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The unlikely lads
When you sit down to stitch together your fantasy football team at the start of the season, there are always a number of expensive options you can rely on to produce the goods.
The following dozen players have surprised Premier League viewers this season whether they adapted quicker than expected or shone in a new role, producing performances above what was expected...
Dwight McNeil (Burnley)
Burnley’s style of football under Sean Dyche is no secret, with the manager placing great importance on experience and work ethic.
The 19-year-old has established himself as a regular in the Clarets team, helping his side go on an eight-match unbeaten run in which he scored his first professional goal and bagged four assists.
Gerard Deulofeu (Watford)
Often criticised for flattering to deceive in previous seasons, former Barcelona talent Deulofeu has enjoyed his best season yet with Watford. After sporadic form with Everton and Milan, the winger has flourished often playing through the middle for the Hornets alongside the formidable Troy Deeney.
He’s scored seven league goals this season, including a hat-trick against Cardiff, in what has also been the most prolific campaign of his career so far.
Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth)
Fraser has shown over the last couple of seasons that his wonderfully direct style has a place in the Premier League, but he's taken his game to a new level this term.
The Scotland international’s belief has grown and his technicality has shone through, with the winger plundering six goals and 10 assists in his most productive season to date. His form has greatly helped the Cherries in their bid to finish in the top half.
Salomon Rondon (Newcastle United)
The Venezuelan wasn’t at the top of many clubs’ wish lists after West Brom were relegated and his impact with Newcastle has taken many by surprise.
He has become a fan favourite at St James’ Park, a classic handful of a No.9, and his nine goals have helped the Magpies move towards safety after a tricky start to the campaign.
However, his importance to Rafa Benitez’s team is greater than the numbers suggest and he has become focal point in attack and allowed Ayoze Perez to flourish.
Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Wolves’s summer spending spree demoted several members of their Championship-winning team to peripheral roles, but Doherty has nailed down his place in the Premier League.
Thirteen new players came in after their promotion and Barry Douglas – who notched 14 assists for Wolves last season – was sent packing to Leeds, but Doherty has established himself as a key figure in Nuno Espirito Santo’s team.
The Irishman has started all but two league games this season, charging up and down the flank and producing quality crosses throughout a fine season.
Jan Bednarek (Southampton)
Bednarek has been showered with praise lately. His manager, the fans and former Saints great Matt Le Tissier have all been getting in on the act.
The Pole made just five appearance in the Premier League last season, his debut campaign after arriving from Lech Poznan, and there wasn’t much expected of the 22-year-old this term as he added just two more league games to his CV before mid-December.
However, since then the defender has been in fine form under Ralph Hassenhutl and he has played every minute of Saints’ last 15 top-flight matches. “He’s been amazing,” the Austrian boss said of the £5.7 million signing. “The saves he’s made sometimes have helped us to get a lot of points.”
Aaaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace)
In February, Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson insisted he was relieved to see his right-back make an uncharacteristic error against Fulham. “I was starting to think he might be a robot,” he quipped. He wasn’t the only one.
The 21-year-old has shot to prominence this season after an injury crisis first allowed him a chance in February 2018. Originally a winger, Wan-Bissaka has developed into one of Europe’s most formidable defensive full-backs, astonishingly making the most successful tackles of any player in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
He was tipped for a senior England call-up over the weekend but was instead left with the Under-21s, sparking more talk of DR Congo swooping to tie him down. Gareth Southgate had better act fast.
Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
The Mexican’s dream debut season in English football continued over the weekend when he notched a goal and an assist to help Wolves knock out Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
However, all the talk is now about whether seventh-placed Wolves will fork out a club record £30 million to make his loan move permanent at the end of the season, with Jimenez finding the net 12 times in the league and three times in the cup already.
Neil Etheridge (Cardiff City)
Against all odds, Cardiff are still in with a shout of staying up this season after most expected them to be out of their depth in the top flight.
The Philippines international almost gave up on football before reviving his career with League One Walsall, and he has performed superbly since arriving in Wales on a free transfer in May 2017.
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)
The arrival of manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has been good for several Southampton players struggling for confidence and Ward-Prowse has been one to make the most of a new era under the Austrian.
Ward-Prowse has found the net six times in his last nine league games for Saints. Well done that lad.
Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)
Once lamented as an expensive liability, Xhaka has transformed his reputation this season thanks to a change of role and the construction of a more balanced midfield under Unai Emery.
In January, the Swiss celebrated the two-year anniversary since his last red card, he's no longer being played out of position and has been able to express himself more alongside Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi.
Xhaka has knitted Arsenal’s moves together – Jorginho is the only Premier League midfielder to have made more passes this season – and has also emerged as a leader in Emery’s team. Quite the turnaround after his inauspicious start.
