Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs stars among PL sextet experiencing unexpected 2025/26 resurgence | OneFootball

Unexpected standouts from Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs are among a Premier League sextet experiencing a shock resurgence this season…

Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa)

Buendia’s time at Aston Villa looked all but over as he ‘nearly quit’ the Premier League outfit this summer.

Buendia struggled to hit the lofty heights he reached at Norwich City in his first two seasons following his £38m move to Aston Villa in 2021, while he missed the entire 2023/24 campaign with an ACL injury.

The classy midfielder was somewhat left behind during his absence as Unai Emery’s side qualified for the Champions League and up until recently, he has not been given the necessary run of matches to build momentum and finally prove himself at Villa Park.

A summer move to Leeds United looked likely as he entered the final year of his current Villa contract, but this failed deal has proved a blessing in disguise; he has grasped his opportunity with both hands after being offered a lifeline by Emery.

Emery turned to Buendia as a potential left-field solution to their early-season toothlessness in attack and he’s been a revelation for Aston Villa as he’s helped them shoot up the table; he grabbed his fifth goal involvement in nine Premier League games with a stunning free-kick in the weekend’s 4-0 win over AFC Bournemouth. He’s now incredibly likely to sign a new contract beyond the summer…

Casemiro (Manchester United)

At the time of Jamie Carragher’s “disrespectful” verdict on Casemiro in May 2024, it was difficult to argue against the sentiment, despite it being a tad dramatised for television.

Casemiro was generally pretty good for Man Utd in his debut season, but he was exposed while filling in as a centre-back at the end of that campaign and declined further as the Premier League giants slumped to an embarrassing 15th-place finish under Ruben Amorim last term.

This was expected to lead to a move to the Saudi Pro League or MLS, as INEOS were also not a fan of the Brazil international, but he retained the backing of Amorim and has fully repaid the head coach’s faith at the start of this campaign.

Casemiro has valiantly grafted away and refused to accept that his time in an elite league is over, establishing himself once again as one of United’s most important players.

It’s a truly remarkable turnaround as Man Utd are far weaker when Casemiro is not playing. He has reduced the club’s need to sign a new No.6 to be his long-term replacement in the winter, with a potential £100m deal more likely to be delayed until the summer.

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Matheus Nunes (Manchester City)

Man City’s decision to pay £53m to sign Nunes from Wolves in the 2023 summer transfer window seemed to be a baffling call.

Pep Guardiola’s side already had Rodri, who won the Ballon d’Or for his sensational form for club and country that season, and it was unclear where Nunes would fit into the picture as he was used in various positions and was largely a bit-part player in his first 18 months at the Etihad.

City’s renowned innovator in the dugout found a home for Nunes at right-back towards the end of last season; there were certainly teething issues with this experiment, but he has made this position his own this term.

Nunes produced his latest brilliant display in Man City’s statement win over the weekend against Liverpool, with Guardiola reckoning that he may have the “best” right-back in the world at his disposal. This embellishment may largely be a fine example of man-management, but the fact that this statement has been taken seriously shows how well he has been doing.

Richarlison (Tottenham)

The Spurs striker was made to look really “daft” as his goal in stoppage time against Man Utd at the weekend was cancelled out by Matthijs de Ligt’s equaliser, but it was another game in which the 28-year-old reasserted himself as a key figure for the north London outfit.

It looked for all the world that he would be Tottenham’s fourth-choice striker behind Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel after missing out on a transfer in the summer, but he has perhaps been the biggest beneficiary of Thomas Frank’s arrival as he’s overcome previous woes on and off the pitch to shine this season.

Four goals and two assists in his 11 Premier League appearances this season is a great effort for Richarlison. He does remain heavily linked with a possible exit ahead of transfer, but his sudden return to form means he will have plenty more tempting options in January than he did in the summer.

Robert Sanchez (Chelsea)

Chelsea’s refusal to sign a top-class goalkeeper has long been lamented. But this stance has been justified in recent months as there was a notable upturn in Sanchez’s performances at the summer’s Club World Cup, with the 27-year-old taking that form into this campaign.

Chelsea still require an upgrade in the goalkeeping department in the long term, while they could also profit from signing multiple centre-backs and a striker to win the Premier League and/or Champions League in the next couple of years.

For now, though, Sanchez’s drastically improved displays have ensured that the Chelsea goalkeeper has not been a go-to scapegoat when Enzo Maresca’s side have fallen short, with issues in other positions in more need of being addressed sooner.

Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)

Trossard was among the Arsenal attackers, barring Bukayo Saka, who massively underperformed last season, as their overreliance on the England international and set-pieces undermined their title challenge.

This fuelled reports linking Trossard with an exit in the summer, with Mikel Arteta said to be the one pushing for the Belgium international to leave and be replaced by fresh blood.

Arsenal did do plenty of business to overhaul their attack, signing Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, but Trossard has stuck around, and the kick up the arse provided by recent transfers has got more out of the 30-year-old.

Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli failed to step up to share the attacking load with Saka last season, but it’s not been the same story this season and his resurgence has filled the void left by Arsenal’s recent injuries.

The 30-year-old has three goal involvements in his three appearances for Arsenal this month, so he is certainly doing enough to earn a new long-term contract with talks reportedly underway.