The Premier League is home to some of the greatest players in the world. Every season though, a select few players emerge from nowhere and take the league by storm, even giving the stars a run for their money. Let’s take a look at five break out players this season who have surprised with their impressive performances.
#5: Rodrigo Muniz – Fulham
Muniz signed from Brazilian side Flamengo in August 2021 but never managed to get going in a Fulham shirt. He was loaned out to Middlesborough last season but even in the Championship only managed to score twice. This season however has been a totally different story, he’s found form under Marco Silva and is currently enjoying his best goalscoring season of his career. With nine goals in just 16 starts at 22 years old, it’s clear that the faith Fulham put in Muniz has paid off. Not only is he finding his goalscoring form, but he’s also developing a real presence in front of goal, winning many of his aerial duels against some of the most physically dominant defenders in the world.
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Shots on target | Aerial duels won |
| 23 | 9 | 1 | 25 | 72 |
#4: Jarrad Branthwaite – Everton
Following a successful loan spell at PSV last season, Sean Dyche threw Jarrad Branthwaite straight into the deep end on his return to England. He’s played over 2800 minutes in the league this season, the most out of any Premier League player under the age of 22. Branthwaite has been immense in the Everton defence alongside James Tarkowski, keeping 11 cleans sheets and winning 67.3% of his duels this season. If it weren’t for Everton’s point deduction, they would currently be sat in 13th just behind Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton. Branthwaite’s ability to read the game is what sets him apart from most young defenders, he anticipates the attacker’s movement to allow him to prevent an attack before it’s been built. He’s everywhere and this season has managed to keep forwards such as Mohamed Salah and Ollie Watkins quiet.
| Apps | Goals | Clean sheets | Duels won | Interceptions |
| 32 | 3 | 11 | 167 | 49 |
#3: Adam Wharton – Crystal Palace
In the January transfer window, Crystal Palace managed to beat multiple Premier League clubs to Adam Wharton’s signature. In just a few months he’s become a fan favourite at Selhurst Park due to his fantastic ability on the ball and aggression off it. He’s comfortable both defensively and going forward to create chances which is exactly what the Eagles need as they enter a new era under Oliver Glasner. The Premier League certainly hasn’t seen the best of Wharton yet, but he has emerged as a top talent with a bright future. Once he’s added some goals and assists to his game, Wharton is going to be unstoppable in the middle of the park.
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Tackles won | Key passes made |
| 12 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 19 |
#2: Kobbie Mainoo – Manchester United
In a season where Manchester United have been all over the place, Kobbie Mainoo has provided consistency to give United fans some hope for the future. The then 18-year-old midfielder made his debut against Everton earlier this season and impressed with his Jude Bellingham like maturity. Since then, Mainoo has gone from strength to strength, becoming an established player in the United midfield and cementing himself as one of the three players the Red Devils are not willing to sell this summer. He was called up by Gareth Southgate in the most recent international break due to his form in the Premier League and is expected to make it on the plane for this summer’s Euros. So many players have made it to the first team from the United academy and lost momentum when it mattered most, but this guy seems like the real deal.
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Passing Accuracy | Successful Dribbles |
| 20 | 2 | 1 | 85.6% | 22 |
#1: Cole Palmer – Chelsea
When Cole Palmer signed for the Blues from Manchester City in the summer, nobody could have seen what was coming from the 21-year-old. He’s gone from a bench-warmer at City to the main man at Chelsea, single handedly winning them games on numerous occasions this season. He had shown glimpses of potential at City under Pep Guardiola, but nowhere near enough to justify a £40 million price tag. Nine months later and it’s proven to be a bargain for the young forward who has taken the league by storm since moving down to London. He’s even got a chance of winning the golden boot this season, he currently trails by one goal behind Erling Haaland, not bad considering Chelsea are in ninth place with 31 less points than Man City.
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Chances created | Successful dribbles |
| 29 | 20 | 9 | 55 | 41 |
Written by Isabelle Newnham
INMR FOOTBALL 
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