Manchester United duo featured in top five player form rankings pre-lockdown

Having already run through the pre-lockdown team form guide it is time to find out which players were at the peak of their powers before the league's three-month hiatus. On the eve of the Premier League's return, there is not better time to reflect on our player form rankings.

This article will reveal the 20 most in-form players in the Premier League pre-lockdown and offer an in-depth look at half of those, in no particular order. With Fantasy Football teams due for submission, we are on hand to least provide the perfect starting point to build your squad.

Not only that, but WhoScored.com have also partnered up with player trading and fantasy football platform, Footstock. In addition to WhoScored form ratings, each player will also be attributed their player card cost at the time of writing on Footstock.

Combining player trading and fantasy football, Footstock provides football fans the chance to buy and sell Premier League players with real cash and enter them into fantasy football tournaments. You get to go through the emotions of player pack openings and much more.

WhoScored.com even have new users covered with our exclusive sign-up offer. Sign up through us and get 75 bonus players and £10 worth of tournament credit. You don't even have to deposit or enter any details!

Dwight McNeil (Burnley) - 7.57 form rating / £10.94 Footstock price

Form Ranking - 3rd

Remarkably, Burnley were actually the most in-form Premier League side prior to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Clarets were unbeaten in their last six league outings, winning half of those, and winger Dwight McNeil was a standout performer for Sean Dyche's side.

McNeil, who is not your stereotypical Burnley player, played a direct hand in two goals across his last six league appearances, registering both a goal and an assist in Burnley's 3-0 triumph over Bournemouth. In that sequence, he averaged 2.6 key passes per game and 1.8 successful dribbles per game. Burnley are typically a physical side capable of causing opponents problems in the air and McNeil helped his side play to their strengths with a return of 1.8 accurate crosses per game.

Harvey Barnes (Leicester) - 7.47 form rating / £9.20 Footstock Price

Form Ranking - 7th

The likes of Jamie Vardy and James Maddison have hogged the limelight during Leicester's season chasing down Champions League qualification but Harvey Barnes was actually the Foxes most influential player prior to the break. The Foxes were not at their best at that point and needed someone to raise the game, which Barnes did.

Barnes has only scored six league goals all season and four of those fell in his last six appearances in the competition. The 22-year-old also registered one assist in that time and finished up with an average of 2.5 shots per game and 1.7 successful dribbles per game.

Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) - 7.27 form rating / £29.45 Footstock price

Form Ranking - 17th

Crystal Palace's superb form pre-lockdown means they are all but assured of safety over their remaining nine league games. The Eagles ranked fifth in our team form guide and striker Jordan Ayew was instrumental in that run. Ayew entered lockdown with goals in successive matches, both winning goals in back-to-back 1-0 wins over Brighton and Watford, respectively.

During that sequence of matches, Ayew averaged 3 shots per game, was fouled on average 3 times a game and attempted 2 shots per game. With five of the top six left to play in Palace's remaining nine games, however, it will be tough for Ayew to enjoy a similarly great end to the season.

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 7.73 form rating / £113.90 Footstock price

Form Ranking: 1st

Manchester City entered lockdown 25 points off first place and 12 clear of fifth. They will more than likely secure second in the Premier League this season and Pep Guardiola will rue being so far off the pace given they have the most favourable set of remaining matches in the division, according to WhoScored.com's team rating system. The average difficulty of their opponent is just 6.68.

With that in mind, however, Kevin De Bruyne is primed to pick up from where he left off pre-lockdown as the most in-form player in the league. De Bruyne registered four assists and scored once in his final six league outings. Across those games, the Belgium international averaged 2.8 shots per game, 3.8 key passes per game and 2.8 accurate crosses per game.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) - 7.24 form rating / £19.27 Footstock price

Form Ranking: 19th

In many ways lockdown came at the wrong time for Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. His stock was at an all-time high and there was plenty of chatter about an England call-up for Euro 2020. The fact this summer's major tournament has been pushed back 12 months isn't a bad thing for Calvert-Lewin's chances but from his perspective he would have wanted to continue playing while in good form.

Calvert-Lewin scored four goals across his last six league appearances and also chipped in with an assist in that period. In that period he averaged 3.5 shots per game and won 5.7 aerials duels per game.

