Premier League Player Rankings: Kompany, Silva Rise; Gomez Enters; Payet Falls
Welcome to another season of Premier League player rankings, where we make it our mission to quantify the form of the division's best performers and rank them in order of how well they're playing right now.
The rankings are formed based on players' last six games, with slightly more emphasis placed on their most recent outing. Only Premier League performances are counted, and, typically, one-week wonders do not find their way in by default.
We look beyond the statistical measures and into the performance, reviewing tape and gauging impact. It's not just goals, assists and heroic clearances that impress; it's about how a player contributes to the tactical plan at hand and what impact he has over a 90-minute period.
Early in the season these rankings are very fluid, with seismic shifts in ranking very common. Last week's edition saw the order start to take shape, shaking out the one-weekend wonders and incorporating those who played well two games in a row. Now we drive our fork into the meaty section of the pie, determining genuine form and separating those who have truly made a strong start.
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 section below.
Dropping Out/Honourable Mentions
1 of 21
Honourable Mentions
Simon Francis, AFC Bournemouth
Nathaniel Clyne, Liverpool
Graham Dorrans, Norwich City
Bafetimbi Gomis, Swansea City
Nathan Redmond, Norwich City
Craig Cathcart, Watford
Juan Mata, Manchester United
Out
Jordan Amavi, Aston Villa
Ross Barkley, Everton
20. Shinji Okazaki, Leicester City
2 of 21
Last Week: 14
Change: -6
After being so very involved in the first two games, linking play slyly and threatening on goal, it was a shame to see Shinji Okazaki blocked out of the third. Well played Tottenham for that.
As the Foxes were reduced to counter-attacking football, the Japanese ace couldn't assert himself and couldn't locate the ball often enough. His link play lacked as a result, and despite playing 90 minutes, never truly looked a threat.
19. Wes Hoolahan, Norwich City
3 of 21
Last Week: 20
Change: +1
Wes Hoolahan continued his strong start to the season for Norwich City, sparkling despite the Canaries' failure to open up Stoke City definitively and put them to bed.
Manager Alex Neil likely wishes he could turn back the hands of time on the Irishman, who at 33 years of age needs to be managed carefully in terms of minutes and cannot be over-stressed.
Hoolahan's creativity and clever passing in tight spaces once again set the tone for an at times rampant Norwich performance—only without the requisite goals.
18. Callum Wilson, AFC Bournemouth
4 of 21
Last Week: New!
Change: New!
After AFC Bournemouth's opening-day loss to Aston Villa, Callum Wilson will have been ruing his one-on-one miss with Brad Guzan in the first half with the score at 0-0. Immediate questions followed regarding the south coast side's cutting edge, and Wilson will have been feeling the urge to set the record straight.
The following gameweek saw him playing aggressive, high-press football at Anfield but not find the goal he perhaps deserved. Finally, at the third attempt he broke his top-tier duck, smashing three past West Ham at Upton Park in a ruthless display.
"I thought Callum was a real threat today," AFCB boss Eddie Howe told reporters after the game (h/t Football365.com). "We never doubted his ability. He's got everything a modern-day striker needs."
A good header, an opportunistic finish and a calm penalty helped the Cherries to three points.
17. Joe Gomez, Liverpool
5 of 21
Last Week: New!
Change: New!
It really is quite difficult to believe Joe Gomez is an 18-year-old defender recently recruited from Charlton Athletic. The way in which he has taken to Premier League football is so impressive.
He's nicked Alberto Moreno's slot at left-back—despite naturally being a central player—and turned in three impressive showings. In the first game he dealt with Jonathan Walters—one of the league's toughest opponents even if he isn't top-tier quality—and then on Monday shut down Aaron Ramsey with only a few minor errors here and there.
Gomez has three games and three clean sheets to his name.
16. Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool
6 of 21
Last Week: 19
Change: +3
Philippe Coutinho couldn't quite make the difference on the scoresheet on Monday, but he nevertheless turned in a mightily impressive showing.
He saw a brilliant shot strike the woodwork and bounce down onto the line, saving Petr Cech from a third successive game without a clean sheet, and weaved between the lines superbly all evening, driving onward with the ball at his feet and creating avenues for his team-mates.
You know what you're going to get from Coutinho now; he's a premier creator in the league with no doubters left to speak of.
