Premier League Player Rankings: Kante Rises, Hazard Falls, Costa Is Still King
Liverpool's clash with Chelsea was rightly billed as the glamour tie of the midweek Premier League round of games, and the match has had a big impact on this edition of the player rankings—but not for the reasons you'd expect.
As both sides cancelled each other out, playing to a mutually acceptable draw, many of the players we've come to expect star performances from faded dramatically. Add to that the fact Tottenham Hotspur—another club with a glut of players in our top 40—failed to break down Sunderland, and it's led to some rather interesting movements this week.
Ranking Criteria
- It's a season-long ranking based on performances over the entire campaign—no longer does it take into account a four-to-six-week period of form (like previous editions did). Therefore, whoever is No. 1 is effectively our choice for Player of the Season should the campaign finish this week.
- Only Premier League form is considered—no Champions League, no domestic cups and no international football.
- We pore over hours of film to accurately grade the players on a weekly basis. All teams are covered properly, and experts are sought out for advice as and when required.
- Performing well on a consistent basis is key. Players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Dele Alli, who have endured poor patches spanning months this season, have a lot of work to do in order to set the record straight.
- A player must have meaningfully participated (started or played in excess of 20 minutes) in more than 50 per cent of his team's games to be eligible for the ranking. You wouldn't christen anyone Player of the Season having played less than half the games.
40-36
1 of 2040. Georginio Wijnaldum, Liverpool (Previously unranked)
Wijnaldum sealed a point for Liverpool against Chelsea with a headed effort to level things up. Although the Reds' midfield has struggled of late, the Dutchman can hold his head high.
39. Claudio Yacob, West Bromwich Albion (+1)
Yacob did what he does best away at Middlesbrough: broke up play neatly and intelligently, then passed to someone more creative. He's very consistent.
38. Lee Grant, Stoke City (+1)
Stoke goalkeeper Grant put in a predictably solid performance against Everton, although not too much was asked of him.
37. Fernandinho, Manchester City (Previously unranked)
Fernandinho is back in the rankings following his return from suspension. He only ended up missing two full Premier League games thanks to the FA Cup.
36. Ben Foster, West Bromwich Albion (stay)
Foster didn't have that much to do against Middlesbrough except pick the ball out of his net after Alvaro Negredo's penalty.
35-31
2 of 20
35. Jack Wilshere, Bournemouth (-2)
Bournemouth were disappointing against Crystal Palace, and although Wilshere was one of the better performers, that's not saying much.
34. Michael Keane, Burnley (+1)
Keane was solid and assured throughout defensively against Leicester City, and he won the initial header for Burnley's breakthrough goal late on.
33. Tom Heaton, Burnley (+1)
A clean sheet is a goalkeeper's currency, and Heaton collected his sixth of the season against Leicester City.
32. Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea (stay)
Azpilicueta was kept busy covering Victor Moses on the flank against Liverpool and did well overall.
31. David Luiz, Chelsea (+6)
Luiz scored an absolute belter of a free-kick to put Chelsea 1-0 up at Anfield, catching Simon Mignolet out. He's been threatening that all season.
30-26
3 of 20
30. Oriol Romeu, Southampton (-5)
Southampton weren't good enough in midfield against Swansea City, and despite being penned in for long periods, Romeu wasn't able to rack up the tackles like usual.
29. Nordin Amrabat, Watford (stay)
Amrabat is on the cusp of returning from injury. For weeks Watford have been crying out for him, but now M'Baye Niang has signed, will the Morocco international have to make do with a place on the bench?
28. Laurent Koscielny, Arsenal (-6)
Koscielny improved markedly in the second half against Watford, but he was firmly a part of a complete defensive mess in the first.
27. Victor Moses, Chelsea (-4)
Perhaps next season, when Antonio Conte has more options, Moses won't play games like these. Great offensively but very suspect defensively, it was his flank that folded for the equaliser.
26. Adam Lallana, Liverpool (-7)
Now Sadio Mane is back, Lallana can move back to central midfield. Perhaps that will be the catalyst that sparks him back into form and stops his slide in the rankings.