Nemanja Matic (Manchester United) - 7.38 form rating / £3.19 Footstock price

Form Ranking: 12th

It is to Nemanja Matic's credit that he turned his Manchester United career around prior to lockdown. Seemingly with no place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's future, a summer exit appeared a foregone conclusion around the turn of the year. However, with Paul Pogba out and Scott McTominay on his way back, Matic played an instrumental role in United's resurgence.

Deployed as United's screener in midfield, Matic averaged 2 tackles per game and 2 interceptions per game. In fact, of the 14 interceptions Matic has made across his 12 league appearances this season, 12 fell in his last six appearances. The former Chelsea midfielder completed 5 key passes alone against Watford in that sequence of games, having only created 10 goalscoring chances all season. However, with McTominay and Pogba back to full fitness for the restart, Matic may not get the same run in the side he did pre-lockdown.

Mason Mount (Chelsea) - 7.28 form rating / £16.65 Footstock price

Form Ranking: 16th

Mason Mount has struggled for consistency during his maiden Premier League season but did at least have good momentum behind him prior to lockdown. The England international ended his 13-game run without a league goal in Chelsea's final game before quarantine. He garnered a WhoScored rating of 8.98 in Chelsea's 4-0 win over Everton in the process, his best individual performance of the league campaign.

Chelsea, however, have the fifth hardest run-in in the Premier League, with five of the current top seven left to play. For Mount to continue in his pre-lockdown form it would be a real plus point for Frank Lampard heading into the summer.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United) - 7.52 form rating / £5.50 Footstock price

Form Ranking: 4th

Aaron Wan-Bissaka's defensive capabilities have never been in question since his arrival from Crystal Palace over the summer but there were concerns about the right-back going forward at the beginning of the season. However, the Manchester United ace was showing real signs of improvement in the attacking third in the games leading up to lockdown.

Across his final six league matches, Wan-Bissaka registered one assist and averaged 1.5 key passes per game, nearly double his seasonal average of 0.8. An average of 2.3 successful dribbles per game in that run also marked an increase on his seasonal average of 1.7. Even with an improved role in attack, the 22-year-old still averaged 3.5 tackles per game.

Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal) - 7.39 form ranking / £25.60 Footstock price

Form Ranking: 11th

Nicolas Pepe has come in for a lot of criticism this season and there is still a long way to go before he repays Arsenal's club-record outlay on him but he was at least starting to show supporters what he can do before the pandemic. Pepe played a direct hand in four goals in his last six league appearances, with all four goal involvements coming in his last three outings.

Across those matches, Pepe registered 1.8 key passes per game, 1.7 shots per game and 2.2 successful dribbles per game. The Gunners are the only side yet to lose in the Premier League in 2020 and Pepe's improved displays going forward have played a key role in their slight resurgence under Mikel Arteta.

Richarlison (Everton) - 7.47 form rating / £50.70 Footstock price

Form Ranking: 6th

Everton's struggles for consistency must infuriate head coach Carlo Ancelotti. The Toffees ranked second from bottom in our team form guide pre-lockdown but have two of the top 20 most in-form players during the same period. Something is missing from their play to turn good individual performances into collective results.

Across Richarlison's last six league matches, the Brazil international scored three goals and claimed the WhoScored Man of the Match award on two occasions. During that period, he averaged 3.5 shots per game, recorded 1.7 key passes per game and completed 2.2 successful dribbles per game. All three above respective seasonal averages of 2.7, 1.2 and 1.8.

Ricardo Pereira (Leicester) - 7.31 form rating / £5.36 Footstock price

Form Ranking: 15th

While there is no doubt Trent Alexander-Arnold is the best offensive full-back in the Premier League, there is a strong argument Leicester's Ricardo Pereira is the best all-round full-back in the division. Pereira is the current right-back in our Premier League Team of the Season and he has generally been in superb form all season.

Pereira has a goal and an assist across his last six league matches, a return of 3.5 tackles per game and average of 1.8 successful dribbles per game. The 26-year-old will no doubt be a transfer target for some of Europe's elite clubs this season and represents great value on Footstock at £5.36 with a decent point-per-game (PPG) average of 15.02.