• October 3, 2021

5 players who went from starters to bench warmers in the Premier League

Sometimes even the most talented footballers can face difficult obstacles in their lives. Despite being better than most other Premier League players, these footballers find themselves warming up the bench for some really big clubs, even after having done their best in the past.

There are several players in the Premier League who had joined big clubs in hopes of finding regular first-team football, but end up playing second fiddles to the coach’s favorites. Some of the players on this list are in their 30s and yet have to sit on the sidelines despite being fully capable of changing the game on their sides.

Let’s take a look at 5 of these players in the Premier League who went from starters to benches.

Olivier Giroud:

The dynamic French striker is arguably one of the most underrated forwards in the Premier League. Despite consistently scoring goals for Arsenal since his arrival in 2012, Giroud has lost his place in Wenger’s first to Alexandre Lacazette. The former Lyon striker is now Arsenal’s first-choice forward after signing him from Lyon earlier this summer for close to £ 50m. However, it can never be ruled out that Giroud challenges Lacazette as he has shown in the past. It won’t be a surprise if Giroud manages to work his way back to the Gunner’s starting eleven in the coming weeks.

Wilfried bony:

The 28-year-old forward from Côte d’Ivoire was leading Swansea City’s scoring sheets before joining Manchester City on a £ 25 million deal in 2014. A lot was expected of Bony those seasons, but he barely surpassed Sergio Aguero in his limited appearances for the Sky Blues. The arrival of Pep Guardiola last summer put an end to any chance of making a comeback in the first team. Although, Bony could now return to his best after joining his old Swansea club in the summer.

Michy Batshuayi:

The 23-year-old Belgian international striker enjoyed a brilliant first season at Chelsea, having won the Premier League in his first Premier League appearance. Batshuayi arrived from Marseille after two impressive seasons in front of goal as a regular starter. But, with Antonio Conte having brought in Álvaro Morata this summer for a record fee, Batshuayi is now playing second fiddle from the highly rated Spanish striker. Batshuayi is definitely not a player who should warm up benches, especially after winning the League.

Sergio Aguero:

The Argentine international striker is perhaps the best non-English striker the Premier League has ever seen. The 29-year-old goal had sacked Manchester City to two Premier League titles in the past and is one of Europe’s most consistent scorers with 170 goals in 255 appearances for Manchester City. Despite his incredible stats, new City manager Pep Guardiola has yet to choose Agüero as their leading forward, as he signed 20-year-old Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus in January last season.

Guardiola started Jesús over Agüero multiple times in the Premier League last season and plans to do more of the same this season. Aguero is definitely not the type of player that any team would want on their bench. While it is surprising to see Guardiola’s plans for him, his age could also be a factor, but not that he has ever been a cause for concern for Argentina.

Daniel sturridge:

The English international may not be the fittest striker in the Premier League, but he is certainly one of the most talented. Sturridge has always had a bad injury history and has failed to repeat the same form he had shown playing alongside Luis Suárez in the 2013/14 season. Despite being fit and looking in the best shape of his career this season, Jurgen Klopp has chosen Roberto Firmino as his main forward on the team. At just 28 years old, and at the peak of his career, Sturridge certainly doesn’t deserve to be warming up the bench at Liverpool.

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