Toney, Bowen, Pope, Reiten: Premier League and WSL’s most underrated XI of 2022 | OneFootball

The end of the year is always a time for reflection, and we at GiveMeSport thought it was a good opportunity to select the most underrated players of 2022.

It’s been another brilliant 12 months of football, but as always, there are some hidden gems who have not been given their fair dues for their excellence on the pitch.

Our list features both players from the Premier League and Women’s Super League. It could be argued that the female stars in this list are the most underrated of all, given women’s football gets less attention than it deserves.

Either way, these players have enjoyed a truly brilliant year, and hopefully they’ll be getting a bit more credit in 2023. Without further ado, here’s our most underrated Premier League and WSL XI of 2022.

GK: Nick Pope ()

Nick Pope rarely gets any credit, which is potentially down to the fact he spent the past six years at perennial strugglers Burnley. The team were relegated last season but Pope still managed nine clean sheets, the 10th highest in the league.

Now at Newcastle, Pope is quietly solidifying his status as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. He is joint top of the clean sheet leaderboard with Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale.

For many, Pope should be England’s number one. It is maybe down to his underrated reputation that he is not.

RB: One Batlle (Manchester United Women)

While Ona Batlle is often praised for her performances, it seems fair to argue that she would be hailed as one of the world’s best defenders if she was to play for teams such as Lyon or Barcelona.

While Manchester United are a good side, their lack of English or European titles in recent years may have hidden Batlle away from the spotlight somewhat.

The 23-year-old has been consistently excellent this season, earning the Women’s Super League highest average FotMob rating of 8.20. In addition, she finished with an average of 7.36 last season.

CB: Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace)

Marc Guéhi has been superb during his time in top flight football so far, but is often overshadowed by the more high-profile centre backs in the Premier League.

According to Whoscored, Guehi got dribbled past just once in 36 games last season. His excellent performances were rewarded with his first call-up to the England senior team in March 2022.

Despite this, the 22-year-old is still relatively underrated, perhaps because of his young age.

CB: Molly Bartrip (Tottenham Hotspur Women)

Tottenham Hotspur may be struggling this season, but Molly Bartrip was a key member of the Spurs side which placed fifth in the 2021-2022 WSL campaign.

The 26-year-old made 21 blocks last season, the third highest number in the league, and an impressive 78 clearances.

Even though she was one of the best defenders in the WSL, Bartrip didn’t receive a call up to the England squad, underlining her status as one of the most underrated players of 2022.

LB: Rayan Aït-Nouri (Wolves)

Rayan Aït-Nouri has largely been excellent during his two years at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and has played in most matches this season.

While known for his dribbling prowess, Aït-Nouri has also come on leaps and bounds with his defensive ability. Wolves are struggling somewhat this season, however, which might explain why he is yet to fully receive the credit he deserves.

Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)

West Ham had a 2021-2022 season to remember, finishing seventh in the Premier League and reaching the Europa League semi-final.

Jarrod Bowen was West Ham’s top scorer with 18 goals in all competitions, and has hit the back of the net four times this season across the Premier League and Conference League.

Bowen received his first senior call up for England’s Nations League matches in May, and while he received praise for his performances, he is still overshadowed by more high-profile wingers.

CM: Dagny Brynjarsdóttir (West Ham Women)

Brynjarsdóttir signed for West Ham last year, and has truly established herself as one of the most underrated stars in the WSL this year.

The 5ft 11in midfielder was quietly consistent for the Hammers last campaign, getting four goals and one assist. She has stepped up a gear this season, however, hitting the back of the net five times so far.

It’s thanks to Brynjarsdóttir that West Ham are currently sitting fifth in the WSL, but she has received little credit for her performances.

CM: Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women)

In a team full of superstars, Reiten’s fantastic performances often don’t get the plaudits they deserve. Yes, Chelsea may have Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby and Magda Eriksson, but Reiten is right up there as one of the team’s best players.

The 28-year-old has an average FotMob rating of 7.80 this season, having scored twice and racked up a league-leading nine assists.

LW: Harvey Barnes (Leicester City)

Leicester City are some way from the team which won the Premier League in 2016, and their recent struggles have gone some way to disguise Barnes’s brilliant performances.

He finished last season with ten assists and six goals, and has already hit the back of the net six times this season.

Callum Wilson, Gabriel Martinelli and Marcus Rashford are all thought to be in fantastic form, but Barnes has outscored them all and has only received a fraction of the praise.

ST: Bunny Shaw (Manchester City Women)

Sam Kerr and Vivianne Miedema are always the two players cited when discussing the Women’s Super League’s best strikers, but Bunny Shaw is currently blowing both out of the water in the Golden Boot race.

The 25-year-old has scored eight times this season, and has also set up two more. She currently leads the Golden Boot race, level on goals with Rachel Daly but with a superior amount of assists.

ST: Ivan Toney (Brentford)

Like Shaw, Toney is never really in the conversation when it comes to the Premier League’s best strikers right now, but his statistics say otherwise.

The Brentford star finished last campaign with 12 goals and five assists in the Premier League, and already has 10 goals and two assists this season. He is behind only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane in the Golden Boot race.

The most underrated Premier League and WSL XI of 2022?

So there we have it. GiveMeSport’s most underrated Premier League and WSL XI of 2022. Here’s the full line-up in all it’s glory.