Football has been put on pause amid the Coronavirus pandemic but while we wait eagerly for its return, we can take stock of the season so far.
This is an opportunity to focus on some of the less-celebrated players who have surprised this term.
Here, we list the Premier League’s five unlikely stars of this season.
ADAMA TRAORE
With the strength of an ox and the pace of a cheetah, Adama Traore is a new breed of winger who has Premier League defenders running for the hills.
Having graduated from Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, there was never any doubt about the speedster’s talent, only his ability to make the most of it.
Traore has averaged a take-on once every 11.6 minutes this season, the best in the league. That’s hardly surprising as he’s always been able to beat a man.
What’s encouraging though is that he’s started to deliver an end product as well this season, producing four goals and seven assists in the league.
JACK GREALISH
The fact that Jack Grealish is a gifted footballer has never been a secret.
But despite his exploits in the Championship last season, the manner in which he’s stood out and led a woeful Aston Villa side this term has made elite clubs sit up and take notice.
If the season is eventually concluded, Villa are among the favourites to be relegated but their skipper and talisman has been one of the most impressive players in the league with seven goals and six assists.
He’s also the most fouled player in the league by some distance and only Kevin De Bruyne (3.7) averages more than his 2.7 key passes per game.
CAGLAR SOYUNCU
It took nearly the entire summer transfer window and a record fee for a defender for Manchester United to pry Harry Maguire away from Leicester City’s clutches.
How would the Foxes possibly replacement? Well, they didn’t. With £80 million in the bank, Brendan Rodgers simply started Caglar Soyuncu in Maguire’s place and the 23-year-old centre-back stepped up in a big way.
The young Turkey defender is still learning but has proved to be accomplished on the ball, dominant in the air and committed in a challenge.
Alongside Jonny Evans, he’s forged one of the best centre-back pairings in the league.
FRED
Having arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk for £52m, Fred was in danger of being branded a flop at United alongside previous failed midfielders like Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson.
However, his attitude and willingness to learn was something Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could work with.
Fred doesn’t have the ability to compensate for Paul Pogba’s absence this season but with relentless running, phenomenal work-rate and a vastly improved composure in possession, he’s held United’s midfield together.
With a creative force in Bruno Fernandes ahead of him now and Pogba likely to feature for the Red Devils once more, Fred is starting to look like a vital cog in a formidable midfield.
DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN
To watch Dominic Calvert-Lewin play is to witness a seemingly limited player consistently making a big difference.
Everton’s inability to sign a striker ahead of this campaign was cause for concern but the 23-year-old has made the position his own with 13 goals in the league, two more than Raheem Sterling and just one behind Sadio Mane.
He has the alertness and optimism of a classic goal-poacher while his pace and work-rate stretches defences and creates space for his team-mates.
“Dominic has all the attributes to become one of the best strikers in England and in Europe. He is fast, has good skills, is strong in the air and works extremely hard for the team,” Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti said.
