The Premier League season is 11 games old and we are into the final international break of 2024, so our writers have looked back on the start of 2024-25 and picked a player from each club who has surprised them in this early period — for good or for bad.
It may be a new signing who has hit the ground running, a vital part of the team from last season struggling to recapture that form or a young player bursting through.
Let us know your picks in the comments section below.
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Despite impressing at Euro 2024, there was still intrigue around Calafiori at the start of the season. He made just one substitute appearance in pre-season and two more before the first international break in September. So to make his full Premier League debut at Manchester City, and score in the fashion he did would have surprised most, even if they are not Arsenal-affiliated.
Since then, the most eye-opening aspect of his game has been the energy and freedom he plays with. Those who follow Arsenal are accustomed to full-backs inverting, but Calafiori goes as far as popping up as a No 10 at times while still being able to overlap. The impact this had on Gabriel Martinelli when the pair started together was particularly beneficial for Arsenal. He has had hard luck with injuries, but the 22-year-old has been a fun addition.
Art de Roché
Villa need Bailey back to his best this season (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Jhon Duran aside, too many of Villa’s forward players have toiled for form this season. Bailey’s decline is arguably the most stark, in light of his brilliance last year and the fact he is an out-an-out winger in Villa’s squad.
He is key to the overall balance, but has suffered a downturn in output and confidence, limiting his impact in games and in situations where Unai Emery needs his one-v-one ability in wide areas.
The 27-year-old knows he is suffering a dip and is noticeably more conservative in his decision-making. Villa need him back to being one of the few players afforded to take risks and give them a change of pace in attacking areas.
Jacob Tanswell
Evanilson celebrates his goal against Villa (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
When Dominic Solanke departed for Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth lost their primary goalscorer and Evanilson arrived as the replacement for €47million (£39.2m; $50m) from Porto with question marks. The 25-year-old had missed 21 matches across competitions while netting 20 goals in 50 Primeira Liga games over the previous two seasons.
He scored just once in his first seven Premier League outings but seemed to improve gradually and has now hit his stride in front of goal, scoring in each of Bournemouth’s last three matches, including a stoppage-time equaliser away to Aston Villa and the decisive strike in a memorable win over Manchester City. His chemistry with Antoine Semenyo has improved tremendously.
Lewis Cook also deserves a mention. While he has always been dependable, he has improved offensively this season to become one of Bournemouth’s chief orchestrators from midfield and has been crucial to their creative set-piece play too.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
The winger’s first two Premier League seasons were marked by inconsistency and injury, but this season, Damsgaard has looked sharp from the off.
He has started the last nine, racking up four assists before scoring his first league goal of the season in the 3-2 win over Bournemouth last weekend. For context, he managed no goals and just two assists in 49 league matches across 2022-23 and 2023-24. It is easy to forget Damsgaard is only 24 and if he can stay fit, this might be his breakout season in the Premier League.
Damsgaard’s attacking partner Yoane Wissa is also worthy of a mention, but his 12 league goals last season in Ivan Toney’s absence were already a healthy indicator of his abilities. This season, he has elevated his play to score seven times in eight games.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Ayari has impressed in Brighton’s midfield (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Ayari has progressed from an irregular starter on loan at both Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers in the Championship in 2023-24 into an integral part of Fabian Hurzeler’s first-team squad. The 21-year-old started only eight out of 46 Championship games for those two clubs combined, but impressed Hurzeler on the summer tour of Japan with his composure and passing ability.
He featured in eight of Hurzeler’s first ten Premier League games and shone in Brighton’s last away game, the 2-1 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield, until picking up an ankle injury. He was signed from Swedish side AIK for around £5million in January 2023 and has turned into another shrewd investment.
Andy Naylor
Most forwards would be happy to have registered 10 goals at this stage of the season, but the France international has cause for concern. After an injury-plagued debut season, Nkunku must have hoped to make a bigger impact in 2024-25.
Yet he has started just one Premier League game, Chelsea’s first of the season, and has been relegated to the ‘B team’, with nine of his 10 goals coming against minor opposition in the UEFA Conference League and League Two Barrow in the Carabao Cup.
Enzo Maresca’s preference for wingers and Nicolas Jackson’s form leading the line means Nkunku is only being used as a substitute in the top division. He would have expected a lot more and if it continues, it is a situation worth keeping an eye on.
