Premier League Player Rankings After Weekend of October 25-27: Aguero, Cesc Fall
Welcome to the ninth edition of our Premier League player rankings, continuing for another season in its mission to quantify the form of England's top-tier players.
We pick the Top 20 players on the basis of form and performances in league games only. Southampton won again but Chelsea were held; elsewhere, Arsenal got back to winning ways and West Ham United continued their incredible run of performances. How does that affect the standings?
The rankings are formed based on the player's last four games, with slightly more emphasis placed on their most recent outing. Only Premier League performances are counted, and one-week wonders do not find their way in by default (see: David de Gea in Week 7).
Take a look and see if you agree with our selections, and if you feel like we've missed anyone, let us know in the comments below.
Dropping out
1 of 21
Angel Di Maria, Manchester United
Two rougher games, each in the wider areas rather than the middle, see him drop.
Lee Cattermole, Sunderland
Sunderland can't score and can't stop conceding. While that's not all on Cattermole, he isn't doing a lot of things right.
Michael Dawson, Hull City
Edged into our top-20 last week but didn't play this week due to injury.
Victor Moses, Stoke City
Was clinging on to the bottom of the rankings amid diving controversies anyway, and his performance this week wasn't great.
20. Enner Valencia, West Ham United
2 of 21
Last Week: New!
Differential: New!
Enner Valencia has silenced the doubters and proved Sam Allardyce's eye correct. He's settled quickly after a high-profile move to east London and he's delivering on his fee already.
The assist he collected for Morgan Amalfitano's goal this weekend was beautiful, beating Gael Clichy off the edge, jinking around Eliaquim Mangala in the box and firing it across for a tap-in.
His intense work rate marries with his great offensive instincts.
19. Leighton Baines, Everton
3 of 21
Last Week: New!
Differential: New!
Leighton Baines started the season slowly, but he's been creeping toward form over the past month and now appears to have hit full stride.
It's no coincidence that his dramatic improvement ties in with the significantly better results coming Everton's way, and he dealt out his sixth assist of the season on Sunday, teeing up Samuel Eto'o for a goal against Burnley.
18. Gylfi Sigurdsson, Swansea City
4 of 21
Last Week: 19
Differential: +1
Gylfi Sigurdsson simply refuses to let go of his spot in our top-20; every time he looks to be dropping out, he rescues himself with a telling contribution.
As he went quiet, Swansea City did too, and it's no exaggeration to say he's the lifeblood in their attacking system now he's returned to the Liberty Stadium.
His quick give-and-go with Wilfried Bony confused the Leicester City defence enough to allow the striker to curl home an effort and set the Swans on their merry way.
17. Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal
5 of 21
Last Week: New!
Differential: New!
Some were skeptical over how Alexis Sanchez would fit in the Premier League, but the Chilean has set about proving quickly that his style is suited to English football.
His brace against Sunderland was gifted to him by defensive errors, but it's just reward for the energy and pressing on show in every game he plays.
He's got five goals and two assists in seven league starts, per WhoScored.
16. David Silva, Manchester City
6 of 21
Last Week: New!
Differential: New!
David Silva was wonderful for Manchester City once again this weekend, slicing and dicing West Ham's defence in order to tee up chances for teammates.
In the end, after all of his colleagues failed to convert, he decided to go it alone. Jinking past no less than four defenders, he bent an incredible strike around the last defender and into the corner, leaving Adrian no chance.
He's really hitting stride now.
15. Hugo Lloris, Tottenham Hotspur
7 of 21
Last Week: 10
Differential: -5
Hugo Lloris didn't shower himself in glory this weekend in conceding two goals to Newcastle United, but it wasn't exactly all his fault.
Despite coming into the fixture on a high after winning 5-1 midweek and even taking the lead early, Tottenham Hotspur as a group faltered and surrendered.
Sammy Ameobi scoring seven seconds into the second half was...well, disappointing to say the least.
14. Oscar, Chelsea
8 of 21
Last Week: 14
Differential: -
With Cesc Fabregas nullified, Oscar was unable to pick up the slack and take control of the game at Old Trafford on Sunday.
He's improved this season and looks back to his old self for the most part, but his inability to dominate in lieu of his colleague just demonstrates how far he is from that bracket of truly world-class playmaker.
13. Saido Berahino, West Bromwich Albion
9 of 21
Last Week: 16
Differential: +3
Saido Berahino was not the nightmare to Crystal Palace this weekend that he was to Manchester United on Monday night, though he did keep his cool to convert a late penalty and tie the match 2-2.
The point keeps West Bromwich Albion ticking over in the league and it looks like the players are coming around to Alan Irvine's way of thinking. Berahino is central to the team effort up front.
