The World Cup has lengthy been a breeding floor for expertise – in addition to a stage for the perfect gamers on the planet to showcase their potential – however not everybody managed to flourish in Qatar.
The Premier League was highly-represented within the Center East with 133 stars from 26 completely different nations and it was a memorable match for the likes of Manchester United trio Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Bruno Fernandes.
Nevertheless, the identical can’t be mentioned for a handful of stars who both crashed out within the teams or struggled to ship.
Sportsmail has gone by way of the record of top-flight gamers who underperformed on the World Cup and can due to this fact have an enormous level to show once they return to Premier League motion this month.
Belgium’s Youri Tielemans struggled to indicate off his high quality in Qatar, as did Kevin De Bruyne
Son Heung-min – South Korea and Tottenham
Son was anticipated to be one in every of South Korea’s main lights in Qatar this winter and, whereas enjoying all 4 video games to assist his aspect attain the last-16, he did not get on the scoresheet in a irritating match.
He performed each single minute of the World Cup because the crew’s captain and highly-influential determine – however he didn’t have the influence they may have hoped from him as he watched Paik Seung-ho, Kim Yong-gwon, Hwang Hee-chan and Cho Gue-seung get on the scoresheet as a substitute.
The Tottenham man did seize an help in South Korea’s greatest results of the competitors – a 2-1 win over Portugal – as he arrange Wolves star Hwang to attain a last-minute winner.
Tottenham’s Son Heung-min may have an enormous level to show after failing to attain in Qatar
Son is a large movie star in South Korea and he’s revered as a hero by supporters – who confirmed their solidarity to him by carrying the identical protecting goggles after the attention harm he picked up whereas enjoying for Tottenham final month.
In fact he was fortunate that he even took half within the World Cup – and maybe his harm meant that he could not fairly give his greatest efficiency for his nation.
Son has had a troublesome season total and hasn’t had the perfect of luck within the Premier League both – scoring simply 3 times and laying on two assists for Spurs this marketing campaign.
When he returns to north London, all eyes shall be on him to see if he can recapture his unimaginable kind from final season.
Darwin Nunez – Uruguay and Liverpool
Plenty of strain has fallen on the shoulders of Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez since he accomplished an £85m change to Liverpool from Benfica in the summertime – and it is truthful to say repaying that price has been a problem up to now.
Jetting out to hyperlink up along with his Uruguay team-mates was a possibility to place a gradual begin to the season behind him – having netted simply 5 instances within the league up to now whereas his rival Erling Haaland has wheeled away with 18 since becoming a member of Man Metropolis.
However he was unable to search out the form of kind that was turning heads whereas he was at Benfica final season as he banged in 26 objectives within the Portuguese high flight.
Liverpool’s £85million signing Darwin Nunez endured a World Cup to overlook for Uruguay
Nunez returned to motion within the Reds’ 3-2 defeat away at Manchester Metropolis on Thursday evening
He began each recreation for Uruguay however was largely nameless – with supervisor Diego Alonso opting to sub him off within the crew’s last two video games in opposition to Portugal and Ghana after he did not ship the products.
On each events, Nunez was taken off for Maximiliano Gomez, with Uruguay eradicated within the group stage having misplaced out to South Korea on objectives scored.
Sadly there weren’t sufficient objectives scored by Nunez, who has returned to Liverpool bidding to indicate that his enormous price ticket was not a mistake.
And his home aspect Liverpool are additionally in want of an everyday provide of objectives from him – with Jurgen Klopp’s crew at the moment seven factors off a top-four place, now occupied by Tottenham.
Nunez returned to motion for the Reds on Thursday evening, enjoying the whole lot of their 3-2 defeat away at Manchester Metropolis and failing to get on the scoresheet as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup.
Kevin De Bruyne – Belgium and Manchester Metropolis
Arguably one of many greatest surprises from this World Cup was that we did not see the magic we all know De Bruyne can produce.
Belgium’s dismal group stage exit was an enormous shock and the entire squad had been affected by infighting – and it seems the Man Metropolis magician was a type of hindered as he could not handle to get his artistic juices flowing.
He failed to attain or present any assists in Belgium’s three group video games in opposition to Croatia, Morocco and Canada – however in fact not one of the crew appeared like they had been on the identical web page all through the match.
It appears virtually a assure that when De Bruyne returns to Manchester Metropolis and is lifted up by his famous person team-mates – and reference to ahead Erling Haaland – he shall be again to his greatest, pinging unimaginable balls excessive and splitting defences in half along with his implausible imaginative and prescient.
Kevin de Bruyne’s sluggish match was one of many greatest shocks of the World Cup
Youri Tielemans – Belgium and Leicester Metropolis
The midfielder was one other star who was unable to shine in Belgium’s divided squad and he obtained loads of stick from his nation’s media for underperforming.
Like De Bruyne, Tielemans – one in every of Belgium’s most essential gamers for the long run as their ageing group begins to say no – performed in all three video games but additionally had an off-tournament.
It did not assist the 25-year-old that his membership Leicester have not began the season properly both, with the Foxes initially having to struggle their method out of the relegation zone after choosing up eight defeats and with Brendan Rodgers below strain.
Youri Tielemans additionally struggled to indicate his highest quality in Qatar amid a divided Belgium squad
Tielemans nonetheless managed to attain 3 times and decide up one help – however the topsy-turvy marketing campaign cannot have carried out his confidence any favours going into the World Cup.
He’ll now put all of his focus into Leicester’s season and guaranteeing they proceed their upward trajectory after two straight wins earlier than the World Cup.
Christian Eriksen – Denmark and Manchester United
It was an emotional return to the nationwide crew at a significant match for Eriksen as he made his unimaginable comeback after struggling a cardiac arrest in the course of the first recreation of Euro 2020.
Nevertheless, whereas Eriksen has excelled since making his method again into soccer with Brentford and Manchester United, he couldn’t translate that kind to the nationwide stage because the Danes did not win a recreation, with the playmaker unable to work his magic.
He performed all three video games – and all 90 minutes – however he could not affect video games in the way in which he’d like as they drew 0-0 to Tunisia after which misplaced 2-1 to France and 1-0 to Australia to crash out within the group levels.
Now it is again to Manchester United the place he has an enormous activity to drive Erik ten Hag’s males ahead and assist them decide up extra outcomes as they bid to show their fortunes round.
Eriksen has two objectives and 6 assists in all competitions for the Crimson Devils since signing on a free switch and he shall be keen to indicate that he can provide way more than his efforts in Qatar.
Christian Eriksen was unable to work his ordinary magic as Denmark did not make the last-16
Kai Havertz – Germany and Chelsea
He lastly confirmed up on the World Cup with two strikes in Germany’s 4-2 win over Costa Rica of their last group recreation – however Havertz left it too late as Die Mannschaft missed out on the last-16 on objectives scored.
The Chelsea playmaker solely performed 24 minutes of that recreation however netted twice in 12 minutes to stage the sport after which put his aspect in entrance earlier than Niclas Fullkrug added a fourth for Germany.
Havertz had been dropped having began their 2-1 defeat by Japan – however performed no half in anyway of their 1-1 draw to Spain.
It was not the influence the previous Leverkusen star hoped for – having began the season with 4 strikes for Chelsea – three within the Premier League and one within the Champions League.
Kai Havertz scored a late double for Germany in opposition to Costa Rica nevertheless it was too little too late
