5 players who are back to their best this season (2020-21)
In a year ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-21 season had a belated start, as the previous campaign extended till August in a few leagues. That has had an effect on the performances of a bevy of top teams and players.
Owing to the shorter than usual off-season, the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Manchester City have made indifferent starts to the new season.
Virgil van Dijk and Joshua Kimmich, mainstays of their respective teams - Liverpool and Bayern Munich - are out with long-term injuries. Lionel Messi is only beginning to get into his stride after a slow start to the season for Barcelona.
5 players who are back to their best in 2020-21
The length of the 2019-20 season and the ensuing short turnaround before the start of the new one was expected to take a toll on the performances of most players and teams.
However, some players have managed to get back to their best in 2020-21 after rather lukewarm campaigns last season. On that note, let's have a look at five such players.
#5 Henrikh Mkhitaryan (AS Roma)
An out-of-form Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was deemed surplus to requirements under Unai Emery at Arsenal, was shipped out on loan to AS Roma, where the midfielder has been a man reborn.
Mkhitaryan has rediscovered his mojo he last displayed in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund but struggled to repeat that in the Premier League.
The Armenian midfielder made a creditable 14 goal contributions (nine goals and five assists) in the Serie A to help Roma finish fifth in the league table and qualify for Europe.
After joining the club on a free transfer in the summer, Mkhitaryan has been on a tear in 2020-21, seemingly carrying on from where he left off last season.
The attacking midfield player has been at his playmaking best this campaign. He has almost tallied a goal-contribution per game (12 in 13 games), scoring five goals and assisting four in the Serie A and netting a goal and providing two assists in the Europa League.
Mkhitaryan, who has started every league game for Roma this season, recently notched up his first hat-trick for the club against Genoa, before following up with a brace in the next game against Parma.
Mkhitaryan's form could be crucial for the club this season, as Roma seek a deep run in the Europa League and look to finish in the top 4 to return to the Champions League.
#4 Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Joao Felix arrived at Atletico Madrid in a gargantuan €127 million transfer from Benfica last season, but couldn't hit the ground running despite massive hype around him.
The 20-year-old Portuguese player scored only six times in 27 La Liga games and thrice in six matches in the Champions League as Atletico Madrid struggled to make an impact in both competitions.
However, after an indifferent debut campaign, Felix has been a different player for the Rojiblancos. He has already produced eight goal-contributions in five La Liga games this season (five goals and three assists) and has also netted twice in four games in the Champions League.
Felix's blistering form has reaped rich dividends for Atletico Madrid, who have won seven of their nine La Liga games this season to sit a point behind table-toppers Real Sociedad.
If the Portuguese player continues his good form and produces a breakthrough campaign, Atletico Madrid could end Real Madrid and Barcelona's six-year La Liga duopoly.