Player Focus: 6 of the Premier League's Surprise Packages

There are, every year, those transfers that rouse excitement and optimism in fans ahead of the coming season and those, at the other end of the spectrum, that leave onlookers questioning the wisdom of those left in charge of millions of pounds of spending money. Sometimes those worries are proven to be justified, but there are plenty of surprise packages that eventually come good. Sometimes they take even longer to wrong their doubters. Already this season, there have been a handful of players who done rather better than many expected them to.

Graziano Pellè

A couple of free-scoring seasons in Holland is enough to attract attention from Europe's top leagues but it is barely sufficient to guarantee more goals in them. Luis Suarez was an unquestionably successful import to the Premier League from the Eredivisie, but others have struggled. Jozy Altidore, for example, has followed up 23 goals in 33 appearances for AZ Alkmaar with just 1 in 33 for Sunderland.

The signing of Pellè at Southampton was thus met with a mixed reaction, but Ronald Koeman's belief in bringing in players from his homeland has paid dividends, with the Italian the third-highest scorer (4) in the league at this stage behind only Diego Costa (8) and Leonardo Ulloa (5). Pellè has been a constant threat, firing off more shots (22) than any other player in the league, while his brilliantly improvised finish to beat QPR this weekend was the mere tip of the iceberg. He has already arguably proven his doubters wrong.

Frank Lampard

Towards the end of last season it seemed that José Mourinho's decision to end the love affair between Chelsea and their record goalscorer was, in spite of the fans' protestations, the right one. Lampard seemed laboured in the middle of the park, off the pace and looking his age, and a mooted move to MLS did, in all honesty, seem like it was the perfect fit.

And yet this season, while Steven Gerrard, who was England captain only a matter of months ago and so nearly led Liverpool to a first Premier League title last season, has his continued use questioned, Lampard is thriving at Manchester City. He has scored 4 goals in his last 3 appearances, and is the Premier League's joint-top scorer from the substitutes' bench (2). In fact, only Victor Wanyama (7.29) has a higher average rating as a sub this season than Lampard (7.06) who - Mourinho might well be made to admit - it looks like it was a mistake to let go. Chelsea are early season front runners, but Lampard scored the only goal that has taken points off the Blues thus far, and it would hurt them mightily if he were to help the Citizens mount a title charge.

Victor Moses

While Chelsea no longer own Lampard, they still have Victor Moses on their books, and while he has proven over the past two years that he isn't up to the challenge of playing for a top 4 club, at Stoke this season he is replicating the kind of form he showed that won him a move to Stamford Bridge from Wigan.

He has already - in just 4 appearances - matched his assist tally from the past 3 Premier League seasons combined (2), with both coming from crosses for Peter Crouch. Moses has averaged more accurate crosses per game (3.8) than any other player in England's top flight this season, and is currently the fourth-highest rated player in the whole division (7.98).

Stewart Downing

Oh how infuriating it was to watch a player with the dribbling talents of Stewart Downing charge, head down, towards the byline before putting looped crosses into the box for West Ham last season. With he and Matt Jarvis on the flanks and Andy Carroll through the middle, Sam Allardyce had a quite obvious and rudimentary tactic. Then, when Carroll wasn't available, they struggled.

They have no Carroll at present, and Allardyce has had to be a bit more inventive when setting his team up. He has invested well, and while Jarvis has been overlooked, Downing has been reinvented as a playmaker. In three appearances in a central role this season, Downing has registered 3 assists, already topping the total he managed in the whole of last campaign (2), and as the ninth-highest rated Englishman (7.36) there have even been murmerings of suggestions for a recall to the national setup.

Lukasz Fabianki

The best-performing goalkeeper in the Premier League this season is one that has been widely criticised in the not-so distant past for being unreliable and shaky. Previously nicknamed 'Flappy Handski', Fabianski has enjoyed a great start to life at Swansea, where he has maintained the best save success rate of all Premier League goalkeepers this season (75%).

He has always been a decent shot-stopper, but what has really stood out is not only the fact that he hasn't been culpable for a single mistake that has led to a goal or even a chance thus far, but also his patently increased confidence; he has successfully claimed 26 crosses already this season, a full 9 more than any other 'keeper.

Alan Hutton

Alan Hutton's return from a half-season loan spell at Championship strugglers Bolton was hardly seen as ground-breaking for Aston Villa. Most fans in fact spent the summer wondering when - and to whom - they could offload the Scot. And yet, Hutton has become a mainstay in one of the league's tightest defences (at least prior to successive 3-0 defeats to Arsenal and Chelsea), as Villa started the season taking 10 points from the first available 12.

Given that Matt Lowton and then midfielder Leandro Bacuna were favoured at right-back last season, few could have foreseen this start to the season for Hutton, who is Villa's highest rated player (7.00) having made 12 interceptions and 24 clearances already. The win at Liverpool was the crowning moment in his start to the campaign, and with his performances rewarded with a new contract, Hutton might even have a bright Premier League future ahead of him.

Who have you been most surprised with this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below