12. Diego Costa, Chelsea
10 of 21
Last Week: 8
Differential: -4
Diego Costa continues to slide after failing to play for the second week running. Jose Mourinho was concerned this would happen if his hamstring was overstretched, and the Portuguese manager is fairly happy for the Spanish football federation to take 100 percent of the blame here.
Hopefully for the Blues' sake, Costa is being allowed to heal in full and this disruption will not continue. They looked a lot less potent without him on Sunday afternoon.
11. Diafra Sakho, West Ham United
11 of 21
Last Week: 13
Differential: +2
Diafra Sakho's headed goal—the fourth of its kind this season—made it six in six starts from the Senegalese hit man, who's thriving at the top of Sam Allardyce's diamond formation.
His link-up with Enner Valencia this weekend tied Eliaquim Mangala up in knots trying to nullify it and it was Sakho's goal that iced the result late on.
10. Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea
12 of 21
Last Week: 9
Differential: -2
Branislav Ivanovic was looking pretty good on Sunday...until a red card ended his afternoon a few minutes early.
Jose Mourinho was seething about the decision to send the Serbian off after the game, but remained tight-lipped for fear of getting in trouble:
"If I say what is in my heart, I will get in trouble," he admitted to reporters (h/t The Daily Mail). "I prefer not to talk about this (Ivanovic incident), we had many things go against us, the result was not so good but acceptable."
9. Stewart Downing, West Ham United
13 of 21
Last Week: 12
Differential: +3
Stewart Downing was superb once again for West Ham this week, playing at the tip of Sam Allardyce's midfield diamond and having a serious hand in consistent chance creation.
The winger seems to be at home in a central position due to his comfort on the ball, and while he wasn't the star of the show this week, he's the Hammers' most in-form player over the last month's games.
8. Fraser Forster, Southampton
14 of 21
Last Week: 11
Differential: +3
Fraser Forster must feel this whole clean sheet malarkey is overblown; since he's come to the Premier League, he's conceded just five goals—the least in the league!
He posted another shut-out on Saturday as Southampton beat Stoke City 1-0, and although the Saints were under a little pressure toward the end, he made just a single noteworthy save.
7. Sergio Aguero, Manchester City
15 of 21
Last Week: 4
Differential: -3
Sergio Aguero did not have his usual day on Saturday, spurning a few chances and failing to wriggle free against a stout West Ham defensive setup.
He struck the woodwork and was denied by Adrian from close-range twice as Manchester City desperately searched for a second equaliser.
As a result, he drops in our rankings.
6. Graziano Pelle, Southampton
16 of 21
Last Week: 7
Differential: +1
Graziano Pelle failed to find the net this week in Southampton's 1-0 victory over Stoke City, but he did hit the woodwork twice and make himself a real nuisance in the box.
Sadio Mane hoovered up the rebound on his first effort to score the only goal of the game, and throughout he troubled the Potters' centre-backs and gave Marc Wilson, in particular, no time to rest.
5. Nemanja Matic, Chelsea
17 of 21
Last Week: 6
Differential: +1
All the talk surrounds what Cesc Fabregas did and didn't do, but not many are focusing on Nemanja Matic, who played another exceptionally solid game—quelle surprise.
He was instrumental late on, making tackles frequently as Manchester United searched for an equaliser, and no player got the better of him one vs. one on Sunday afternoon.
4. Eden Hazard, Chelsea
18 of 21
Last Week: 5
Differential: +1
With Cesc Fabregas nullified, the attacking onus and impetus fell to Chelsea's other gargantuan attacking star—Eden Hazard.
He impressed in his dribbling skills once again, but it was actually Cesc who served up the assist for Didier Drogba's would-be winner midway through the game.
He completed seven dribbles, per WhoScored, and lured Rafael into an early, predictable yellow card.
3. Dusan Tadic, Southampton
19 of 21
Last Week: 3
Differential: -
Inevitably, Dusan Tadic was going to have a comedown after that four-assist, one-goal showing against Sunderland last week.
He didn't trouble the scoresheet or register his eighth assist of this young Premier League season, but was instrumental in carving Stoke City open with regularity in the first 60 minutes.
2. Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea
20 of 21
Last Week: 1
Differential: -1
Cesc Fabregas was nullified by Marouane Fellaini on Sunday—a dark day for football purists worldwide.
Louis van Gaal set the Belgian upon him and tried to man-mark him out of the game, and by the half-hour mark Fabregas wasn't even close to completing 10 passes.
Perhaps a benchmark other managers will look at and copy?
1. Morgan Schneiderlin, Southampton
21 of 21
Last Week: 2
Differential: +1
Morgan Schneiderlin's final stat line, per WhoScored, reads quite nicely for a defensive midfielder and backs up what he put in on the pitch.
With 79 passes, three aerial duels and four tackles won, the Frenchman dominated the centre of the pitch for long periods as Southampton outplayed Stoke City.
Late on, when the Potters showed some pressure, Schneiderlin locked the doors and held out.
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