Simon Johnson
Anyone who expected Kamada to immediately conquer the Premier League was always going to be disappointed.
But he arrived with a strong pedigree after excelling with Eintracht Frankfurt under manager Oliver Glasner, including being instrumental in their Europa League-winning campaign. At Lazio, from whom he signed in the summer after his contract expired, he had a mixed experience but still contributed significantly.
But the midfielder’s performances for Palace this season have been a major source of concern. He has failed to get to grips with the division, playing as both a No 6 and a No 10 and his red card for a foul on Kenny Tete in the 2-0 defeat by Fulham on Saturday compounded matters.
Even if there should not have been lofty expectations, Palace fans expected much more than he has contributed so far.
Matt Woosnam
At 39, Young has been a regular starter (Harriet Lander/Getty Images)
It is only a couple of months since the narrative around Young, 39, was markedly different. He endured a torrid start to the season, getting sent off in the opener against Brighton and missing the decisive penalty in the Carabao Cup shootout defeat by Southampton.
Yet just a couple of months on, one of the enduring images from Everton’s win at Ipswich Town last month was Young celebrating with jubilant fans in the away end. Profiting from injuries to captain Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson, the 39-year-old has been a regular starter this season. At some stage, Everton will need to look to the future, but for now, Young is worth his spot as he defies Father Time.
Patrick Boyland
From spare part to crucial cog within a few months, Sasa Lukic’s improvement has been as surprising as it has been impressive.
Fulham were expected to struggle after selling Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich in the summer. Lukic only started 13 Premier League games last season and if his backup status was in any doubt, the long-term pursuit of Brazil international Andre gave away how Fulham felt they were short in midfield.
Andre eventually moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in August and Fulham head coach Marco Silva was left with little option but to trust Lukic, who started the opening seven league games before suffering a shoulder injury on international duty with Serbia. His resurgence means that, even with Fulham’s strong form, he can expect to regain his spot when he returns in a couple of weeks.
Justin Guthrie
Delap has already begun justifying his fee (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
When Delap joined this summer, a fee potentially rising to £20million for a 21-year-old striker unproven at Premier League level and with a modest goal return in the Championship raised eyebrows.
While in-keeping with price tags for promising young English talent, particularly Manchester City academy graduates, it was significant money for Ipswich. Delap became the third most expensive signing in their history, and it was a club-record sum for a striker.
Delap has already begun justifying his price tag. He’s hit six goals in 11 appearances and has looked the part. His athleticism makes him a handful and he brings more beyond his goal return. If Ipswich are to survive, Delap will be crucial. And he’ll likely return a tidy profit if they don’t.
Ali Rampling
He had already made 40 Premier League appearances, but Leicester fans did not know a lot about Buonanotte when he arrived on loan from Brighton. Now they know just how good the 19-year-old Argentina international is, and his potential to become a real force in the Premier League.
It is not just his technical ability nor his three goals and two assists in just nine appearances, Buonanotte has also shown a work rate and attitude perfectly suited to the Premier League. He does not shirk the crucial industrious side of the game and Leicester are a better team with him, even if it is just for one season.
Rob Tanner
Gravenberch has made the No 6 role his own (Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
It could be argued Gravenberch has had a bigger impact on proceedings in the Premier League than any other player this season.
Largely a bit-part figure in 2023-24, Liverpool were so unsure of his qualities that they made signing a midfielder their priority this summer.
Yet a move for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi failed as the Spaniard decided to remain in La Liga, so head coach Arne Slot began experimenting with Gravenberch in a holding midfield role. His ability to spin out of tight positions and break lines with his movement has transformed the way Liverpool play out from the back and he’s one of only four Liverpool players to have started every Premier League and Champions League game.
Gregg Evans
Perhaps City’s second-season syndrome is striking again, because Nunes is starting to come good.
The Portugal midfielder did not make much of an impact last season after his move from Wolves and even a few weeks ago there did not seem to be much room for him. When he did play, for example in the Carabao Cup against Watford, Pep Guardiola talked about him in a similar way to how he discussed Kalvin Phillips, and everybody knows how that panned out.
But City’s injury crisis has opened doors and Nunes has looked a decent option on the left wing of all places. He could do with more end product in the box but that is also true of City’s other wingers. On that note, an honourable mention for Savinho, who has produced some eye-catching form, although he too needs to up his goal contributions.
