We saw some magical performances in the Premier League last season, but some players have struggled to recreate the form that saw us wax lyrical about them last year. Here we look at 5 players who haven’t lived up to the standards that we expect them to.
Anthony Martial
Martial was a whale in a teardrop at United last season, but with the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, he’s now a small fish in a big pond. He’s provided just two assists, both in the first game against Bournemouth, and has yet to find the back of the net. He suffered a suspected concussion against Watford and he might find it difficult to regain his place when he recovers.
He has unrivalled pace in the United squad, but that’s never been enough for Jose Mourinho to force inclusion in a team. He was the star last season, rescuing Louis Van Gaal on multiple occasions, but could he be a victim of his own success?
Odion Ighalo
Ighalo started 37 games for Watford last season and made one appearance off the bench, therefore featuring in every single league game. He scored 15 goals and when a bid came in from the Chinese Super League for £38 million, it’s strange to think that the Pozzo family didn’t accept it. In hindsight, they probably should have done, considering Ighalo’s return of one goal in five games so far this season. He compliments Troy Deeney well, but £38 million for a striker with Ighalo’s stats seems to be a very good deal.
Marko Arnautovic
As a team Stoke are struggling both in attack and defence. Mark Hughes is constantly adapting his playing system to get the best out of his new signings and Arnautovic is the individual who’s suffering most from the changes. He’s creating fewer goal scoring opportunities for his teammates and is completing fewer passes compared to last season. He’s not the only player who’s struggling at Stoke, but the sooner he returns to form, the sooner Stoke will climb the table.
Dele Alli
Alli could be another victim of his own success, but his dip in form goes back to the end of last season. He was one of the players who lost his head in the midst of the title challenge, receiving a three-game ban for punching Claudio Yacob. He was disappointing in the Euros, as was every other English player and he’s yet to recapture the form that saw him earn high praise last year. He scored against Stoke, so it’s not all bad, but he’s still someway off his best.
Ryan Shawcross
Shawcross has been a mainstay of the Stoke defence since 2008 and is battle-hardened, but he’s suffered a huge dip in form so far this season. He’s been the victim of the purge of grappling in the box and he’ll have to alter his technique to ensure that he’s not penalised more often. It’ll be interesting to see how many penalties are given for holding in the box at the end of the season and how many Shawcross has been responsible for. Stoke currently have the worst defence in the league and he has to take some responsibility for it.
