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Who Are The Most Underrated Players In The Premier League Right Now?
Blogs

Who Are The Most Underrated Players In The Premier League Right Now?

26/02/25 15:22

Premier League Underrated XI

This season, despite the title and relegation spots being decided pretty quickly, the Premier League has seen a number of teams punching above their weight, replacing the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham in the battle for Europe. These teams are full of underrated players, so we decided to make an XI out of them.

GK - Bernd Leno - Fulham

Bernd Leno has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League for a while now, really ever since he left Arsenal in 2022. He has been a staple part of a Fulham side that has managed to seamlessly transition from the Championship to the Premier League, and this season look like they could challenge for a European spot.

He has made the joint fourth most saves in the league this season, with 76, alongside Jordan Pickford but has only managed four clean sheets, which is a little disappointing for the German. Even so, he fits the way Fulham play and has been integral to their success over the last few years.

LB - Lewis Hall - Newcastle

Newcastle have needed a new left back for a while, so when Lewis Hall joined them on loan last season, it was an answer to a lot of their problems. With the amount of games Newcastle players were playing, injuries were a concern, but Hall has been fit for large parts of the last two years, and on top of that, has performed to a high quality.

The 20-year-old has four assists to his name this season, but more than that, he provides both an attacking and a defensive option for Eddie Howe’s side. He has made 112 ball recoveries and has made the same number of tackles as he has accurate long balls, with 51 of each demonstrating his wide range of capabilities.

CB - Calvin Bassey - Fulham

Calvin Bassey was highly rated at Rangers, and I was sure that a big Premier League club was going to pick him up. After two seasons in Scotland, the Nigerian defender moved to Ajax before joining Fulham in 2023. In the last two years, he has been nearly ever present in the Fulham backline, and this season has worked alongside Joachim Andersen to form a great partnership.

Bassey’s composure on the ball has helped his side to 11 wins this season, and he has also provided a single goal, a crucial winner against third placed Nottingham Forest. This shows the other side to his game, as he can provide long balls to the likes of Raul Jimenez up top with his range of passing.

CB - Nikola Milenkovic - Nottingham Forest

It has only been in the last few weeks that people have really started to talk about Nikola Milenkovic, but he has been consistently one of the best defenders in the league this season. He joined from Fiorentina in the summer and arrived in England injured, but since then he has performed to an incredibly high standard. A lot less stylish than Bassey, Milenkovic is a more dominating presence which has led him to have better defensive stats, with 10 clean sheets.

In an attacking sense, Milenkovic doesn’t tend to create much, but instead has scored three goals this season, two with his head. His height is a real problem on set pieces for defenders and his strength is incredible. He has been a very good purchase for Forest and is still only 27, despite having made nearly 350 club appearances.

RB - Daniel Munoz - Crystal Palace

Daniel Munoz by definition is a modern full back. He flies forwards down Palace’s right flank and provides goals and assists for his club. On top of that, he has managed to contribute to eight league clean sheets for Palace so far this season. His pace and athleticism helps him go both ways when required and he has the intelligence to know when best to exploit the opposition weaknesses.

He was bought from Genk in January of last year, and this season has provided three goals and four assists. For large parts of the early season, Palace struggled both offensively and defensively, but as of late Munoz has contributed excellently to the team, with four goal involvements in the last five games. They are now well and truly clear of any danger and can even smell the European spots, thanks to the Colombian’s involvement.

CM - Ryan Christie - Bournemouth

Ryan Christie was bought by Bournemouth when they were in the Championship back in 2021 to play as a winger. He failed to impress in that position under both Scott Parker and Gary O’Niel and many thought that he would be gone when Andoni Iraola was appointed as the new Bournemouth boss. However, in the last 18 months, Christie’s career has changed.

Now he plays as a box to box midfielder in one of the best pressing teams in Europe. The Scottish midfielder has the most ball recoveries per 90 out of any player in Europe and many Bournemouth fans believe that he is the most crucial player to their playstyle. His recent injury might worry Cherries’ fans, who have had to deal with a lot of players sidelined, as they are pushing for Champions League football for the first time in their history.

CM - Andre - Wolves

Andre joined Wolves in the summer despite interest from elsewhere and has been an excellent addition to their midfield despite their performances. The Brazilian doesn’t add to the Wolves attack, but defensively he is astute and he reads the game excellently, helping the side’s quick transition from defence into attack.

The biggest asset that he brings to the Wolves team is his physicality in midfield. He doesn’t shy away from duels and he rarely loses them either. Andre is certainly underrated, but maybe not for much longer, as numerous clubs are looking to buy him in the summer, and considering where Wolves are in the table, I wouldn’t be surprised if he jumps ship.

CAM - Mikkel Damsgaard - Brentford

Mikkel Damsgaard joined Brentford after a few strong years in Italy with Sampdoria and a strong 2021 Euros campaign. He was injured when he joined and so Brentford fans had to wait a long time before they saw him in action and when they did, some were disappointed. It hasn’t been until this season that Damsgaard has held a place down in the team and actually shown his worth.

In 26 appearances Damsgaard has scored twice and assisted 10, with only Mohamed Salah providing more assists than the Dane. In Italy he played more as a winger, Thomas Frank has moulded him into a number 10 and he has taken this season by storm. Last summer, Frank said that we would see a different Damsgaard that season. It seems that Frank’s predictions do eventually become right, just a year later than expected.

LW - Marcus Tavernier - Bournemouth

Not only is Marcus Tavernier underrated by the whole Premier League fanbase, I also think that he is underrated by Bournemouth fans too. He was bought by the club in 2022, just after they were promoted to the Premier League for the second time, and has been a half decent addition to the attack. He adds versatility to Bournemouth as he is able to play on either side or as a number 10 and put in 110% in each game.

Before his injury this season, Tavernier was one of the most industrious players in the league, covering a lot of distance and helping out defensively too. Despite missing quite a few games, Tavernier has scored twice this season and provided five assists, including crucial ones against Tottenham and Aston Villa. Sometimes his attacking play lacks flair and conviction, but the way some Bournemouth fans speak about him is unjustified.

ST - Matheus Cunha - Wolves

Matheus Cunha has been one of the best attacking players in the Premier League this season, yet somehow Wolves are still down near the bottom of the table. He has scored 13 times this season and provided four assists, which is impressive for a mid table, or even a European chasing team, but for a team near the relegation zone is almost unprecedented.

He joined Wolves from Atletico Madrid in 2023 and has been an incredible signing since. He can play anywhere across the front three and even in a number 10 position. This season, his goal scoring has attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal who are in need of a striker, however Wolves are looking to keep hold of him even past the summer transfer window.

RW - Anthony Elanga - Nottingham Forest

It seems strange to me that Manchester United decided to let go of this Anthony but still kept the other at the club for 18 more months. Since he left United to join Nottingham Forest, the 22 year old winger has been a consistent threat, no matter which team he is up against. This season he has been overshadowed by the form of Chris Wood alongside him, but he has still had an excellent campaign.

The winger has scored three times and provided eight assists in the league this season, including a hat trick of assists against Brighton in a 7-0 win earlier this month. Nottingham Forest are pushing for Europe this season and could definitely get there, but they’ll need top performances from all of their players, and so far Elanga is providing that.

underrated-xi

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist
Jake Martin

Website Editor

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