English Premier League Hot 11: The Preseason Edition

It is the preseason edition of the English Premier League Hot 11. Although there are no statistics and no performances to ground the first crack at the Hot 11, there are footballers worthy of recognition before stepping onto the pitch for the first time in the 2011-2012 campaign.

With a bevy of summer transfers in England's top flight, the anticipation is high and growing for many clubs, and there are still some blockbuster deals on the horizon.

Every Wednesday, 11 footballers in the Premier League will make up the EPL Hot 11, a fluctuating power ranking that highlights the top performers over the course of the entire season. Dependent on their match day performances, players may move up or down the list each week.

Nani

Nani topped the league in assists last season with 14, and his impact on the club was hardly overlooked throughout United's title-winning campaign.

The Portuguese international displayed a great run of form in the FA Community Shield against rivals Manchester City, dropping a double—including the game winner during extra time. He looks poised to pick up where he left off at the end of the 2010 season.

Robin Van Persie

Had Robin van Persie been fit for the entire season, the Arsenal striker surely would have topped Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez's 21-goal haul and claimed the Golden Boot for himself.

Instead, the Dutchman recorded 18 goals in just 19 appearances for the Gunners in their fourth-place finish.

Although van Persie is always poised for another injury, the 28-year-old has forever been a versatile goal-scoring threat.

David Silva

David Silva was arguably one of the most influential players on City's roster last season.

With the Spaniard's cleverness and awareness, his distribution from all about the pitch notched him seven assists on the year in his debut season with the club.

Carlos Tevez could be in for a switch, meaning Silva will be servicing traditional big strikers in Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli in the final third.

Samir Nasri

Whether Samir Nasri plays for Arsenal this season or not, his brilliance and consistency in fueling the meticulous Gunners' offense is undeniable.

Rumored to be moving to Manchester City, the 24-year-old Frenchman has a very bright future. He can make his case this season as one of the top midfielders in England's top flight.

Javier Hernandez

Javier Hernandez shocked the world with a very impressive 13-goal debut campaign for United last season, and he seemingly has the club's top goal scorer, Dimitar Berbatov, playing second fiddle to him.

Chicharito's stock will be high for this season, and the anticipation of another successful year will be in the heads of most of United's faithful.

After a tournament-winning run with Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, he is set for another season at Old Trafford.

Peter Odemwingie

In his first year in the Premier League, Peter Odemwingie notched a surprising 15 goals for West Brom.

At 30 years old, he may be a little aged, but he finished with the best strikers in the league last season.

The Uzbek-born Nigerian international was at the heart of some transfer rumors, with nothing coming of it. But if the former Lille and Lokomotiv Moscow player continues his solid scoring rate, the transfer talk will heat up again in January.

Luis Suarez

Liverpool made a good investment in acquiring Luis Suarez from Ajax in January's transfer window, as the Uruguay international fit well in the Reds' offense.

Suarez recorded four goals and three assists in 13 appearances for the Merseyside club, but his combined stats for the year totaled 11 scores in 26 games.

Suarez also claimed the Best Player Award in the Copa America.

David Luiz

Chelsea put up one of the best back lines in the Premier League last season, and a big contributor to that cause was David Luiz, a winter signing who played his role to perfection and even added some cherries on top.

The young Brazilian center back has the look of a dominant defender for some time, and with the stability among Chelsea's defenders, Luiz could be a cornerstone for some time as well.

With the nature of the EPL Hot 11, it could be hard for any defender to hold down a position in the rankings, but Luiz deserves recognition.

Dirk Kuyt

Dirk Kuyt was another Dutchman who had a serious impact late in the season for his club.

In Liverpool's last 10 Premier League fixtures, Kuyt put up nine goals and three assists, helping the Reds to a 6-1-3 mark to finish the season and climb into the top six.

Kuyt has always been a jack-of-all-trades type of player, and with the talent that Kenny Dalglish and Co. acquired over the summer window, the 31-year-old Dutch international should perform well.

Gabriel Obertan

Newcastle's newly acquired midfielder Gabriel Obertan put on display his incredible pace during the Herbalife World Football Challenge in the United States and impressed many.

Though he'll leave Old Trafford for a much less talented roster, he has always figured as a blossoming young player waiting to break out.

Joe Hart

Last season's Premier League leader in clean sheets just signed a new five-year deal with City, which figures to be just as stiff defensively this year.

Joe Hart is England's No. 1, and it is not close.

City's anchor between the sticks is a good reason why the club has been so successful in conjuring up clean sheets and great defensive results.