REVEALED: Which top-flight players are the most important to their team

Burnley exploits deserve to be commended this season as the Clarets go in search of a top-6 finish. Victory over Chelsea on Thursday night will see them leapfrog Arsenal into sixth, albeit having played a game more, but even then; the work Sean Dyche has done warrants adulation. 

What’s notable still is that Burnley remain in the hunt for a European finish, despite an 11-match winless run earlier in the campaign. That says more about the quality of the teams around the Clarets rather than Burnley themselves, however. A failure to win 11 matches is the third longest winless run in the Premier League this season, yet to still be in with a chance of a top-6 finish suggests a dip in standards from the teams chasing a place in European competition.

Burnley won’t mind, of course, given their commendable position in the Premier League table, but their 11-match winless run also coincided with Stephen Ward’s absence from the starting XI. The Republic of Ireland international sustained a knee injury towards the end of 2017 and wasn’t seen in the squad until February this year. In his absence, Charlie Taylor deputised at left-back and while he earned praise at Leeds, Burnley struggled in Ward’s absence. 

Indeed, of those to have failed to start more than five league games this season, the difference in win ratio with and without Ward starting was a whopping 60.9%, with the Clarets failing to win any of the 10 Premier League matches Taylor has started this season. Burnley centre-back James Tarkowski has also been an influential member of the Clarets side having stepped up to excellently replace Michael Keane, who departed for Everton. 

As one might expect, Dyche’s side struggled when the centre-back was sidelined, with Burnley’s win ratio dropping to 0% without Tarkowski in the seven Premier League games he has not started when injured. A consistent XI has been a cornerstone of Burnley’s top-flight success this term and without key men Ward and Tarkowski in the side, it’s little shock that the team struggled in their absence. 

One of their statistically calculated styles of play is ‘consistent first eleven’ and Dyche’s chance to select key men at crucial times across the season has been the rock solid foundation Burnley have built upon in their quest for European action. Moving away from Burnley and Wayne Rooney has been a surprise key man for the Toffees. Everton have failed to win any of the nine league matches the summer returnee hasn’t started this season, with all 11 of their victories coming when the 32-year-old has been included from the off. 

Likewise, compatriot Jamaal Lascelles has been a key cog in the Newcastle defence, with the Magpies failing to win any of the six top-flight games the England hopeful has not started this term. Lascelles played a key role in Newcastle’s promotion, as did Anthony Knockaert with Brighton last season. The Frenchman may have started just 23 Premier League games this season due to injuries and suspensions, but the Seagulls are statistically a better team with the 26-year-old in the side. 

His return to the starting XI in midweek coincided with a 1-1 draw with Champions League chasing Tottenham and had he not been in the squad, chances are Brighton will have struggled. They’ve failed to win any off the 11 Premier League matches he has not started this season, losing eight, to reinforce his importance to this Brighton side. 

However, their respective impacts pale in the comparison of Ward, who has been a surprise key man in this Europa League chasing Burnley side.