The key player for each Premier League team going into 2024

The success of Man City is largely down to Rodri AFP

The end of 2023 is drawing near, so it’s time to evaluate each Premier League team’s standing and identify the key player for each team going into the new year.

The variables that determine a player’s importance are as follows: their value to the team, the impact their absence has on it, and the impact they may have on their individual clubs’ campaigns.

 

Arsenal – Saliba, William

William Saliba was a very simple decision to start with, but since making his debut for Arsenal at the beginning of the 2022–2023 season, he has been instrumental in the team’s incredible form.

 

Saliba’s importance to the Gunners is evident from the sharp decline in performance that occurred during his absence from the league last season, which ultimately cost the team the Premier League title.

 

The Frenchman will be crucial to Arsenal’s 2024 title push, so they will do everything in their power to keep him around for as long as possible.

Villa Aston – Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa has had several standout players this season, including Emi Martinez, Douglas Luiz, Pau Torres, and John McGinn. In fact, losing any of these players could seriously hurt the team’s performance.

 

However, Ollie Watkins, their star player, contributes assists as well as goals, and if he were to go hurt, it would be difficult to replace him.

 

The Englishman adds so much to a very talented Villa team, as evidenced by his nine goals and six assists in 18 league outings, and their striking department clearly lacks depth.

Dominic Solanke, Bournemouth

Though on a lesser scale, Bournemouth’s circumstances are comparable to Villa’s.

 

Dominic Solanke, a striker who has scored at least eight more goals than anybody else in the team, is their main player. He has now scored 11 goals in the league.

 

For a team fighting for survival, those goals are crucial, and Solanke will be essential to the Cherries’ ability to continue climbing the standings.

Bryan Mbeumo is Brentford’s

In Ivan Toney’s absence, Bryan Mbeumo has performed admirably, scoring seven goals and assisting on four more, propelling Brentford to a 12th-place finish in the standings.

 

This season, the forward has established himself as the Bees’ primary man and their main goal provider.

 

To spearhead their push for a top half finish, they will be hoping for a speedy recovery from his injury.

 

They might be staring over their shoulder at those pursuing them if it weren’t for the Cameroonian.

Pascal Gross in Brighton

With as many as 27 players in the league this season, Roberto De Zerbi rotates his team frequently, making it difficult to single out one player as the most crucial.

 

One of the most underappreciated players in the division, Pascal Gross, is one who plays frequently and in a number of positions.

 

Despite being 32 years old, the German remains a vital element of Brighton’s team as one of their greatest creators.

– James Trafford, Burnley

Following their promotion from the Championship, Burnley completely reorganized their roster in the summer, but sadly, things haven’t worked out for the Clarets thus far.

 

They have had a bad start to the season and are now facing relegation, which is made worse by the performance of the teams above them.

 

A strong goalkeeper is something that a team fighting relegation truly needs, and James Trafford has shown throughout the season that he can be one, as evidenced by his performance against Brighton as player of the match.

 

In 2024, he will have to perform at the highest level if Burnley is to stay in the Premier League, especially since they won’t have a star on the outfield after Luca Koleosho’s injury.

Sterling of Chelsea

Raheem Sterling, who at last seems to be regaining the form of his previous career, has been one of Chelsea’s bright spots this season as they have suffered once more.

 

Together with Cole Palmer, another former Manchester City forward, the winger frequently poses the biggest offensive danger for the Blues.

 

Due to his experience in the game and the possibility of Christopher Nkunku’s comeback, which would pose a serious danger to Palmer’s position, Sterling just manages to beat out his buddy.

Marc Guehi’s Crystal Palace

At Crystal Palace, things don’t seem to be going well right now, and things would only grow worse if Marc Guehi were to leave or sustain a major injury.

 

One of the division’s most underappreciated partnerships is that between the Englishman and Joachim Andersen; should it fail, Palace might find itself in serious difficulty.

 

Guehi has made a name for himself in the England team, and with rumors of a possible move up the league continuing, it’s unclear what the Eagles will do to hold onto their most valuable player.

– Joao Palhinha of Fulham

Joao Palhinha was one of the season’s top additions the previous year, and his outstanding play in the 2023–24 season has attracted interest from Bayern Munich and Arsenal.

 

He is a significant asset for the Cottagers because of his defensive effort in the middle of the pitch, which is priceless to any team and very hard to replicate.

 

Palhinha signed a new deal in London back in September, giving Fulham a bit of a safety net in case of his exit, even if he will probably be linked away in January.

