Another international break is upon us with almost a fortnight to wait before the Premier League returns. It’s a frustrating pause given the league is just starting to take shape with the emergence of potentially a four-team title fight – Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City – and the usual stragglers battling for survival at the bottom.
This is, therefore, a good time to reflect on what we’ve seen so far and shine a light on five players who have made strong starts and yet perhaps haven’t got the recognition they deserve.
You only have to pick up a newspaper to realise Jack Grealish, Moises Caicedo, Gabriel and Erling Haaland are playing well.
Here, we pick out a quintet of under-the-radar stand-outs across the first seven matchdays in the Premier League with all data taken from the Opta Analyst website:
Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)
The Ghana international is rapidly developing into one of the best all-round forwards in the game.
Semenyo has six Premier League goals so far this season, second only to Haaland, and three assists.
His pace and power make Bournemouth a constant danger on the break but even low blocks can’t stop him, as shown on Friday night against Fulham when he wriggled to the byline before cutting in and slotting into the net.
It was a brilliant goal from a player surely destined for bigger things.
Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Palace’s 19-match unbeaten run in all competitions may have come to an end at Everton yesterday but the visitors can feel hard done to after dominating for long spells at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Key to their impressive display, as he so often is, was Adam Wharton. The former Blackburn midfielder has made six Premier League appearances for Palace this season and, providing he can stay fit, seems a shoo-in to be a part of the England squad at the World Cup next summer.
Elliot Anderson’s emergence over the last international break has complicated his bid to break through into the starting XI but Wharton is a player England should be looking to build around.
Already on the radar of Real Madrid, the 21-year-old has the kind of calm, assured style of play that would thrive in La Liga.
Jaidon Anthony (Burnley)
Anthony has blossomed on his return to the Premier League after playing a key role in Burnley’s promotion last term.
He has scored four goals and added an assist. Impressive figures but made even more spectacular given Clarets boss Scott Parker is known for prioritising defensive stability over attacking flair.
Anthony’s goals have come from just 12 shots and he will need to maintain a similarly high ratio throughout the remainder of the season if Burnley are to stay out of trouble.
Iliman Ndiaye (Everton)
Bar perhaps Jordan Pickford and Jack Grealish, Ndiaye is Everton’s most influential player.
Statistically, he impresses in almost every category. He has four goal involvements, is outperforming his xG by 0.85, and 49 progressive carries – helping David Moyes’ side get up the pitch.
It’s not just offensively where he has thrived. He has won possession back 42 times, behind only Anderson and Bruno Fernandes, added to 16 tackles and three clearances.
Guglielmo Vicario (Spurs)
According to the data, the best goalkeeper in the Premier League so far this season.
The Italy international has prevented the most goals when compared to the xGOT metric. He should have conceded 7.9 but has instead shipped just 5, giving him a marginally better score than outstanding Sunderland stopper Robin Roefs.
Roefs and Arsenal’s David Raya have made impressive starts but Vicario has been outstanding in helping Thomas Frank set a solid foundation in north London.
