goals behind Liverpool’s Mo Salah in the top scorer charts. But he has a price of 100/1 to finish the season as top scorer when you bet on sports with 888 Sport online. That’s a huge price for a talented player in a team that should do very well this season.
Maupay is – for want of a better word – a fighter, the kind of player who loves getting stuck into the opposition. But while he has frustrated fans in the past, now, at the age of 25, he is finding his feet. Expect him to continue this rich vein of form. Moreover, don’t rule out a call-up from France boss Didier Deschamps for the 2022 World Cup, nor a move to a bigger club next summer.
Demarai Gray (Everton)
The bargain of the season? Gray joined Everton this summer for a relatively paltry fee believed to be in the region of £1.7 million ($2.3 million). The young Englishman has hit the ground running at Everton under the guidance of boss Rafa Benitez, a fact that was there for all to see in his excellent performance against Manchester United recently.
Like Maupay above, Gray has flattered to deceive a bit in the past, but everyone was aware from a young age that the talent was there. Everton seems the perfect club for him to shine at for the foreseeable future. Gray might find himself the subject of a tug of war between the England selectors and Jamaican national team, for whom he qualifies to represent.
Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle)
The bright light in what has been a dour season so far for Newcastle United. Saint-Maximin is one of those live-wire wingers who can be a nightmare for defenders to contain. As with most players on this list, it was always apparent that the talent was there for the French ace – it was just about getting the right platform to succeed. There are now suggestions that Liverpool is interested in Saint-Maximin’s services, so explosive has his start to the season been. For the moment, however, he may be Newcastle’s best hope of survival.
Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace)
Patrick Vieira intends to change perceptions about how Crystal Palace play. The Eagles’ boss, who took over the reins in the summer, is putting faith in youth and exuberance, and that is exemplified by the midfielder Conor Gallagher. The English youngster, who is on loan from Chelsea, has been excellent all season, linking up well with attack and scoring a couple on occasion.
He seems fearless, ready to demand the ball from more experienced players and willing to shoot from range. He makes the Palace midfield tick, and he looks like he will grow into a fine midfielder for club and, maybe, country.
Hwang Hee-Chan (Wolves)
If you play fantasy Premier League, then Hwang Hee-Chan should be on the top of your list for bargain signings to get you those much-needed points. Hwang never really got a chance to shine at RB Leipzig (he is on a season-long loan at Wolves from the German club), but he has taken to his temporary new home like a duck to water. A growing understanding with Wolves’ Raul Jimenez should set up Wolves nicely this season, and silence the critics who predicted the club would struggle this season.
