Marmite is a divisive topic.
Some people think the spread represents a heinous crime against toast, while other see it as a delicious, socially acceptable snack accompaniment.
Plenty of footballers also split opinion, with fans often sitting on opposing sides of the fence when it comes to rating – or hating – a particular player.
But who are the ‘Marmite players’ currently plying their trade in the Premier League? Well, we asked a fan of each club to pick out the man who some supporters adore but others cannot stand.
Football is a game of opinions, folks….
Arsenal fan
@doddy_2: “It’s quite clear our ‘Marmite’ player is Granit Xhaka. Half of our fans think he’s a great player with a fantastic left-foot that can pick any pass.
“The other half think back to the glory days of central midfielders like Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and Gilberto Silva and think he’s not fit to lace their boots with his lack of mobility and sloppy mistakes.”
Key Stat: Granit Xhaka has created more chances (25) than any other Arsenal player so far this season.
Bournemouth fan
@CherryChimes: “Steve Cook is an enigma. He’s majestic most weeks but prone to the individual error or two, shall we say!”
Key Stat: Of Bournemouth’s outfielders to have played more than five games, Steve Cook has the best duel success rate (64.4%).
Brighton fan
@wearebrighton: “Jurgen Locadia. He cost £14m from PSV last January and spent the first 10 months of his career working on a music album rather than concentrating on football.
“He scored two in two over Christmas and now some fans seem to think he is Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s lovechild. Others aren’t sold – the one thing we can agree on though is that his album is rubbish.”
Key Stat: Jurgen Locadia’s only two goals this season have won Brighton four points in the Premier League.
Burnley fan
@TurfyTopper: “Up until recently a large majority of Burnley fans struggled to find a reason to like Ashley Westwood. It’s only recently after he put in some outstanding Man of the Match performances that fans’ perceptions have changed.
“He’s a tireless worker yet is sometimes overlooked by some of the fan base. The Nantwich Xavi!”
Key Stat: No player has provided more assists for Burnley this season than Ashley Westwood (4).
Cardiff fan
@TheGrangeEnd: “Kenneth Zohore. He hasn’t quite hit the ground running this season and some fans have questioned his commitment, but some fans still believe he can get back on track and start scoring again.”
Key Stat: Kenneth Zohore has averaged just three touches in the opposition box in the seven Premier League appearances he has made for Cardiff.
Chelsea fan
@FutbolCheIsea: “I’d probably say Michy Batshuayi who’s currently on loan, but at the club now I’d go for David Luiz.
“He’s got a big character, is very sociable and a huge joker on and off the pitch. And fans either love or hate that about him!”
Key Stat: David Luiz has created more big chances than any other centre-back in the Premier League this season (8).
Crystal Palace fan
@Nick_CPFC: “Some Crystal Palace supporters believe Christian Benteke can replicate his purple patch from the 2016/17 season, which saw him score 17 goals across all competitions.
“But others have run out of patience with the Belgian striker after his disappointing campaign last season. Either way, Palace will be happy to have him back from injury due to his presence being sorely missed in recent months.”
Key Stat: Christian Benteke has scored just three goals from 74 shot attempts since the start of last season, whilst also missing 24 of 27 big chances he had in that time frame.
Everton fan
@TomClarke40: “Theo Walcott. He infuriates some Evertonians by making all the right runs and possessing blistering pace, but often not being able to finish it off, scoring just six goals in 40 Premier League games for The Toffees so far.”
Key Stat: Theo Walcott has missed 75% of the big chances he has had in the Premier League this season (8).
Fulham fan
@FulhamNiceGuys: “Where to start? We have Aboubakar Kamara (AK47) who – due to his recent penalty antics against Huddersfield – has caused a divide among the fans.
“Andre Schürrle is another whose occasional moments of brilliance are clouded out by his laziness and lacklustre attitude.”
Key Stat: Aboubakar Kamara has missed four out of six big chances this season, two of which came in the same game against West Ham.
Huddersfield fan
@TOTT_htafc: “In a side that has struggled in front of goal, naturally, Steve Mounié has becomes a divisive figure amongst the fans. Some fans are highly critical of his work ethic.
“However, due to his efforts last season he is loved by most fans, who hope to see him lead the line for the foreseeable future.”
Key Stat: Steve Mounié has scored one goal in 23 league games for Huddersfield this season. His goal on January 2nd came in what was his 35th shot of the campaign.