15. Andre Ayew, Swansea City
7 of 21
Last Week: 13
Change: -2
Andre Ayew had another lively, threatening game this weekend, but his misses ultimately cost Swansea City the opportunity to gain a second successive three-point haul.
He squandered several chances as the Swans achieved near-total domination of the game early on. The forward came came closest when he hit the post with a strong header from a Jefferson Montero cross.
He suffered some rough treatment from the opposition but dealt well with it and worked hard off the ball to track and recover.
14. Chris Smalling, Manchester United
8 of 21
Last Week: 17
Change: +3
Chris Smalling played his third very good game in a row to begin the season and nearly topped it off with a goal at the death against Newcastle United, but struck the post with a late header as Manchester United bombarded the box with balls in search of a winner.
The Englishman has carried his late 2014-15 form into the new campaign and is finally showing the type of consistency and determination required to be accepted as a Red Devils centre-back. He's stated he enjoys the "bullying" role carved out for him in the current setup, per Sky Sports, which leaves the sweeping to Daley Blind, and indulges himself by smashing into challenges.
13. Eliaquim Mangala, Manchester City
9 of 21
Last Week: 16
Change: +3
Nicolas Otamendi, Manchester City's brand new, expensive central defensive signing, will have to wait a little longer to make his debut, it seems. Eliaquim Mangala isn't going without a fight. The Frenchman is finally showing the prowess that convinced Manuel Pellegrini to spend £40 million on him last summer, so it seems perhaps harsh that he's in danger of getting the hook any day now.
Another strong, composed performance at Goodison Park helped Mangala stifle Romelu Lukaku—a true beast of a striker who ran riot on the south coast just a week previous.
12. Dimitri Payet, West Ham
10 of 21
Last Week: 7
Change: -5
Dimitri Payet looked West Ham's brightest creative spark once again in the first half, though his influence waned badly in the second period as the Hammers' fightback fizzled out.
The one redeeming quality he takes into every match—good performance or bad—is a wicked set-piece delivery, capable of picking team-mates out accurately and, critically, tricking goalkeepers with a deadly flat ball.
11. Jamie Vardy, Leicester City
11 of 21
Last Week: 11
Change: None
Jamie Vardy did his usual: run, run and then run some more. He worked his socks off against Tottenham Hotspur and helped them earn an impressive draw.
He gained an arbitrary assist for Riyad Mahrez's equalising goal by laying the ball off to him, but in truth the goal was all Mahrez, ducking inside and burying a finish.
Vardy didn't star, but he was more effective and influential than strike partner Shinji Okazaki.
10. Jonjo Shelvey, Swansea City
12 of 21
Last Week: 8
Change: -2
Jonjo Shelvey failed to take control of Swansea's tie against Sunderland this weekend, but he still put in a pretty decent performance. He wasn't the threat we saw against Chelsea and Newcastle United.
In last week's power rankings we highlighted the need for Shelvey to find consistency in order to propel himself back into the England squad, and while a dip in the third game is hardly the end of the world, this will be playing on his mind.
Expect a bounceback showing from the 23-year-old this weekend.
9. Marc Albrighton, Leicester City
13 of 21
Last Week: 6
Change: -3
Oh, how football can turn. Marc Albrighton, a veritable star of the past two weeks, is all of a sudden under threat from a team-mate after a lacklustre showing against Tottenham Hotspur.
The former Aston Villa man has been excelling on the left for Leicester City early this campaign, but he was substituted for summer arrival N'Golo Kante—a player billed as a barnstorming central midfielder—late on and the Frenchman impressed.
Riyad Mahrez looks untouchable in the XI; could Albrighton drop out on the back of just one off afternoon?
8. Angelo Ogbonna, West Ham
14 of 21
Last Week: 4
Change: -4
It was a mild surprise to see Angelo Ogbonna substituted early during West Ham's defensive horror show against AFC Bournemouth this weekend. There were far more deserving culprits—Carl Jenkinson, for example.
That said, none of the Hammers' defenders impressed, and Ogbonna finds himself tumbling down our rankings as a result. Conceding four against a newly promoted side at home is a sin, and the Italian looked ropey at the back as Callum Wilson crucified Slaven Bilic's defensive line.
