Premier league 10 most impressive players Sep-Nov

The names listed are the players who have impressed me the most when i’ve watched them play this season. I have tried to avoid the more obvious bigger names unless they have been too good to ignore. The fixtures used for this criteria are from the first 10 game weeks

Note: This list is NOT in order

1.Mohammed Salah (Liverpool)

The current best player in the world has had an electric start to the season contributing 10 goals and 6 assists in 10 games, an insane return. His movement, dribbling, passing and finishing has been perfect. Scoring wonder solo goals against Watford and Man City plus a hat trick against fierce rivals Manchester united in their own backyard, its hard to argue against Mohammed Salah being talked about as one of the best the premier league has ever seen if his form continues.

2.Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Many people including myself had written off Aaron Ramsdale before he’d even strapped on Arsenal gloves. At the time £30 million seemed a bonkers fee for a double relegated goalkeeper but now it seems more of a bargain. His distribution is impeccable with being able to produce inch perfect passes up to the halfway line confidently. Producing one of the best goalkeeping performances in recent memory against Leicester along with great performances in every other game he’s featured in, I have no doubt the England shirt will be worn by this man soon. Ramsdale has faced 28 shots on target and saved 24.

3.Michael Antonio (West Ham)

One of my favourite players in the league, Michael Antonio has been an absolute beast this season and I’m happy more and more people are seeing his quality. An absolute fox in the box who causes constant issues for centre backs. His excellent hold up play is crucial to the way West Ham play as it allows more freedom to the wingers. I love watching West Ham play and Antonio is a big part of that, watch his performance against Leicester. As a huge Simpsons and Matrix fan he gets bonus points for his amazing celebrations.

4.Reece James (Chelsea)

The Chelsea right back just beats his left back compatriot Ben Chilwell to this spot. Reece James has been a real menace in front of goal with a absolute rocket of a right foot that has seen him arrow 4 goals into opposition goals. The freedom he has to roam down the wide has made him a real worrying threat for any side coming up against this Chelsea side. An unfortunate red card against Liverpool, should not discredit his brilliant form this season.

5.Gabriel (Arsenal)

Gabriel is a monster of a defender. He’s quick, physical and aerially dominant and is not afraid to lose a tooth (again) to win the ball. One of the Premier Leagues best defenders before he got COVID last season, he is now reclaiming that title with his dominating displays against the likes of Aston Villa, Leicester, Tottenham and Burnley. Talk about Arsenal’s youngsters all you want but Gabriel has played a huge part in Arsenal’s recent form and deserves more credit.

6.Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)

Edouard Mendy can rival goalkeeping Aaron Ramsdale performance with his saves against Brentford. The opposition pelted the ball at Mendy who made world class save after world class save. Wrongly left of the Ballon D’or shortlist, Mendy has been consistent throughout the season keeping 6 clean sheets so far. Its hard to find a keeper in the world at this present time better than Edouard Mendy

7.Declan Rice (West Ham)

Declan rice has taken all his attributes from last season and doubled it with his monstrous form this season. The 22 year old has proven why he is one of the world’s best in the midfield. Rice has defended, created and scored multiple times as he has arguably been the most crucial player for the hammers this season as they sit on a streak of 8 games unbeaten. His commitment to finding a positive pass instead of moving sideways or backwards like a usual defensive midfield is excellent.

8.Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace)

A player I am really fond of, Connor Gallagher has been the centrepiece of the rebirth of Crystal Palace under Vieira. He battles in the midfield tirelessly from start to end whilst also providing and scoring offensively. His composure in the box and eye for goal is fantastic. I hope palace sign him permanently as staying at Chelsea could hinder his development due to lack of game time even though I believe he could start for them or push close too.

9.Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea)

The Croatian midfield Maestro has been crucial to Chelsea success so far this season. His accurate crisp passing and hard tackling has led to Chelsea’s early domination in the league. In the Chelsea team he’s created the most chances and provided 5 assists as well as making the most tackles, passes and take ons. His injury may just slow down this quick starting Chelsea team.