25-21
4 of 20
25. Idrissa Gueye, Everton (-1)
Back from Africa Cup of Nations duty, Gueye will soon be ready to play for Everton again. He might have to do with a spot on the bench first, though, given the signing of Morgan Schneiderlin and the emergence of Tom Davies.
24. Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City (+7)
De Bruyne showed how devastatingly brilliant he can be on the wide-open pitch at the London Stadium. He scored the opener and created several chances.
23. Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace (+5)
It was no coincidence that Sam Allardyce's first league victory as Crystal Palace manager coincided with the return of Zaha.
22. Jan Vertonghen, Tottenham Hotspur (-1)
Vertonghen is out of action for the time being due to an ankle injury.
21. Jonny Evans, West Bromwich Albion (-1)
Evans is injured, but he's edging closer to a comeback. West Brom have been a little shaky at times without him.
20-16
5 of 20
20. Raheem Sterling, Manchester City (+7)
A very good display from Sterling at the London Stadium included two assists. The first was an unselfish lay-off for Gabriel Jesus' first Man City goal, the second was the winning of the penalty Yaya Toure converted.
19. David Silva, Manchester City (+7)
A majestic display from a majestic player. Silva scored City's second goal and cracked West Ham open over and over with some great passing.
18. Roberto Firmino, Liverpool (stay)
It was a mixed game for Firmino, who spurned a glorious chance and lacked in the finish, but he undoubtedly played a key role in the pressing plan that forced Chelsea into so many errant punts.
17. Joe Allen, Stoke City (stay)
Allen holds fast in 17th after an improved display against Everton. It might not always come off for him, but boy does he work hard. Relentless running.
16. Victor Wanyama, Tottenham Hotspur (stay)
Solid and reliable in the heart of Spurs' midfield once again, Wanyama didn't allow Sunderland a sniff. He also had a few shots on goal, one of which smashed a seat in the Stadium of Light.
15. Pedro, Chelsea
6 of 20
Last Week: 11th
Movement: -4
Pedro was benched by Antonio Conte for Tuesday's game against Liverpool, instead preferring workhorse Willian for the right side. It was a strategy that was vindicated by the Brazilian's strong defensive and tactical display.
With 18 minutes to go, Pedro did enter the fray, replacing the ineffectual Eden Hazard, but the big question, moving forward is whether this will become the norm as the Blues' approach starts to change.
The Guardian's Michael Cox suggested this was the first time Conte has played for a draw—that's all they needed—and if that happens again, Pedro could slip down the pecking order.
14. Antonio Valencia, Manchester United
7 of 20
Last Week: 14th
Movement: None
Antonio Valencia put in a typically reliable performance for Manchester United against Hull City, helping keep a clean sheet and asking questions of the visitors' left flank consistently.
He wasn't able to force a goal like he did against Liverpool several weeks back, but some of his crosses did spark danger in the penalty box. It wasn't a good night for United, but the blame for that lies well away from Valencia.
13. Joel Matip, Liverpool
8 of 20
Last Week: 8th
Movement: -5
It was a less than steady return to Premier League football for Joel Matip, who after a lengthy spell out of the team returned to duty against Chelsea on Tuesday.
He lacked confidence, some of his touches and passes were really off and he was lured into making a silly challenge on Diego Costa that resulted in a penalty. It wasn't scored, but that doesn't excuse Matip for conceding it.
He'll have better days, that's for certain.
12. Virgil van Dijk, Southampton
9 of 20
Last Week: 12th
Movement: None
Virgil van Dijk is out for "the foreseeable future," according to Sky Sports' Michael Cantillon. We'll monitor this one in the weeks to come.
11. Kyle Walker, Tottenham Hotspur
10 of 20
Last Week: 9th
Movement: -2
While a defender will always be happy with a clean sheet, Kyle Walker's performance against Sunderland was haunted by a tinge of disappointment.
Yes, he gave up no quarter on his flank, and the Black Cats did not trouble him in the first third, but in games where opponents line up with 10 behind the ball and sit there stubbornly, the onus is on full-backs like Walker to get around the back of the defence and open them up.
