Premier League Player Rankings After December 26-29 Fixtures: Chelsea Men Reign
Welcome to the final 2014 edition of our Premier League player rankings, continuing for another season in its mission to quantify the form of England's top-tier players.
With a hectic festive period to account for, both Boxing Day games and December 28/29 fixtures are taken into account—a veritable "double whammy," if you will. Prepare for some pretty drastic changes and swings too, as with two games to judge, some new entrants come in rather high.
The rankings are formed based on the player's last four games, with slightly more emphasis placed on his 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 did not qualify in Week 7 for one great showing but now has after consistently strong form).
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
Dropping Out
Andy Carroll, West Ham: Kept eerily quiet by John Terry, then ineffective against Arsenal.
Oscar, Chelsea: He's being rested on and off for the first time in two-and-a-half years. Until that's done and Jose Mourinho starts him regularly again, he's out.
Mile Jedinak, Crystal Palace: Decent enough against QPR but not outstanding, and relented against Southampton too. Soon to leave for the Asia Cup.
Yaya Toure, Manchester City: He was rested for the draw against Burnley, and competition for this top-20 is tough.
On the Radar
Danny Ings
Christian Eriksen
Toby Alderweireld
20. Santi Cazorla, Arsenal
2 of 21
Last Week: New!
Differential: New!
It's been a roller coaster for Santi Cazorla, who dropped out in our last edition after a brief cameo, but he had an excellent Christmas period through the middle for Arsenal.
He's clearly the most reliable penalty taker on the Gunners' roster and has begun driving forward through the middle to make things happen, making best use of his exceptional dual-footedness.
19. Yannick Bolasie, Crystal Palace
3 of 21
Last Week: 13
Differential: -6
Yannick Bolasie cooled off significantly over the festive fixtures; his performances in the loss to Southampton and draw with Queens Park Rangers were not what we've come to expect.
Also, with a league-low 1.1 percent conversion rate on chances, per WhoScored.com, potential new manager Alan Pardew will be desperate for the DR Congo international to improve in front of goal.
18. Hugo Lloris, Tottenham Hotspur
4 of 21
Last Week: New!
Differential: New!
Hugo Lloris frequented our top 20 early in the season but dropped off. Over Christmas, though, he reminded us of what a fantastic goalkeeper he is.
Against Leicester, Tottenham were initially dominant. But Nigel Pearson's men came back strongly and but for Lloris, the Foxes would have won. "Flawless" is a word that was used frequently to describe his showing that day.
At White Hart Lane versus Manchester United, no one can be sure of how he didn't concede. Reactions, stops, reflexes. The lot were on show.
17. Alan Hutton, Aston Villa
5 of 21
Last Week: 17
Differential: -
Alan Hutton was solid and unspectacular this weekend against Sunderland. He wasn't really tested—the Black Cats were very negative—but picked up a clean sheet for the collection.
Against Swansea he initially struggled but then helped Villa take control of the game. There's nothing the Scot could do about Gylfi Sigurdsson's wonderstrike to settle it.
16. Graziano Pelle, Southampton
6 of 21
Last Week: 14
Differential: -2
Graziano Pelle's stock takes another hit this week after an average set of Christmas performances. He was withdrawn against Crystal Palace without scoring but played OK, and looked toothless against Chelsea, but perhaps that wasn't his fault.
Every time Southampton tried to play up to him and come out of defence, the referee quizzically called him for a (nonexistent) foul. It hurt Saints a lot, though his chest-down in the build-up for Sadio Mane's goal was ace.
15. John Terry, Chelsea
7 of 21
Last Week: 16
Differential: +1
John Terry went from the sublime to the spectacularly bad over the space of two days; against Southampton he made a rare error that cost his team a goal.
He bottled up Andy Carroll when Chelsea beat West Ham and scored the opening goal from a corner—a 9/10 performance in anyone's books—but got caught out against Saints, played Sadio Mane five yards onside and could only watch as the Senegalese forward raced through and scored.
14. Charlie Austin, Queens Park Rangers
8 of 21
Last Week: 12
Differential: -2
Charlie Austin failed to live up to his now-remarkable goalscoring reputation over Christmas, and while he did smash home a penalty against Arsenal, he was a non-factor against Crystal Palace.
The pressure and expectancy on his shoulders will be an intriguing watch, as after securing 12 goals at the half-season mark, the fans will expect him to breach the 20-goal mark by May.
13. Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool
9 of 21
Last Week: New!
Differential: New!
Well, well, well! It's been a while since a Liverpool player, of any kind, has been featured in our top-20 form rankings, but times they are a changin'.
Philippe Coutinho has hit sparkling form and has been central to the Reds' revival. He's picked up an assist or a goal in his last three games, but more importantly, he is driving forward with the ball, darting into space off it and taking up incredible positions outside the box.