10.Maxwel Cornet (Burnley)

Starting his career as a left back, now progressing to a left forward under Dyche, cornet has settled in quickly at turf moor contributing 4 goals already and proving to be Burnley’s main goal threat. Getting Saint-Maximin vibes from Cornet in a sense that he’s been the standout performer in a poor side. Watch his goal against Brentford cracking finish.

Honourable Mentions

Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal)

Should be in the England squad on his current form a constant threat with his pace and dribbling, been one of Arsenal’s brightest players.

valenTino Livramento (Southampton)

The 18 year old has made a strong start to life in Southampton, scoring his first premier league goal against Burnley. Its obvious he’s keen to impress with his fearless attacking runs and solid defensive displays.

Marc Cucurella (Brighton)

The Spaniard has played with a point to prove most games due to being let go from Barcelona. Standout performances against Arsenal, Leicester and Brighton.

Michael olise (Crystal Palace)

Not had too much game time but has looked composed and has shown his vision in finding teammates in the penalty area. Looks like a future baller

Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea)

Looked like a centre back that has played in the league for years, solid defensively whilst contributing goals as well, a dream start to his debut premier league season.

Why Samuel Eto’o is one of the all time greats

When people talk about all time great striker, names such as Thierry Henry, Robert Lewandowski, Luis Suarez come to mind to most people but one Cameroonian’s name does not come up as often as it should. The very definition of a poacher with world class ball control and movement in addition to having the ability to use his teammates in the most efficient way possible. The amount of times Eto’o gets ahead of the backline whilst remaining onside is incredible. This article will delve into a brief history of Samuel Eto’o and hopefully convince you that he deserves his name to be apart of footballing greats.

Bursting onto the scene-Mallorca

Samuel Eto’o burst onto the scene with a scintillating tenure with Real Mallorca which started with a loan from Spanish giants Real Madrid which became permanent. He scored a brace in the final of the 2003 Copa Del Rey in which his team lifted the trophy, a feat the man himself said is his proudest achievement. An iconic performance against his parent club scoring twice at the Bernabeu including one excellent solo goal which left the galactico’s defence for dead, put his name on the map.

#OnThisDay 🔙 in 2004,

❤️ @setoo9 scored a double for @RCD_Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu. ⚽️⚽️#LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/yPLviaCqUP

— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) May 8, 2020

Establishing his Legacy-Barcelona

His 70 goals for Mallorca earned him a transfer to Barcelona. The only player to win back to back trebles with two different clubs and he played a pivotal role in both clubs successes especially the latter. Before the historic 2008-09 season, our man in question had already previously won 2 Spanish league titles and a champions league title with Barcelona. Come the summer of 2009 Eto’o won La Liga, Copa Del Rey & the Champions League in the same season. Eto’o scored 30 goals in the league and provided the opener in the champions league final against Manchester United. The goal in the final summed up his characteristics as our player. Intelligent movement allowing Eto’o to have the space to receive then ball and then had the skill and composure to skin Nemanja Vidic one of the worlds best defenders and delicately provide an fierce but accurate finish to put the ball past Edwin Van Der Sar.

Making history with his versatility-Inter Milan

In a baffling transfer, one of if not the world’s best striker was swapped with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Guardiola was swapped with Mourinho and Eto’o was moved out wide to accommodate for established goal machine Diego Milito. The move worked out as by the end of the 2009-10 season the Coppa Italia, Serie A & Champions League titles had been added to his list of accolades. In one of the greatest champions league games of all time, Eto’o scored and provided two crucial assists in only what can be described as a masterclass as Inter eliminated Bayern in the round of 16 in their opponents backyard in 2011.

Big Game Player

Is there a bigger game player than Samuel Eto’o? Only player who could be considered equal or better is Cristiano Ronaldo. His ability to play to his best in a final surrounded by intense amounts of pressure is something even the very best have struggled with.

