After some electrifying performances from some brilliant youngsters in the mid-week Champions League ties, lets have a look at who the best young players are in the Premier League.
In this post, I'll be ranking the best performing players at the age of 21 years and under in the English top-flight. All players in this list must be no older than 21 years old from when the season had began. This list is not looking at the youngest talents with the most potential. So don't be gob-smacked to see the absence of starlets such as Kai Havertz, Mason Greenwood and Trent Alexander-Arnold!
Instead, the analysis will focus on young players in the league who have performed the most consistently, been the most impactful for their teams and have not shied away from taking responsibility during games.
5. Emile Smith-Rowe
Picture from TalkSPORT
Smith-Rowe may appear to be an odd addition onto this list as he didn't get a single minute on the pitch in Arsenal's first 14 league games. But that stand-out performance against Chelsea on Boxing-Day changed not just his season, but maybe Arsenal's too.
Arsenal had been on a 7-game winless run before beating Chelsea 3-1 at the Emirates in December 2020. They only had 4 wins in the league all season coming into this game but the young trio of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and not least, Smith-Rowe inspired Arsenal to a season-turning win. Smith-Rowe was deputised in the no.10 role for his first start of the season and played superbly against their local rivals. He notched an assist before being subbed off around the hour-mark and his outing that day showed what he could do when given the opportunity.
In the nine Premier League games Arsenal have played since, Smith-Rowe has yet to be left out of the starting line-up and it's proven to have a positive affect. Arsenal have 6 Premier League wins in the 10 games Smith-Rowe has started in, where he has picked up a team-high 4 assists in the process. His impact can't be understated as he consistently makes smart passes in dangerous areas of the field and moves well without the ball too. It's no coincidence that Arsenal have found better form this season after his emergence.
4. Pedro Neto
The Portuguese winger has arguably been amongst the most under-rated players in the league this season. At only 20 years of age, he's Wolverhampton Wanderer's top scorer in the Premier League and their top assist provider. But he hardly seems to get the due credit he deserves in the media.
Neto's coming of age has particularly been important to his team, with the absence of Raul Jimenez to a long-term injury and Adama Traore's sub-par performances this campaign. After his goal in Wolves' recent 2-1 win over Southampton, he now has 5 goals to add to his 4 assists this season in the league. Impressively, no other under-21 player in the league has directly contributed to more goals than him.
When looking back at his man-of-the-match displays in both the 2-1 wins over Arsenal this season, coupled with his late winner against Chelsea, he has certainly shown up in big moments against big teams. With Wolves currently laying in 12th spot in the table, there's little doubt that Neto will be relied upon to be a consistent goal threat in their coming fixtures.
3. Reece James
Credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Reece James has built on the fantastic break-through he made last term at Chelsea, and has made himself a regular in their starting-11. He started this season on fire when he fired a stunning long-range goal against Brighton in Chelsea's first game of the season, to score his first ever Premier League goal. He also added an assist to his name later in that game.
One of many talented English right-backs in the game right now, James has so far built his reputation on being adept in both attack and defence. He is a physical presence down that right flank and is able to quickly overlap often and put in quality crosses in the attacking end of the field. But he's been able to do this without leaving his team exposed at the back with a tackle success rate of 68%.
Out of Chelsea's 11 clean sheets this season, James has started in 5 of those shut-outs and came off the bench in another two. He's only missed 5 games so far this season too. With Chelsea looking more defensively compact after Thomas Tuchel's appointment, James may still be able to go up another gear this year.
2. Bukayo Saka
Picture from Euro Sport/Getty Images
Saka has been in such fine form this season, and has blossomed into one of Arsenal's guaranteed starters. In games where club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has gone cold in front of goal, Saka has been a consistent attacking threat for Arsenal to rely upon.
This is evidenced as he has the most shots of any Arsenal player this season in the Premier League with 46. His goal scoring prowess has been easy to recognise too as only Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have scored more than him for the club (8 league goals each). The pair are Arsenal's most established strikers so this is to be expected but it highlights how influential in attack Saka has become.
This is seen through the 3 'big chances' he has created this season whilst still taking care of his defensive duties with the 106 duels he has won. Additionally, the teenage winger has only been left out of three matches so far this season and has come off the bench just once. Arsenal's opening-day victory over Fulham was the only time they won a league game without Saka starting. Needless to say, he has been a bright spark for the Gunners.
1. Phil Foden
Picture from Premier League.com
Pep Guardiola once said of Phil Foden that he is the "most, most, most talented player I have ever seen in my career". Keeping in mind that Guardiola has coached house-hold names like Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Andres Iniesta and Robert Lewandowski, this statement was a massive one to make. But in some games this season, Foden has looked like the kind of exceptional talent worthy of this distinguished praise.
"He is the only player that can't be sold under any circumstances - the only one. Not even for €500 million." - Pep Guardiola, 2019.
He is a technically-gifted dribbler and makes intelligent plays in the final third that are beyond his years. The 20 year-old has just set a new personal best goal-tally for the season with his 6th Premier League goal against Everton. This was only his second dazzling performance in Merseyside in recent weeks, as he tore Liverpool's defence to shreds in Man City's 4-1 thumping win at Anfield. He scored and assisted twice in that game and it was only one of numerous times that the academy graduate has looked a cut above the rest of his super-star team mates.
He has 11 goals in all competitions this season and his Premier League goal tally is the highest of any under-21 player this season. But even in comparison to senior players, Foden hasn't looked out of his depth at all. Only Raheem Sterling (8) and Ilkay Gundogan (11) have managed to bag more goals than him for Man City this season.
The youngster has already showcased he can more than just contribute to a high-performing team at the highest level... he can also run the show too.
(Lead Image Credit: William Okafor-Oregan)
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