How one of Man Utd's reported targets this summer became one of the world’s best in his position

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The 2018/19 season is already proving to be an entertaining one across Europe’s top five leagues. 

PSG and Juventus are predictably topping Ligue 1 and Serie A respectively, but the Premier League and La Liga look wide open, while Borussia Dortmund are putting together an incredible unbeaten run as they try to end Bayern Munich’s German supremacy.

Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah have continued to be ridiculously good and are still the cream of the crop in world football.

But it isn’t just the established elite that are proving to be a success so far this season, with a crop of players that have struggled in the past finally proving themselves at the highest level.

Here at Squawka, we’ve put together a combined XI from Europe’s top five leagues to show which players have improved the most in their position this season, and just what effect that is having for the team they play for.

Read on to find out more…

Goalkeeper: Walter Benítez

Club: Nice

League appearances: 13

Nice have turned it around under Patrick Vieira following a tough start to 2018/19.

One key factor has been their defensive solidity and largely responsible has been their goalkeeper Walter Benítez whose very own performances are a sharp contrast from last season.

As things are, he’s kept six consecutive clean sheets, having conceded only eight goals in 13 appearances so far. Benítez is conceding a goal every 146.25 minutes. His 2017/18 average was one every 70 minutes.

The numbers don’t lie.

Key stat: Only Edouard Mendy (9) has kept more Ligue 1 clean sheets than Benítez but has conceded six more goals than Nice’s number one.

Right-back: João Cancelo

 

Club: Juventus

League appearances: 12

Juventus are seen as the masters of the transfer window and they look to have struck gold with João Cancelo.

The 24-year-old Portuguese international didn’t come cheap, like many of their famed recent signings, but his impact could be just as big if going by early indications.

Cancelo, who enjoyed a season of Serie A football prior to joining the undisputed Italian champions, has taken it up a notch following his brief spell at Inter Milan (on loan from Valencia).

Every game that goes by sees him winning more fans, through his ability to bypass opposition forwards and seamlessly create opportunities for his teammates, with some convinced the former Benfica academy graduate is now European football’s number one right-back; a sign of some serious improvement.

Man Utd fans seem to be particularly annoyed that the club’s reported summer interest never materialised into a tangible bid, despite Diogo Dalot’s vast potential.

Key stat: Cancelo has completed more take-ons (35) than any defender in Serie A this season.

Centre-back: Manuel Akanji

Club: Borussia Dortmund

League appearances: 11

Borussia Dortmund have been nothing short of spectacular this season, and Manuel Akanji has been key to that.

Going from shaky and unconvincing during his first half-season in Germany following his switch from FC Basel last term, to ultra reliable in this one; the Swiss has conceded just three fouls in 990 minutes of Bundesliga in 2018/19.

Akanji is also a brilliant ball-playing defender and plays a key role in Lucien Favre’s all-action style of play, starting attacks from the defence at will.

Key stat: Manuel Akanji has completed 94% of his passes in the Bundesliga this season – only Nico Elvedi and Niklas Sule (both 95%) have a better rate.

Centre-back: David Luiz

Club: Chelsea

League appearances: 15

Many scorned when Chelsea paid £31.5m to bring David Luiz back to the club in 2016 and, to be honest, up until this season, he has been anything but convincing.

The Brazilian’s footballing ability has never been in question, but he has often come under fire for his lack of defensive prowess – kind of important when you’re a centre-back. This season, however, Luiz has been brilliant.

Unsurprisingly, given his history, Luiz has completed the most through balls (13) of any player in the Premier League this season. More surprising is the fact that, by Opta’s definition, he is yet to make an error that leads to a shot on the Chelsea goal this season – despite being targeted for his apparent unwillingness to block Harry Kane’s effort in the defeat to Spurs.

The Brazilian also proved to be the hero in Chelsea’s recent 2-0 win over Manchester City, scoring the second goal and ending the reigning champions’ unbeaten run.

Key stat: David Luiz is yet to make a single error leading to a shot or goal in the Premier League this season.

Left-back: Luke Shaw

Club: Manchester United

League appearances: 12

Injuries have been very, very cruel to Luke Shaw over the years and have totally hampered his ability to gain any consistency. This season, however, has been one of much promise for the former Southampton left-back.

Shaw has already played 12 Premier League games this season, the most he has managed for Man United since 2014-15, and scored his first professional goal in the Red Devils’ 2-1 over Leicester on the opening day of the season.

This has helped him to earn a recall to the England national team under Gareth Southgate and pick up two Man Utd Player of the Month awards already.

Key stat: Shaw has played 1,062 minutes of Premier League football this season, the most he has managed since 2014-15.

