We must look beyond the marquee names and superstars to truly appreciate the depth of the Premier League. Plenty of players are making a significant impact on the pitch for top clubs and mid-table sides, yet they often go unnoticed. We’re halfway through the 2023/24 Premier League season; it’s time to take stock and assess which players are flying under the radar.
Diogo Jota at Liverpool
38 goals in 91 matches for Liverpool — that’s 141 minutes per goal with a 19.3% shot version on 197 total shots. Diogo Jota’s shot conversion is higher than the current goal machine and LFC legend Mohamed Salah (17.4%).
He’s recorded seven goals and three assists in 15 Premier League matches in the current campaign. Unsurprisingly, former Liverpool player turned pundit Jamie Carragher rates the Portuguese forward as one of the Reds’ best-ever finishers. Left or right foot — the man brought in for £42M by Klopp has all types of finishes inside his locker, so isn’t he considered a top forward in the game?
Curtis Jones at Liverpool
Surprise, surprise! Curtis Jones is another Liverpool gent who makes his name on the list of the most underrated EPL players of the 2023/24. The English midfielder is still only 23 years old and is showing why he’s become Klopp’s star boy. He’s recorded five goals and four assists in all competitions this term.
Like Steven Gerrard, he is a keen driver of the ball and can finish as well. The only quality lacking is consistency, which should come in time. Remind us again why Gareth Southgate keeps forgetting to include this young man in the England lineup.
Pascal Gross at Brighton & Hove Albion
What’s not to like about Pascal Gross? The German midfielder always seems to slip under the radar but is one of the most dependable players on Robert De Zerbi’s side.
He notched ten goals and ten assists (a club record) during the 22/23 season in all competitions. And he’s creating all again this term on the South Coast, with four goals and nine assists to his name, with another half-season to go.
Last August, the 32-year-old finally got his much-deserved call-up to the German national team. Gross is “grossly” underrated, perhaps receiving little attention given his straightforward, non-flashy contributions and Brighton’s mid-table status.
Pedro Neto at Wolverhampton
Just because Pedro Neto doesn’t play for a top-six club doesn’t mean we should ignore his contributions. The right winger already has ten assists in 15 matches this season, adding two goals. Interingstly, he convincingly replaced Diego Jota at Wolves; Jota, of course, still ranks on this list as one of the EPL’s underappreciated.
Still only 23, it’s no wonder Mikel Arteta wants him to challenge Bukayo Saka on the right at Arsenal.
Gabriel Magalhães at Arsenal
Do you need a last-man tackle? Then we’ve got your man.
The Arsenal center-back is often overlooked due to his pairing with French sensation William Saliba. But the Brazilian Gabriel Magalhães deserves his own spotlight. He played in all 38 EPL games last season, where the Gunners finished runners-up in the league.
He also scores goals, with 11 to his name for the Gunners.
Photos: Instagram/curtisjr, diogoj__, pedroneto_30
