They say form is temporary, class is permanent. But many supporters will settle for signs of improvement. With that in mind, here is Steve Luckings's list of the Premier League's five most improved players.
1. Victor Moses, Chelsea
Long considered refractory since joining Chelsea in 2012, the transformation in the Nigerian has been all the more remarkable as it has been done by asking him to play a disciplined role in a position many considered him too undisciplined to fulfil.
An attack-minded player has been broken down and remoulded by Antonio Conte. The result is an out-and-out winger reinvented as a wingback as dedicated to his defensive duties as his forays forward. Few sides enjoy success down Chelsea’s right-hand channel. With the first line of defence Moses and the second Cesar Azpilicueta, it is not hard to fathom why.
Moses has the stamina of a marathon runner and the speed of a 100-metre sprinter. He credits Conte’s encouragement for him succeeding in his new role and he is a major factor in what will soon be Chelsea’s coronation as Premier League champions.
2. Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur
The two-time PFA Young Player of the Year may look out of place on this list if the parameters on which we judge are based on those who had previously underperformed or gone off the boil.
But if the Tottenham midfielder’s debut Premier League campaign in 2015/16, one which yielded 10 goals, a League Cup final and qualification for the Uefa Champions League, was barnstorming then this one has been blockbuster. Seventeen league goals, 21 across competition, and the further elevation of a player who is poised to be a central figure for both club and country for years to come.
Spurs will fall short in another title pursuit, but as Alli and Harry Kane’s partnership continues to flourish they will be back challenging for the title again.
3. Roberto Firmino, Liverpool
With Jurgen Klopp seemingly intent on creating new positions, adding floating 8, 10s and 11s to the in vogue false 9, the main benefactor of this fluidity has been Roberto Firmino.
The Brazilian has, more often than not, been deployed as the central attacker in an interchangeable front quartet. While his skills were not up for debate, his constitution was, with the physicality of the Premier League something he struggled to get to grips with after signing from Hoffenheim.
The same criticism cannot be levelled at him now. Where once he went to ground, he now stands tall, where defenders once saw him as a soft touch, they now bounce off the formidable Brazilian, giving Liverpool an added dimension to their attack.
4. Oriol Romeu, Southampton
The Spanish midfielder has been an imposing presence in a Southampton team that, on reflection, having again lost their best players to bigger clubs and welcomed another new manager last summer, have performed as well as could be expected.
Tigerish in the tackle and economical with the ball, Romeu’s ability to sense and snuff out danger make him an ideal midfield enforcer. Perhaps not quite as indomitable as his predecessor Victor Wanyama but, at the age of 25, Romeu is finally cementing a place as a first-team regular after years of being farmed out on loan by former club Chelsea.
5. Joe Allen, Stoke City
Overrated at Swansea City, underused by Liverpool, flourishing for Stoke City.
The midfielder was once described by his former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers as “the Welsh Iniesta”, but while comparisons to the Barcelona and Spain metronome may have been a tad farfetched, Allen’s move to Stoke last July, off the back of a tremendous Euro 2016 that saw Wales reach the semi-finals, has acted as a catalyst for a much-improved output.
Tenacious, tactically disciplined and a workaholic, Allen has now added goals to his game, with six in the league his best return in 11 years as a professional.
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