Ten Players to make an Impact this season
With the transfer window having now been and gone, the Premier League season is well underway and already there are a number of players who are catching the eye. These are the top ten players who I think will make a difference this year.
In no particular order.
Luis Suarez
After a scintillating career at Ajax, Suarez grabbed the attention of the World in the summer of 2010, when the second coming of the ‘hand of god’ saw the Uruguayan keep his country in the World Cup at the cost of a straight red.
He also made a name for himself with his skilful play and his goal-scoring ability, which led to Liverpool snapping him up in January.
After finishing as Top Scorer at this years Copa America, Suarez has started the League campaign with a bang, having scored against Sunderland and Arsenal and also flaunting his flamboyant style of play.
No doubt that the Liverpool number seven is going to be a handful for Premier League defences this season.
Fernando Torres
He may have missed THAT sitter at Old Trafford last weekend, but that aside Torres showed that he is on the way back to his best and scored Chelsea’s goal that day.
Since his £50 million in January, the man dubbed ‘El Nino’ has had a torrid time, scoring just one league goal for the Blues last season and becoming the victim of much teasing and mocking from other fans.
Torres has restored his golden locks this term and has looked to have restored his class, looking a completely different player, seeming more hungry for success and a lot sharper.
Under Andre Villas-Boas Chelsea seem to be slowly introducing a new style of play, with the emphasis on youth and Torres seems to be an important part of those plans.
Nani
The Portugal winger has seemingly picked up from where he left off last year as Manchester United stormed to another Premier League title.
Labelled as Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement, his fellow countryman grabbed a spot in PFA Team of the Year as his nines goals, endless assists and insane trickery tore apart the opposition.
Nani has already scored twice this term with the goals coming against title rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.
Although it seems as if the United number 17 has been around for ages, Nani is still on 24 and gone on record as saying that he wants to be the best in the world.
Whilst Lionel Messi and his United predecessor Ronaldo may have something to say about that, nobody can argue that Nani has a big future ahead of him.
Emmanuel Adebayor
The big Togo striker never fails to cause a scene wherever he goes and when snapped up by Spurs boss Harry Redkanpp that’s the way things looked like heading.
Perhaps rather uncharacteristically, Adebayor has made the headlines in a more positive way so far at White Hart Lane scoring three times in his first two Tottenham matches including a brace against top four rivals Liverpool.
The big man also looks to be stringing up quite a partnership with Jermain Defoe and if he can keep his head down and stay out of trouble whilst rediscovering his old Arsenal form, Ade could help fire Spurs back into the Champions League.
Scott Sinclair
The little man had quite a torrid time at Stamford Bridge. Failing to break into the title challenging squad and mainly being shipped out of the club on loan.
Since then Sinclair’s fortunes have changed with no better example being his hat-trick at Wembley last season that saw his current employers promoted to the promise land of the Premier League via the play-offs in a season that saw him rack up 27 goals in all competitions from midfield.
Having scored in Swansea’s first Premier League win last time out, Sinclair has already etched his name in Swansea folklore and will be a key factor in the Swans battle to avoid the drop.
Shaun Wright-Phillips
When QPR snapped him up on transfer deadline day, Wright-Phillips said that he had made the move to Loftus Road in search of first team football.
He has started every League game available so far and has looked bright and enthusiastic out on the wing, looking like the player we remember from his first stint at Manchester City.
With his club splashing the cash and next summers European Championships right around the corner, game time couldn’t have come at a better moment for Wright-Phillips as he looks to try and book a late place on the plane to Ukraine and Poland.
Aaron Ramsey
Arsenal lost two of their most talented players over the summer in the form of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. But whilst the Spaniard has returned home to Barcelona and the Frenchman is earning shed-loads of dosh in Manchester, one man who could benefit from their departures is Aaron Ramsey.
Ramsey’s most memorable moment so far in his short career is suffering that horrific injury at Stoke a few years ago but will be is raring to change that this season.
Since his return, ‘Rambo’ has scored against Manchester United and been named the captain of his national side as he is edging closer and closer to a permanent spot in Arsene Wenger’s first eleven after a good start to the campaign.
Juan Mata
Having turned down a move to Arsenal and Tottenham, the Valencia winger found himself joining Villas-Boas’ revolution at Chelsea in a fee of over £23 million.
Starring in the under 21’s European Championships last summer, the Spaniard wasted little time in making a name for himself by grabbing a goal on his debut against Norwich.
The 23-year old looks to have already guaranteed himself a place in the Blues’ starting eleven and his pace and flair has the potential to prove a devastating partnership with fellow countryman Fernando Torres.
Ross Barkley
Many were concerned at the state of the Everton side following Mikel Arteta’s move to Arsenal leaving the Toffees without their talisman midfielder.
However Everton fans were already confident in the ability of their latest young talent in Ross Barkley who had shown enough in pre-season to warrant excitement for the upcoming year.
Despite being just 17 years of age, Barkley has featured heavily for David Moyes’ side already, making three Premier League appearances and one in the Carling Cup.
Moyes has shown faith in Barkley, who looks like he could be a really big player for Everton over the next few years.
Jermain Defoe
The pint-sized striker had a forgettable season last year, scoring just 4 times in the League for Spurs with his first strikes coming against Wolves in March.
Defoe has started this season with a bang with two goals to his name already and starting to become a first team regular in Harry Redknapp’s once again.
With Robbie Keane jetting out to L.A. and Peter Crouch going up north to Stoke, Emmanuel Adebayor has been drafted in by Redknapp, and along with Defoe look to be forming a classic little and large strike force to devastating effects.
Like mentioned with Wright-Phillips, this is the perfect time for Defoe to start find form again if he wants to be among Fabio Capello’s England squad that travel to the European Championships next summer.