Sam Lee
Mazraoui has been one of the summer’s best bargain buys (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
While Mazraoui’s footballing talent was never in doubt before he arrived at Old Trafford, there were questions over United looking to purchase another former Ajax player to work under Erik ten Hag.
A spotty injury record (he missed 31 matches in the previous two seasons alone) worried sections of the fanbase. Would the Moroccan be an upgrade on the capable — but flawed — Aaron Wan-Bissaka? Or did United snooker themselves instead of getting a robust full-back?
Eleven Premier League matches later, and United fans believe Mazraoui to be the summer’s best bargain. The club has spent £12.9million on someone comfortable playing on either flank as well as helping out in the final third, and he knows how to block a cut-back when defending.
Carl Anka
The surprise is the scale and speed with which 20-year-old Hall convinced Eddie Howe and interim England head coach Lee Carsley that he is an elite defender, rather than a youngster with potential. Back in August, The Athletic put Hall in our round-up of young players to watch this season, but it was far from certain he would make Newcastle’s starting XI, never mind the national squad.
Since then he has played every Newcastle match this season, making the starting XI on 10 out of 14 occasions and regularly being among the team’s standout performers.
If he gets the chance, England’s left-back spot is there for the taking for the long term, and Hall will go from having seemed expensive to being one of the bargains of recent seasons.
Andrew Hankinson
The fact that this was such a hard task only illustrates how impressive Forest’s start has been. But while Elliot Anderson, Nico Dominguez, Matz Sels, Nikola Milenkovic, Ola Aina and Chris Wood have all been excellent, one man continues to defy his critics.
The summer signing of James Ward-Prowse and Anderson led many to believe Ryan Yates would struggle for game time. Injuries to Danilo and Ibrahim Sangare have been a factor, but, even at 26, Yates continues to evolve and improve, to a point where he remains one of the first names on Nuno Espirito Santo’s team sheet.
Paul Taylor
Dibling is a positive in an otherwise disappointing start to the season for Southampton (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
In a fairly depressing start to the season, it would be easy to choose a player for their surprisingly bad contributions (sorry, Ben Brereton Diaz) but Dibling gets our pick. A rare bright spark amid the gloom, the 18-year-old has had a breakthrough season and is exciting whenever he gets the ball.
When Southampton won promotion, Dibling made just one league appearance, so making the impact he has from the wing has been a pleasant surprise. His well-taken goal against Ipswich speaks to his class and while expectations have always been high for the academy graduate, he is shining in an otherwise stuttering team.
Nancy Froston
After April’s 3-2 defeat by Arsenal, Ange Postecoglou singled out Romero — a goalscorer on the day — as a role model for the rest of his squad.
“I’ve got to get what’s in Romero into some of the others,” said the Australian after Spurs suffered the second in a run of four straight defeats that ended their hopes of a Champions League place.
Yet the Argentine’s performances this season have been anything but an example to his team-mates. Once famed for his tenacious and determined defending, Romero has often looked meek and unfocused, and could reasonably be blamed for a fair few of the goals Spurs have conceded.
With Micky van de Ven injured and Spurs now languishing in 10th (admittedly three points off third), Postecoglou badly needs Romero to rediscover his best form.
James Maw
Paqueta has struggled since the end of last season (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Paqueta’s form has nosedived to the extent it may be in West Ham’s interests for the playmaker not to be in the starting XI. The 27-year-old no longer plays with the confidence that made him a sought-after talent. He has scored two goals across 13 appearances in all competitions this season and, in truth, his impact has tailed off since the latter stages of 2023-24.
Off the field, Paqueta was charged with misconduct by the FA in May in relation to yellow cards he received. He denies all charges but could receive a lifetime ban if found guilty. On the field, there have been other concerns like his lack of discipline and he has been at fault for some of the goals conceded. A spell on the bench could be the best course of action.
Roshane Thomas
The Spain international will hope his opening goal in the 2-0 win against Southampton is the moment that gets his season going because up until then, he had found it difficult to make a mark on Gary O’Neil’s side.
Sarabia struggles in some games with the pace and power of the Premier League and, despite being one of the cleverest players in Wolves’ squad, he can sometimes appear careless in possession. But last season, especially when Wolves suffered injuries, he was a constant provider of chances, so it is a surprise he has played just 181 league minutes so far this term and started just twice.
Steve Madeley
(Top photos: Getty Images)
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