12. David Silva, Manchester City
10 of 21
Last Week: New!
Differential: New!
With four goals in his last three games and, arguably, three Man of the Match awards to boot, David Silva is an automatic entry this week.
His Christmas period is probably the best of the lot, and it's wonderful to see the magician hitting stride immediately post-injury. He's been carrying the load up top for City without a striker, too, which has been crucial avoiding a collapse.
11. Wilfried Bony, Swansea City
11 of 21
Last Week: 11
Differential: -
A quiet Christmas for Wilfried Bony sees his exponential rise screech to a halt.
Against Aston Villa he was subdued by a team of centre-backs, and against Liverpool he dropped deep to find the ball and won some headers, but ultimately only threatened Simon Mignolet once.
10. Nathaniel Clyne, Southampton
12 of 21
Last Week: 10
Differential: -
Nathaniel Clyne was ruled out of Southampton's draw with Chelsea due to a muscle strain. He withdrew late on with the same issue during the 3-1 away victory over Crystal Palace on Boxing Day.
9. Bojan, Stoke City
13 of 21
Last Week: 15
Differential: +6
Stoke City ground out a tough victory thanks to some high-energy, opportunistic play by Mame Biram Diouf, but Bojan played superbly again and is verging on the status of the Potters' best player.
He's played consistently over the last eight games or so, proving to all his doubters that Barcelona products can hack it in the roughest of leagues, and his role as a creative forward is central to Mark Hughes' ideas for this team.
8. Stewart Downing, West Ham
14 of 21
Last Week: 5
Differential: -3
Stewart Downing slides heavily in our ranking after turning in two anonymous showings this Christmas. Nemanja Matic kept him quiet on Boxing Day, then Arsenal ran rampant over West Ham two days later with the England international powerless to stop it.
It stops a meteoric rise from the former Aston Villa man, but we expect him to bounce back soon.
7. Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea
15 of 21
Last Week: 9
Differential: +2
Branislav Ivanovic wasn't really tested against West Ham, and against Southampton he didn't really play against a proper opponent. Sadio Mane enjoyed a free role and Dusan Tadic dropped centrally where possible.
He did, though, get named as the right-back in Sky Sports' Team of the Season so far.
6. Diego Costa, Chelsea
16 of 21
Last Week: 8
Differential: +2
Diego Costa put in a sublime shift against West Ham, and his mesmeric goal sealed a beautiful performance. He dragged three defenders one way, then the other, then fired home with aplomb.
Unfortunately, he struggled mightily with Toby Alderweireld's Southampton on December 28, jinking his way into one shooting position, but flunking the best one after slipping while trying to latch onto a horror back-pass to Fraser Forster.
5. Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal
17 of 21
Last Week: 6
Differential: +1
Alexis Sanchez procured an eventful festive haul, missing a penalty, scoring, assisting, getting yellow-carded and being named Man of the Match against Queens Park Rangers. A frantic set of events to match his frantic style of play.
He truly shone in the QPR win on an individual basis despite missing from 12 yards, and against the Hammers he was part of a dominant team effort.
4. David de Gea, Manchester United
18 of 21
Last Week: 4
Differential: -
David de Gea was called into action several times over the course of the festive fixtures, with perhaps his best display coming against Tottenham Hotspur.
While Hugo Lloris took all the credit from that game in keeping a clean sheet for the home side, De Gea was on notice early and often to deny a slew of long-range efforts.
3. Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea
19 of 21
Last Week: 3
Differential: -
Cesc Fabregas was in fine form this Christmas, pulling the strings against West Ham from deep before playing in a more deadly, advanced role against Southampton.
His assist for Eden Hazard at St. Mary's Stadium was superb, lifting a lovely ball over the top of a helpless Maya Yoshida, and he should have been awarded a penalty after Matt Targett accidentally chopped him down.
2. Eden Hazard, Chelsea
20 of 21
Last Week: 2
Differential: -
Eden Hazard carried his remarkably consistent, match-altering form firmly into the Christmas schedule, assisting a goal against West Ham before scoring the equaliser against Southampton.
He looked fit as a fiddle on the St. Mary's pitch despite playing so many games, and it was he who flummoxed almost the entire Saints defensive line to fire home.
1. Nemanja Matic, Chelsea
21 of 21
Last Week: 1
Differential: -
Nemanja Matic was largely faultless against Southampton without being pressured too much, but against West Ham he was absolutely masterful.
Although he didn't get to match up against Alex Song in a physical duel to die for, he kept Stewart Downing to an anonymous role as Chelsea won comfortably.
At the exact halfway stage of the season, Matic is top of the pile and crowned Player of the (half) Season.