7. Vincent Kompany, Manchester City
15 of 21
Last Week: 15
Change: +8
Vincent Kompany put in a brilliant showing as Manchester City beat Everton 2-0 on Sunday. The Citizens are yet to concede a goal this Premier League campaign and the Belgian's been instrumental to this record.
He made his name as an aggressive defender and rose to the pinnacle of the sport, but his domestic form dropped like a stone 18 months ago and never looked like it was recovering. But whatever Manuel Pellegrini said to him this summer has worked wonders; he's confident stepping out and intercepting again, no longer looking like a lost lamb and instead taking a commanding role in an excellent line.
6. Aleksandar Kolarov, Manchester City
16 of 21
Last Week: 12
Change: +6
Aleksandar Kolarov dominated in Manchester City's first two games, owning the left flank against both West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea.
As a result, this weekend at Goodison Park Everton tried very hard to stifle him as an attacking outlet, and more or less succeeded in general terms. But they allowed him to creep in behind once and he seized the chance, netting the opener with an acute-angled shot.
The Serbian has full-on blocked Gael Clichy's path to the first team and looks determined to keep his colleague on the bench.
5. Matteo Darmian, Manchester United
17 of 21
Last Week: 10
Change: +5
Manchester United are still yet to concede a goal in this Premier League season, and while that hasn't made for much in the way of exciting, attacking football, it does prove the back line are clicking.
Matteo Darmian put in another typically strong showing as the Red Devils shared the spoils this weekend, and although he was substituted with 13 minutes to go, it was a move designed to introduce fresh attacking legs from right-back (in the form of Antonio Valencia) in order to try to force the result.
The Italian has been the best right-back in the Premier League over the first three games, looking a genuine answer to a long-term problem position for United. If he keeps this form up he'll quickly prove a bargain and establish himself as one of the world's finest.
4. Jefferson Montero, Swansea City
18 of 21
Last Week: 3
Change: -1
Jefferson Montero came down a notch this week; he played well as Swansea City drew with Sunderland in the north east but didn't hit optimal level.
The Ecuadorian speedster continued to blitz the left flank, charging down the sideline with directness and gusto rarely seen, and he clipped a few nice crosses into dangerous areas, allowing his team-mates to apply immense pressure on the home side.
Unfortunately, the accuracy and efficiency of the past two weeks was absent.
3. Yaya Toure, Manchester City
19 of 21
Last Week: 5
Change: +2
In the wake of another impressive performance, this time against Everton, uMAXit Football's Seb Stafford-Bloor waxed lyrical about Yaya Toure—a player he feels battles a reductive assessment because of racial stereotyping:
"In the flesh, Yaya Toure is a mightily impressive athlete. His size and speed are a highly improbable combination and only those who have watched him from the stands can really attest to what a force of nature he can be.
The Ivorian is a physical anomaly: someone that powerful should not be that dynamic.
"
David Silva's flashy genius and Vincent Kompany's eye-catching defending may have caught the eye more, but Toure controlled the centre and found Samir Nasri for the killer goal.
2. Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City
20 of 21
Last Week: 1
Change: -1
Riyad Mahrez played well and scored again, retaining his title of top scorer in the division (with four), but he still drops out of top spot. It was the lack of consistency throughout his latest 90-minute showing that hurt him.
Electric on the ball and quick as anyone the Premier League has seen, the Algerian cut in off the right flank late on and drilled a stunning left-footed drive into the far corner to bring Leicester City level with Tottenham Hotspur.
The winger started fast and finished well, but he lapsed in the middle and therefore must give way to a certain magical Spanish No. 10.
1. David Silva, Manchester City
21 of 21
Last Week: 2
Change: +1
We have our first usurping of the No. 1 slot of the season, as David Silva replaces Riyad Mahrez atop the rankings. He's been the best player over the course of the first three Premier League games.
Silva wreaked havoc at Goodison Park on Sunday, adding Everton to the list of sides he's relentlessly tormented this season. Twisting, turning, dodging challenges and sliding exquisite passes through to his forwards all come naturally to him, but right now he's doing it better than ever.
The Toffees were torn apart down the sides and in midfield by the Spanish wizard, who might just have Manuel Pellegrini wondering whether he even really needs Kevin De Bruyne.
