Who doesn’t like seeing a good dribble? Well, everyone loves the spectacle – except the player on the receiving end, though!
Right from its inception, the premier league has been graced with a flurry of good dribblers. Though the tempo may have currently reduced due to several factors, we are blessed with fine dribbles every match week.
This article highlights six of the best dribblers currently in the premier league using the just concluded 2021/2022 season as a basis. If you want to win more on your bets, check liontips.com/tips/baseball for the most accurate sports betting predictions.
1. Alan Saint-Maximin
The French International joined Newcastle in 2019 and has since established himself as an important part of the squad.
Saint-Maximin is not hard to miss on the field of play with his bulky frame and spectacularly styled hairstyle. He sends the fans standing anytime he lounges forward, feinting, twisting, and turning as he dribbles his way through.
The 25-year-old appeared 35 times for the Magpies in the just concluded season, raking up 241 dribbles with 150 of them successful.
2. Emmanuel Dennis
Not much was expected from the Nigerian when he signed for the Hornets in the 2021 summer transfer window. However, he took the league by storm, notching up impressive displays in his 33 appearances for the club and finishing the season as the club’s highest goal scorer with 10 goals.
Whenever he is on the ball, Dennis runs straight at the opposing defense team, slicing through them in a breeze and taking the shot if he finds himself in space. This has seen him record 68 successful dribbles out of his 158 attempted dribbles.
3. Wilfried Zaha
Tagging closely behind Emmanuel Dennis in dribbling stats is the 29-year-old Ivorien, Wilfried Zaha. The forward has become a fan favorite in Selhurst Park; one can say his destiny is tied with Crystal Palace.
He graduated to the first team from the Crystal Palace academy in 2010, got signed by Manchester United in 2013 but quickly returned to his boyhood club on loan that same year.
Zaha was again sent on loan to Cardiff City the following year but quickly returned again to Selhurst Park on another loan spell before signing permanently for The Eagles in 2015. Over the years, he has consistently performed, nailing down his place in the team.
Zaha is a quick-footed dribbler who doesn’t shy away from going at the opposing defense. His imposing looks and demeanor while on the ball is enough to frighten opponents.
In addition, he wastes no time in cutting into and zooming past the defense, playing a one-two pass with a teammate, and shooting home when the opportunity presents itself.
In the just concluded season, Zaha’s dribbling antics saw him perform 152 dribbles, successfully getting the better of his opponents in 75 of them.
4. Dwight McNeil
Dwight McNeil may not be a popular name in the footballing world, but he has done enough to get a place on this list. In fact, his prowess also saw him feature in all 38 matches for Burnley in the just concluded season, starting 35 of them.
The young English winger bossed the field down the right as he dribbled past his opponents, looking for a chance to cross into the box. He performed a total of 150 dribbles, coming out successful in 90 of them.
5. Raphinha
Brazil is known to produce some of the best footballers to grace the game who are not only scorers but also avid dribblers.
It is not out of place to include the former Leeds midfielder, Raphael Dias Belloli, popularly called Raphinha, in the list of Brazilian players with these qualities. Little wonder Barcelona decided to part with £55 million to bring him to the Camp Nou.
Though a midfielder, Raphinha is a very versatile player, fitting intently into any position given him by the coach, such as playing as a winger. Asides from his dribbling and scoring potential, he also possesses innate ball control and speed.
Raphinha is a master of dribbling art, successfully impressing the fans on several occasions. As a Leeds player in the 2021/2022 season, he raked up 62 successful dribbles out of a total of 146 tries.
6. Mohammed Salah
What would this list have looked like without including one of modern-day football’s revelations? The Egyptian King, as he is fondly called, took the premier league by storm upon signing for Liverpool in 2017. Since then, he has garnered consistent performances and does not look like he will slow down anytime soon.
Since making his debut for The Reds in the 2017/2018 season, Salah has consistently ended each season with a double-figure goal tally, with the lowest (19 goals) coming in the 2019/2020 season.
He has also gone on to win several individual laurels such as the Golden Boot and the Premier League Player of the Year award. In addition, he has won almost every trophy possible with Liverpool, especially the domestic titles.
One factor that fuels his goal-scoring efficiency is his dribbling skills. Salah is a fine dribbler, who backs this skill up with pace and good decision-making. He is not afraid to run at his opponent, take on each individual one at a time, twisting, turning, feinting, and finally slotting the ball home even from tight angles.
Last season saw him register 124 dribbles, with 53 of them successful, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store for the coming season.