A goal in each round	Cameroon vs Algeria, Tunisia & Nigeria	AFCON QF,SF,Final	6th-13th Feb 2000
Goal & Penalty	Cameroon vs Spain	Olympics Final	30th September 2000
2 Goals	Mallorca vs Recreavito	Copa Del Rey Final	28th June 2003
1 Goal	Barcelona vs Arsenal	Champions League Final	17th May 2006
1 Goal	Barcelona vs Man Utd	Champions League Final	27th May 2009
1 Goal	Chelsea vs Inter Milan	Champions League R16 2nd Leg	16th March 2010
1 Goal	Inter Milan vs Fiorentina	Coppa Italia Semi Final 2nd Leg	13th April 2010
Assist	Inter Milan vs Bayern Munich	Champions League Final	22nd May 2010
2 Goals	Inter Milan vs Roma	Suppercoppa Italia Final	21st August 2010
Hat Trick+Assist	Inter Milan vs Werder Bremen	Champions League Group Stage	29th September 2010
2 Goals 2 Assists	Inter Milan vs Tottenham	Champions League Group Stage	20th October 2010
1 Goal 2 Assists	Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan	Champions League R16 2nd Leg	15th March 2011
2 Goals	Inter Milan vs Palermo	Coppa Italia Final	29th May 2011
Hat Trick	Chelsea vs Man Utd	Premier League	19th Jan 2014

Some of Eto’o’s biggest games

Multiple Adventures across the world

After his Inter tenure came to an end, his career started to dwindle. A move to Anzhi made him the highest paid player in the world. A subsequent move to the premier league showed that Eto’o was still a valuable asset providing crucial goals for Chelsea in the league and cup competitions. How i wish Eto’o had joined a premier league side instead of Anzhi, I feel he would be spoke about more if he did as I have no doubt he would have lit up the Premier League. A unsuccessful spell in Italy led to a move to Turkish side Antalysapor where the goals were flowing in, with the main man having a goals to game percentage of 57% in league matches at the age of 34. Another spell in turkey and then a move to Qatar proved to be the final stop in a fascinating career filled with goals and trophies the two most important things in football

Conclusion

With over 400 career goals, 18 trophies, numerous top goal scorer awards and African player of the year awards there is no doubt Samuel Eto’o is one of the all time greats. As of today he is the highest scorer in AFCON history and has 30 goals in the champions league, a tally that would have increased if he stayed with Inter or made a move to the premier league earlier. His strength and pace matched with intelligent positioning made him one of the world’s feared strikers who would score 9/10 when given the chance. When you discuss the world’s best strikers don’t forget the name Samuel Eto’o.

Poland vs England 08/09/21

An intense night in Warsaw with a questionable referee leads to frustration for England.

Warsaw

The Referee

I have a sneaky feeling the referee didn’t like us. Our players were thrown, harassed, pushed around physically as Daniel Siebert and his officials looked on. The baffling decisions began with Kalvin Phillips getting a booking for doing a turn and the Polish player putting his foot in the way leading to Phillips inadvertently standing on the Polishman. England were then denied two clear corners. The frustration from the England camp boiled over at half time when both sides clashed as the referee failed to punish Kamil Glik for pinching Kyle Walker.

I remember recalling Sterling getting thrown to the ground by the neck on the right hand side of the opposition half and nothing being given but then Maguire got a slight tap in the back in which he fell down on the half way line and it was given…baffling. The referee did end up booking 5 Polish players by the end of the game but plenty other players could have been booked too and by being so reluctant it allowed Poland to frustrate England especially Jack Grealish.

Harry Kane

Another odd performance from Mr. Kane. His touches were poor, passing was off the mark and played more as a right winger than a striker. Kane not occupying the middle hinders the likes of Jack Grealish and Mason mount who need that central figure to play it too in order to make more of an impact. But then he just pulls out a thunderbastard out of nowhere to redeem himself. It really was a thing of beauty and the silence from the Polish fans was bliss. Obviously Kane should remain the main man but I’m really excited to see a game with Mason Greenwood as the main striker or maybe even partnering Kane?

Gareth Southgate

England as a whole played way too safe. Poland on paper shouldn’t stand much a chance against England. Yes they have Lewandowski but the squad as a whole should be no match for England’s raw talent. Kalvin Phillips failing to play through Kane and choosing Sterling just shows England’s lack of risk taking. There were plenty of times throughout the game where the players could have at least attempted a defence splitting through ball but either opted to pass sideways or backwards.