Leicester fan
@Vardesque: “Rightly or wrongly our Marmite player is currently James Maddison.
“Lately he’s been getting hate from some Leicester fans whilst others continue to love what he’s brought in his short time at the club.
“He’s definitely a player I love as he’s added a different edge to our game and the hate he receives won’t last very long as his talent will shine through.”
Key Stat: James Maddison has created 55 chances in the Premier League; more than any other English player this season and the fourth most in the competition.
Liverpool fan
@NeilAPerry: “Despite being a victim of the boo boys, I have an odd respect for Alberto Moreno.
“He runs. A lot. But not always in the right direction or with any obvious end result. Bless him for trying though.”
Key Stat: Alberto Moreno has been left out of the squad or on the bench in 21 out of 23 Premier League games this season, playing just 155 minutes in the competition. Divock Origi (73) and Rafael Camacho (1) are the only Liverpool players with less minutes so far.
Man City fan
@SuperbiaProeIia: “Definitely Ilkay Gundogan. Even since his long-term injury, he’s dropped a level and is constantly trying either too hard or too little on the pitch. He’s almost always a scapegoat when City lose a game.
“As for the other side, he offers a high level of versatility, capable of playing anywhere from defensive midfield to attacking midfielder. This season he has stepped up to another level, scoring important goals and contributing a lot to the team.”
Key Stat: Ilkay Gundogan has missed 33 of 99 Premier League games through injury since joining Man City in the summer of 2016 (33.3%).
Man United fan
@AlexLeggatePT: “Marouane Fellaini. Under Jose Mourinho, he was sometimes used to good effect and he gained somewhat of a cult following at United.
“Whilst some saw him as a good ‘Plan B’, others thought he was a symbol of everything wrong with the manager’s philosophy.”
Key Stat: Marouane Fellaini has won 9.53 duels per 90 minutes this season; more than any other Manchester United player has averaged this season (minimum two games played).
Newcastle fan
@100PctMAGS: “Jacob Murphy as sometimes he’s great and other times he can be a real pain to watch – Joselu is the same.
“On their day they can be amazing players to watch but catch them on a bad day and you can forget about winning the game because they will make mistake after mistake.”
Key Stat: Joselu has failed to score or assist in 11 Premier League appearances (403 minutes) for Newcastle since his last league goal against Chelsea in Gameweek 3.
Southampton fan
@FreshSaints: “The divisive figure is an academy product, which is a positive, but some fans are still wondering when James Ward-Prowse will come of age.
“The 24-year-old’s set pieces are an asset but he needs more to his game to nail down a starting spot.”
Key Stat: In his last two league matches, James Ward-Prowse has scored in consecutive Premier League appearances for the first time in his career.
Spurs fan
@atthepeake: Serge Aurier is the best example of this at Spurs. Rash defensive errors in big games have seen plenty of supporters lose faith in him, but his pace and attacking qualities seem to fit Mauricio Pochettino’s system well.
Key Stat: Serge Aurier has conceded 3.36 fouls per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season; more than any other Spurs player is averaging so far.
Watford fan
@AndyLewers: “Jose Holebas would have to take the Marmite award for Watford. At times his performances can be outstanding and he can be one of our better players.
“Sometimes, however, his delivery from set pieces fail to beat the first man and his somewhat moody attitude – whilst I find it endearing – can split opinions among supporters.”
Key Stat: Jose Holebas has played the second most number of crosses in the Premier League (161) this season with an accuracy rate of 21.7%.
West Ham fan
@Irons_Home: “Michail Antonio. After a terrific first two seasons, Antonio dipped greatly in form and was physically out of shape.
“He looks to be getting back to his old self with huge pace and power, although he still needs to work on his finishing.”
Key Stat: Only four of Antonio’s 34 crosses attempted from open play have been successful this season.
Wolves fan
@STurnerTipster: “It is fair to say Adama Traore, purchased for a club record fee of £18m from Middlesbrough in the summer, is yet to convince Wolves fans he is the real deal.
“Blessed with blistering pace and power, Traore can be inconsistent yet also unplayable on any given day, with his trademark speed employed from the bench to make an impact late in games.”
Key Stat: Amongst the 48 players to have attempted at least 40 take-ons in the Premier League this season, Adama Traore has the highest success rate (63.5%).
The post Love them or hate them? Every Premier League club’s ‘Marmite’ player appeared first on Squawka News.
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