It’s been a year of mixed fortunes for the Premier League elite. As Chelsea have limped steadily to the Premier League title they all but won back in 2014, Manchester City have simply imploded, while top four rivals Arsenal and Manchester United have produced impressive turnarounds.
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Down at the other end of the table, the arrivals of new managers – most notably Alan Pardew and Tim Sherwood – have helped inspire transformations in player form, while in several other cases the threat of a new player taking a position has been enough to produce a change.
In the list below, we count down the ten most improved Premier League players since the turn of the year…
10) Christian Benteke (Aston Villa)
The Belgian has scored nine of his 11 Villa goals this season since the turn of the year. The arrival of Sherwood has further inspired him to rediscover his best form, which was most recently on show against QPR earlier this month, when he bagged a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw.
9) Bafetimbi Gomis (Swansea City)
Has scored six of his eight Swansea goals since January. The departure of Wilfried Bony has transformed him from a bit-part player into a regular starter, with his recent strike against Aston Villa and brace against Hull City securing an impressive six points.