– Dwight McNeil Everton

Everton has won seven of their past ten games and has shown no signs of fear despite a 10-point deduction.

 

The Toffees’ success over the past two months has largely been attributed to winger Dwight McNeil, who gives the team a direct offensive outlet that not many other players do.

 

They have moved out of the drop zone thanks to his efforts, and if he can maintain them, they will catapult them into the top half of the division.

Alisson of Liverpool: Alisson is without a doubt the greatest goalkeeper in the league, if not the entire globe. Liverpool has already felt the slight impact of his absence this season, as he was unable to stop Fulham from winning 4–3.

 

Although Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk would both be enormous losses, and it’s unclear how the Reds would handle it if Salah goes to the AFCON, Alisson has saved them multiple times since joining in 2018.

 

His significance to their possible lawsuit for title is enormous.

Ross Barkley/Luton

Ross Barkley appears to have been a huge success for Luton when the midfielder joined on a free transfer; he stood out especially in the team’s close losses against Manchester City and Arsenal.

 

The former England international will offer Luton the best chance to battle against relegation if he can maintain his high-caliber performances in the middle of the park.

 

His prior Premier League experience, having played for Chelsea and Everton, will also be quite beneficial.

 

Rodri, of Manchester City

When Rodri begins for Manchester City, they have a great record: out of the 13 Premier League games he has started, they have won 10, and drawn three.

 

Additionally, in every league game this season that the Spaniard has missed, they have lost.

 

Rodri’s significance to the current champions is evident, and he will play a key role in City’s quest for a fourth consecutive championship.

Fernando Fernandes of Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes surely has the ability to help improve Manchester United’s dismal performances, even though it doesn’t appear like any player is doing anything to help them right now.

 

With other attackers not quite living up to expectations, the attacking midfielder will be essential if United is to reverse their poor start to the season. He is often the key to much of their fine attacking play.

Guimaraes, Bruno, Newcastle

Bruno Guimaraes, a midfielder for Newcastle, has been essential to the team’s ascent through the league since his arrival and is still very good despite playing for a diminished Magpies team.

 

Despite Newcastle’s severe injury problems and other key players’ decline in form, the Brazilian has held his own in recent weeks, and his efforts will help keep them within striking distance of the European spots.

 

Nuno Espirito Santo, the new manager of Nottingham Forest, will be trying to rapidly address the team’s recent decline and need to regain their form in order to avoid getting drawn into a relegation battle.

 

Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White, two players who provide a significant threat, will be essential to Forest’s recovery from their current bad run of play.

 

Since he has only contributed one goal and two assists thus far, Gibbs-White will need to step up his game to save his team from falling further into the bottom three. This could happen now that he is back with Nuno, his former Wolves manager.

 

Sheffield United – Hamer, Gustavo

Sheffield United appears to be relying on their former manager, Chris Wilder, to pull them out of their current relegation battle.

 

However, there is only so much the manager can do, therefore the team will need players like Gustavo Hamer to have that little bit extra to make a difference in their performances.

 

Hamer is a strong midfield player with the ability to influence games on both ends of the field; the Blades’ narrow chances of surviving will depend on how well he plays.

 

Spurs of Tottenham – Heung-min Son

After James Maddison sustained a long-term injury, many fans believed Spurs would stop scoring goals, yet Ange Postecoglou’s team has managed to score goals despite his absence.

 

As a matter of fact, they have scored in every league game this season but one.

 

Heung-min Son, who has already scored 11 goals to match his total from the previous season in 18 fewer games, is largely to blame for that.

 

The South Korean has occasionally appeared unstoppable, so if Spurs were to lose him—say, at the forthcoming Asian Cup—it’s difficult to imagine where many more goals would come from.

West Ham – Lucas Paqueta

West Ham bolstered their team with three quality signings in James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus over the summer, but Lucas Paqueta remains their standout player.

 

The Brazilian offers the Hammers’ main creative spark and is an important member of their attacking unit – highlighted with his hat-trick of assists in their 3-0 win against Wolves and then another two in their 2-0 victory over Manchester United.

Pedro Neto for the Wolves

Prior to suffering a hamstring injury, Pedro Neto was playing very well, and his eagerly anticipated comeback is very near.

 

Other Wolves players can struggle to match the winger’s skill level and ability to influence a game on his own.

 

Despite missing a few games, Neto already has seven assists, which is tied for the most in the league, demonstrating how important he is to Wolves.