I’m finding it difficult to understand what Mason Mount brings to the team, he doesn’t seem to want to penetrate the oppositions defence but rather play it safe. I would have much preferred the introduction of Bellingham or Saka or Lingard to really drive and cause problems for the opposition’s defence. However Southgate seems insistent on starting him even after a lacklustre Euro’s from Mount.

In a baffling interview Southgate said England were “very comfortable” and making subs would be “for the sake of it”. At that stage we were not comfortable, it was a fairly even contest. A few subs especially attacking ones could have injected some pace to kill off the tired looking Polish defence. Tiredness showed when Kyle Walker was completely done and the likes of Shaw and Phillips were too slow to react to the cross that led to Poland’s late equaliser. Poor decision making from Gareth cost England the three points.

Declan Rice

England’s best player. Last week it was Kalvin Phillips but now it was Declan Rice’s turn to put in a dominant display from midfield. He helped protect Maguire as he drifted forward and helped keep one of the world’s best strikers at bay. Rice and Phillips have such a good partnership. Yes they can make us look negative but they do their jobs exceptionally. Their crucial in games against the tougher opposition as shown in the Euros.

GK	Jordan Pickford	5
RB	Kyle Walker	3
CB	John Stones	6
CB	Harry Maguire	6
LB	Luke Shaw	4
CM	Kalvin Phillips	6
CM	Declan Rice*	8
RW	Raheem Sterling	6
CAM	Mason Mount	4
LW	Jack Grealish	5
ST	Harry Kane	6

England Player Ratings vs Poland

Hungary vs England 02/09/21

England put on a professional clinic in a hostile environment showing Southgate’s men have gotten over their summer blues

• Sterling does it again
• A worrying sign for Tottenham fans
• Kalvin Phillips bosses it again
• Maguire showing how key he is for this England side

England showed their class in a game that will be unfortunately be remembered more because of the actions of the home supporters.

Raheem Sterling continued to show why he is one of England’s most important players after he scored and released an iconic celebration in which he payed tribute to a lost friend in front of the opposition fans whilst being showered by their drinks. The fact that England players rushed over to shield Sterling and the way Declan Rice and Jack Grealish pretended to drink from the cups, shows how likeable this team is.

I feel sorry for anyone who backed Kane to get a Hat-Trick. The Tottenham man had 4 clear cut chances that you feel the Harry Kane of last season, would have put away all of them. In fairness he scored a decent header but couldn’t capitalise by adding a further two goals. What was particularly frustrating was in the first half Kane kept moving over to the wing and crossing to the likes of sterling and Grealish who don’t pose as much of a threat compared to Kane aerially. In reality it should be the other way round. It seems to me Kane is not quite over his summer transfer saga and you wonder how long it will take for Kane to return to the prolific striker we know he can be.

Kalvin Philips once again bossed the midfield for England. He showed once again why he deserved to win the England’s player of the year award. Considering his selection for the Euros came under a lot of criticism, he has proved the doubters wrong time and time again. Against Hungary he made numerous interceptions one of which led to the second goal and retained the ball well.

Harry Maguire is a world class centre back. I will not accept any Maguire slander. If it was not for his hefty price tag and maybe not playing for United, Maguire would be held in a much higher regard. Any mistake how little it may be is ridiculed. With the rise of Luke Shaw, Maguire has become one of England’s biggest threats attacking wise, every game he seems to either score or come really close. Defensively he’s very solid, much more solid then his partner John Stones who had a rocky night. If Maguire had remained injured throughout the Euros like initially feared, England would not have made the final.

Positon	Player	Rating/10
GK	Jordan Pickford	5
RB	Kyle Walker	6
CB	John Stones	5
CB	Harry Maguire	8
LB	Luke Shaw	7
CM	Kalvin Phillips	9*
CM	Declan Rice	8
RW	Raheem Sterling	8
CAM	Mason mount	6
LW	Jack Grealish	7
ST	Harry Kane	6
SUB	Jessie Lingard	DUD
SUB	Jordan Henderson	DUD
SUB	Bukayo Saka	DUD

*=My man of the match