The English Premier League is widely recognized as the best football league in the world because of the diverse talent on every team, but who are the best hidden gems in the English top-flight?
The English Premier League is blessed with talent from every corner of the world on every club, big or small. The standard members of the top six enjoy an enormous following because of their historical success and the big names that wear their respective jerseys.
It is easy to cover stories related to the star players on the aforementioned clubs, but what makes the English Premier League the top league in the world is the competitive nature and unpredictability of the other 14 clubs.
Almost every summer, fans read major transfer headlines about a top player making the move from a relegation-threatened team or mid-table side to a title contender. Some fans do not see some of these moves coming, but scouts from top clubs are certainly proper students of the sport as they know special talent when they see it.
I am no professional scout, but listed below you will find four players, one for each position, who are truly underrated. It is worth noting that “underrated” does not mean they are infamous, but there is not much hype around them. All of the statistics used in this article are from the Premier League website.
Goalkeeper: Martin Dubravka
Martin Dubravka has solidified his place between the sticks for Newcastle United since he earned a clean sheet in his debut against Manchester United in January of 2018. The Magpies are currently eight points clear of the bottom three, but they are the joint-worst scoring teams in the league with 25 goals.
So, how on earth are they only one win away from maintaining their top-flight status for next season? The answer to that question is Martin Dubravka. The Slovakian shot-stopper leads the league in saves this season with 117.
Dubravka also boasts the third-best tally when it comes to clean sheets this season as he has managed to shut opponents out on nine occasions, which includes the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea.
Dubravka is definitely one of the Premier League’s lesser-known gems when it comes to goalkeepers, and it comes as no surprise that Newcastle United tied him down to a new six-year deal earlier this season.