Four under-the-radar Premier League stars having tremendous seasons

All great players impact games, but not all see their praises sung every day across the Premier League world.

And while there certainly can be arguments made that the best teams’ brightest stars, names like Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, and Martin Odegaard, could have their names mentioned even more often, there are always names that threaten to fall through the cracks.

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That’s especially true when a player isn’t even highlighted more than one of his teammates on a non-title contending club.

We could certainly sing the praises of Brentford’s Ivan Toney or Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes as underappreciated, but there are stats out there that say they have teammates who are carrying more water than even those players.

And so we choose today to highlight four players doing incredible work this Premier League season.

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Kieran Trippier, Newcastle United

The Newcastle fullback is, for the moment, FotMob’s top-rated performer in the Premier League this season.

Yep, that’s him ahead of top-five members Rodri, Erling Haaland, Bukayo Saka, and Kevin De Bruyne.

The 32-year-old is second to De Bruyne in chances created, big chances created, and expected assists per 90 minutes.

Bruno Guimaraes might be Newcastle’s most valuable player and Sven Botman viewed as nearly as indispensible, but Trippier has been so influential in driving the Magpies’ over-performance this season.

David Raya, Brentford

There’s a reason the Bees’ Spanish keeper is being linked with essentially every big club who might need a new star between the sticks.

Raya’s stopping balls both efficiently and often, with an almost-absurd 97 saves on the season coming at an average of 4.4 per 90 minutes. He’s also third to Kepa Arrizabalaga and Nick Pope when it comes to save percentage.

He’s seventh in goals prevented and there will be those reading this that will want a mention for Nick Pope or Bernd Leno, but one of those three goalkeepers need to be mentioned in this post and we chose the one behind a 10-match unbeaten run (even if Newcastle’s currently on a longer run).

Joachim Andersen, Crystal Palace

The 26-year-old Danish center back has now been a huge part of two Premier League team’s season after driving Fulham a couple of years ago.

Palace is winless (3D-2L) when Andersen doesn’t play, although he’s happened to miss matches against four very good teams.

He’s not just putting out the fires that his 6.9 clearances per 90 — second to Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock — attest, but also fueling the Eagles going forward to the tune of a league-best 6.9 accurate long balls per 90 minutes (ahead of Thiago Alcantara and Ruben Neves).

Lewis Dunk, Brighton and Hove Albion

The first six names on the Premier League’s leaders when it comes to accurate passes per 90 minutes all play for Manchester City.

The sixth is Brighton’s long-time center back.

Dunk, 31, is also blocking around one shot per game and he’s been a mainstay for several eras of Brighton’s growth.

Dunk will soon ring up his 400th appearance for the club, and that’ll be 63 more than anyone in the club’s modern era.

Four under-the-radar Premier League stars having tremendous seasons originally appeared on NBCSports.com