Central midfielder: Moussa Sissoko

Club: Tottenham Hotspur

League appearances: 10

Moussa Sissoko’s future at Tottenham Hotspur looked bleak not so long ago.

So, credit to the Frenchman, who is now one of Spurs’ more important players. If that sounds hyperbolic then you missed his eye-opening performance against Chelsea recently… and his vital contribution to the must-win Wembley clash with Inter Milan.

Sissoko, who can be best described as box-to-box, overwhelmed Maurizio Sarri’s team with his movement and industry. It confirmed what everyone thought; Sissoko isn’t a terrible player, just an underperforming one.

Mauricio Pochettino’s trust in him has been vindicated this season, though every praise should be equally directed towards Sissoko, who is among the first names on Spurs’ team sheet.

Key stat: Moussa Sissoko has averaged 7.89 recoveries per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, more than any other Spurs outfield player.

Central midfielder: Granit Xhaka

Club: Arsenal

League appearances: 15

Granit Xhaka has come under a lot of criticism since joining Arsenal in 2016, most of which has been unfair.

You cannot deny, though, that he has struggled to show his £35m price tag on a regular basis – until now. Xhaka’s biggest change has been playing next to Lucas Torreira, who has taken over most of the defensive duties in Arsenal’s midfield area and allowed Xhaka to flaunt his progressive passing, as well as leaving him less exposed.

Unai Emery has benefitted massively from this and the Gunners are now 21 games unbeaten in all competitions.

Key stat: Granit Xhaka has played more passes into the final third (197) than any other outfield player in the Premier League this season.

Attacking midfielder: Gylfi Sigurdsson

Club: Everton

League appearances: 15

Those who love Everton are finally starting to see the real Gylfi Sigurðsson.

Signed in the summer of 2017 from Swansea, naturally to much fanfare, the Icelandic playmaker endured a difficult first season at Goodison Park – it didn’t help that he played under two different managers with contrasting footballing philosophies.

Under the auspices of Marco Silva, he’s already improved his goal return. Sigurdsson, now Everton’s fulcrum, has bagged six goals across his opening 15 league fixtures compared to mustering four in 27 last term.

With him pulling the strings, creating 2.3 chances per game (up from 1.4 last season), the Toffees stand a real chance of accomplishing their highest finish season the 2013/14 season.

Key stat: No Everton player has been directly involved in more Premier League goals (8) this season than Sigurdsson (six goals and two assists)

Right-wing: Ousmane Dembele

Club: Barcelona

League appearances: 14

 

Following a £100m move to the Catalan side at the start of 2017/18, a lot was expected of Ousmane Dembele.

Unfortunately, multiple factors – mainly a debilitating thigh injury – saw the Frenchman fail to live up to the hype despite some flashes of his obvious genius.

This season, however, despite constant reports of off-the-pitch trouble and tardiness, Dembele has delivered on the pitch.

Already matching his league output from last season in 130 fewer minutes, the most frightening thing about the ambipedal marvel is that he looks better with each passing game.

Key stat: Lionel Messi is the only Barcelona player to create more chances per 90 minutes and complete more take-ons per 90 than Ousmane Dembele in La Liga this season.

Left-wing: Ryan Fraser

Club: Bournemouth

League appearances: 16

Ryan Fraser has always looked like a player on the edge of brilliance, showing as much towards the end of last season.

So far, though, 2018-19 has seen Fraser become an exciting, decisive winger that can turn a game on its head in a heartbeat.

The Scotland international has already created seven Premier League goals this season, only Eden Hazard has more (8), while also notching four of his own. A goal and assist in two EFL Cup games only enhancing his impressive stats and growing reputation.

Key stat: Ryan Fraser has created the most ‘big chances’ in the Premier League this season; his 15 is at least four more than any other player.

Striker: Andre Silva

Club: Sevilla

League appearances: 14

André Silva looks a different man from last season. His inaugural campaign with AC Milan, whom he joined from boyhood club FC Porto, was a real struggle.

Silva wasn’t only struggling for playing time but goals. He’d feature in no fewer than 24 league outings, with seven of those being from the start (and only completing the full 90 minutes four times), and in the process, the Portuguese marksman would register two goals.

Naturally, it led to apathy from those following the Rossoneri and with Milan strengthening their attacking options in the summer – Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuaín joining on a season-long loan – it meant looking for pastures new.

Sevilla rescued him and Silva, signing a loan deal with an option to buy, has repaid them by bagging eight goals in 14 games which puts him in the mix for this season’s Pichichi and the club three points behind leaders Barcelona.

Key stat: Silva is the first player this century to score a hat-trick on his La Liga debut.

The post Combined XI: The 2018/19 season’s most improved players across Europe’s top five leagues appeared first on Squawka News.



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