The Premier League is one of the most popular football competitions globally, known for its competitive nature, top-tier managers, and talented players. This season, it has been especially competitive, with teams outside the traditional top six performing exceptionally well, resulting in a more dynamic and unpredictable league table so far. In this article, we present to you our picks of the Premier League players that have been the surprise packages of the 2024/25 season.
Jhon Durán | Aston Villa FC
The Aston Villa forward has arguably been the standout player in the Premier League so far. He has mostly been deployed as a substitute by Unai Emery, but every time he comes off the bench, the Colombian impacts the game, contributing with vital goals and assists.
Durán joined Villa in January 2023 from Major League Soccer (MLS) club Chicago Fire. He didn’t hit the ground running right away, but Villa exceeded expectations by making the European toflight after several decades, setting up the platform for him to explode onto the scene this season.
So far this season, Durán has surprised one and all with impressive cameos off the bench. He has scored 11 goals in 24 games across all competitions. His ability and awareness in the six-yard box is an indication that he is an intelligent centre-forward who is only going to improve. He can also score from long-range efforts, which he has demonstrated a couple of times this season.
In the Premier League, Durán has already proved his worth with decisive goals against West Ham, Leicester City, and Everton. He contributions have kept the inconsistent Villans in the top half of the Premier League table as well as in the top eight of the Champions League table.
Liam Delap | Ipswich Town FC
Liam Delap has been impressive even though Ipswich are struggling in the league. He has started all the games for the Tractor Boys so far, contributing regularly with goals and assists.
Delap joined Ipswich in July this year from Man City on a five-year deal. Life at Portman Road has not started too badly for him from an individual perspective, as he already has to his name six goals and an assist. The Englishman is a strong centre-forward who has pace, can run down the channels, and provide assists along with a great shot-conversion ratio. His goal contributions are going to be key for Ipswich’s chances of surviving in the Premier League this term.
Delap is certainly proving to be a bargain for Ipswich Town and has already been attracting interest from a lot of top sides.
Ryan Gravenberch | Liverpool FC
Ryan Gravenberch has made the defensive midfield role his own in the Liverpool side this season, having simply been sensational for the league leaders so far.
Gravenberch joined Liverpool during last year’s summer transfer window from Bayern Munich, with former Reds boss Jürgen Klopp having to reinvent the midfield. The young Dutchman didn’t find many starts in the 2023/24 season, however, playing only 26 league games under Klopp in total and mostly limited to appearances off the bench. This season, however, he has become a mainstay in their midfield, playing a key role in protecting the defence. In Liverpool’s most recent match against Fulham, he even stepped in as a centre-back while the team were down to ten men, delivering an excellent performance that helped his side secure a draw.
Under new head coach Arne Slot, Gravenberch has transformed into a completely different force this season. His impressive performances have been a key factor in Liverpool’s position at the top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables.
Raúl Jiménez | Fulham FC
Raúl Jiménez is enjoying life at Craven Cottage this season and has been a major contributor to Fulham’s strong position in the league.
Jiménez had enjoyed two stellar seasons at Wolves until the 2020/21 season, when a severe head injury put him out of football for a long duration. His comeback at Wolves ended up being ordinary as he couldn’t find his goal-scoring touch, eventually leading to his exit. Fulham came calling for the Mexican in the summer of 2023, and since then he has repaid Marco Silva’s faith in him. This season, he has to his name six goals and two assists in league and has been a massive threat in the six-yard box.
The 33-year-old forward seems to have found his lost touch in front of goal. His return to form has been one of the most wholesome stories of the season so far.
Nicolas Jackson | Chelsea FC
Nicolas Jackson is having a dream season under new coach Enzo Maresca. His immense contributions in front of goal have catapulted Chelsea to second place in the league table after a slow-ish start.
Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal in the summer last year. He had a trying start to life at Stamford Bridge while the Blues huffed and puffed and missed out on Champions League qualification for a second consecutive season. This season, however, he has been in fine touch from the start, having already registered nine goals and three assists.
The Senegal international has been one of the most-improved players this season, and with Chelsea in a strong position in the league his form can prove to be a decisive factor in the title race going forward.
Also read: Premier League 2024/25 | 10 most valuable players
Mikkel Damsgaard | Brentford FC
Damsgaard joined Brentford in the summer of 2022 from Serie A side Sampdoria. His last two seasons had been somewhat underwhelming, but this season the Dane has been brilliant for the Bees. He currently has six assists and a goal and is particularly deadly on set-pieces.
The 24-year-old has been vital for Brentford in the middle of the park alongside the firing frontmen Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo, who too have been quite exceptional.
Antonee Robinson | Fulham FC
Antonee Robinson is having a stellar season for the Cottagers and is arguably the best left-back in the league right now.
Though the US international has been with Fulham since 2020 after his move from Wigan Athletic, he hasn’t been able to have the kind of an impact he’s having this term since the 2021/22 season, when he helped Fulham achieve topflight promotion.
For context, Robinson had a total of six assists in the entirety of last season, while he is already at six assists in 16 games so far. His ability both in defence and attack makes him a top-class modern fullback. Vital contributions both up down and down the pitch have led to Fulham enjoying a great position in the league table, proving pushovers for no side.
Amad Diallo | Manchester United FC
The young Ivorian has impressed with his energetic performances this season, in particular after Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford.
Diallo joined United in 2020 from Atalanta and mostly made substitute appearances for the Red Devils, playing mostly with the U23s before going on loan moves. It was last season that he started to get a few opportunities under Erik ten Hag and had a breakthrough season for the United first team. He rose to popularity when he scored the winning goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarters earlier in the year—a tournament the Red Devils went on to win. This season so far, he has impressed right from pre-season and is proving to be too hot to handle for opposition defences at the moment. So far, he has appeared in 23 games across all competitions and has to his name four goals and six assists.
Diallo is a high-quality player who looks set to enjoy more game time under Amorim, who seems to have found in the 22-year-old an excellent creator on the right wing.
Dwight McNeil | Everton FC
Dwight McNeil has been Everton’s shining light in the pitch dark this season. The Merseyside Blues endured a tough 2023/24 season, barely managing to avoid relegation amid multiple points deductions. They could easily have been in the bottom three this season if not for the brilliance of the 25-year-old.
McNeil joined Everton ahead of the 2022/23 season from Burnley. This season, he has arguably kept the Toffees above the relegation places on his own and is currently sitting on four goals and three assists from 15 games across all competitions. His brace against Crystal Palace in a 2-1 win handed Sean Dyche’s men their first win of the season in late September.
McNeil’s form has been vital for Everton to maintain safety from the drop zone, but other players in the side need to up their game and support him if they are to remain in the English topflight.
Nikola Milenkovic | Nottingham Forest FC
In terms of teams, Nottingham Forest have been the surprise package of the Premier League this season, and a lot of it can be attributed to their defence. Nikola Milenkovic at centre-back alongside Murillo has been absolutely sensational in that Forest backline.
The 27-year-old Serbia international joined Forest in earlier this summer from Fiorentina and hasn’t found life difficult in the English topflight. He is a strong defender, good in both aerial and ground duels. He is also a threat on set-pieces, as he proved against Man United recently when Forest came away with all three points at Old Trafford. Nuno Espírito Santo’s defence has paid huge dividends for Forest, who now sit comfortably in fourth position in the Premier League table.
The Forest backline has conceded 19 goals in the league, boasting the third-best record after Liverpool and Arsenal. It would indeed be a stellar first season for Milenkovic if Forest end up clinching European football come the end of the season.
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