Harry Maguire and 4 Other Premier League Players Who Have Rediscovered Their Form This Season

You could see the emotion. It has been a trying couple of months for Harry Maguire, to say the least.

From reduced game time to criticism from the fans and media alike and even his own teammates to getting the armband taken away from him, the England international has endured hell on earth.

So when he collected the man-of-the-match award on October 21 after a stellar performance against his boyhood club, Sheffield United, the centre-back fought back tears.

Maguire's numbers against Sheffield United

It wasn't an over-the-roof performance at Bramall Lane, especially considering the opponent, but Maguire was a tad above everyone else on the pitch. He made the most accurate passes on the pitch, 76, with only Sofyan Amrabat at 56 coming close to him.

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According to stats from The Athletic, he also made 13 long passes, the most by anyone in all the Premier League matches played on Saturday.

Manchester United conceded from the penalty spot after Scott McTominay handled inside the area. It was the only blemish on Maguire's record on the night, as he didn't walk away with a clean sheet.

This is the story of redemption. He will be hoping to maintain the same trajectory, especially with one of Erik ten Hag's preferred centre-backs, Lisandro Martinez, still out with injury.

Sports Brief takes a look at other players who have partially or fully rediscovered their form this season. All the statistics used herein are from the Premier League's website.

1. Raheem Sterling - Chelsea

When Thomas Tuchel sanctioned the purchase of Sterling from Manchester City last summer, he envisioned a player who would lead Chelsea's attack and provide guidance to the crop of young players.

He might have scored 6 goals and provided 3 assists, but his form wasn't where it was expected. This season, however, he has upped the tempo and easily become Mauricio Pochettino's most important player.

The 28-year-old has played with intent whenever he is on the ball. The goal tally is still not up to what any Chelsea fan would want, but he has shown signs of the 'old Sterling.'

2. Son Heung-min - Tottenham Hotspur

After winning the Golden Boot in the 2021/2022 season, Son's form took a nosedive at the start of last season to the point where then-manager Antonio Conte benched him.

He still managed to finish the season with 10 goals and 6 assists. This season, without his preferred partner in attack, he is already on 6 goals for Ange Postecoglou. He has taken up the leadership mantle in North London, with Spurs firmly viewed as title contenders.

3. Mohamed Salah - Liverpool

Well, placing the Egyptian here is a bit controversial, considering he still finished last season with 19 goals and 12 assists. So high have his standards been over the years that such a return was considered poor, given how he started the season.

His slow start saw Liverpool get off the blocks more slowly than the rest of their competitors, which saw them miss out on Champions League football.

This season, the 31-year-old has, however, hit the right notes from the word go. His seven goals tally is only bettered by Erling Haaland's nine, but he holds three assists over the Norwegian.

As a result, Jurgen Klopp's men are third on the table, just a point behind the league leaders despite the injustices against Tottenham. So essentially, when Salah performs, Liverpool performs.

4. Jarrod Bowen - West Ham

Bowen was the figurehead of West Ham's attack when they finished seventh in the 2021/2022 season to qualify for the Conference League which they won last season. He scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists - the most goal involvements by any player not in the proverbial top six clubs.

Last season, his tally halved to six goals and five assists and thus missed out on England call-ups. 9 games in the current season, he has already matched last season's total tally, with only Haaland and Salah scoring more than him.

Maguire explains failed West Ham move

Earlier, Sports Brief reported on Harry Maguire explaining his decision to stay at Manchester United and not move to East London despite an agreement reached between clubs during the summer.

He cited a lack of personal agreement as the reason for the collapsed move, adding that United were happy for him to stay and fight for his place in the team.