He's done this before, showing strength, speed and technique in working those areas, but he did not do it against David Moyes' men. His crossing was wayward, and he couldn't crack them open.
10. Sadio Mane, Liverpool
11 of 20
Last Week: 10th
Movement: None
Sadio Mane made his long-awaited return to Premier League football on Tuesday, replacing Philippe Coutinho late in the second half against Chelsea. It was his first appearance for the Reds since January 2.
He didn't have much time to make an impact and couldn't change the game in Liverpool's favour, but just the sight of him entering the fray was enough to lift Anfield's spirits considerably.
9. Mousa Dembele, Tottenham Hotspur
12 of 20
Last Week: 15th
Movement: +6
Mousa Dembele takes advantage of some slack performances by those just above him and leaps up six spots.
In fairness, the Belgian was once again in fine fettle at the heart of Tottenham Hotspur's midfield, and although they failed to break Sunderland down, it was Dembele who looked the most likely at times.
Strong, purposeful runs opened up avenues for him in the final third, and he was perhaps guilty of not taking a few shots—instead passing—when the opportunity arose.
8. N'Golo Kante, Chelsea
13 of 20
Last Week: 13th
Movement: +5
N'Golo Kante put in an astonishing performance at Anfield on Tuesday—even by his standards—at the heart of Chelsea's midfield.
With Liverpool dominating for long periods, managing 62 per cent possession, Kante was left to destroy and break up—his two favourite things to do on the football pitch—and walked off with a remarkable 14 tackles under his belt, per WhoScored.com. That's the most any Premier League player has managed in a single game this season.
7. Toby Alderweireld, Tottenham Hotspur
14 of 20
Last Week: 7th
Movement: None
Tottenham Hotspur fans will have been breathing heavy sighs of relief when they saw Toby Alderweireld's name in the starting XI on Tuesday, as he'd exited their previous game early clutching his hamstring.
The Belgian's presence in the defensive line is now doubly crucial given Jan Vertonghen is out for the foreseeable future, and that he was key to Spurs grinding out a clean sheet is no surprise.
He didn't have too much to do, but he did manage a Jermain Defoe one-on-one situation very well.
6. Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool
15 of 20
Last Week: 5th
Movement: -1
"Still seriously lacking sharpness"—that's what Philippe Coutinho's report card would look like if he was given one after games.
The Brazilian looked like he might be able to unlock Chelsea during the first half, but at the most crucial of moments his touch betrayed him. It's frustrating to watch as you know he's capable of so much better. He's capable of outright brilliance.
5. Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal
16 of 20
Last Week: 6th
Movement: +1
Arsenal put in a bit of a stinking performance against Watford in the first half, with the defence collapsing and the attack failing to function.
In the second half, the team rallied, and although nothing really came off for them, it was Alexis Sanchez who predictably provided a moment of quality, crossing for Alex Iwobi to force home the Gunners' only goal.
It was by no means a star showing from the Chilean, but he did something—and that allows him to move up a spot.
4. Eden Hazard, Chelsea
17 of 20
Last Week: 3rd
Movement: -1
Eden Hazard found himself marginalised by the Chelsea gameplan on Tuesday—a strange truth, given he's arguably the club's best player.
Liverpool's pressing up front forced the Blues into punted, inaccurate, rushed passes, and these rarely landed within the range of Hazard, who fought to gain traction in the game but ultimately failed. He did win the free-kick that David Luiz converted...but, let's be honest, that goal was all about Luiz.
What did bite Chelsea is that following Hazard's substitution in the second half, Diego Costa won a penalty the Belgian would usually have taken—and Costa missed it.
3. Danny Rose, Tottenham Hotspur
18 of 20
Last Week: 4th
Movement: +1
Sunderland didn't hold back in the challenge on Tuesday, and Danny Rose fell victim to the approach, suffering a twisted knee in a particularly tasty challenge in the first half. He limped off and will be assessed; Tottenham Hotspur will be wiping beads of nervous sweat away while it happens.
It's a real shame, not only because for Rose to miss any time would severely dent Spurs' top-four hopes, but because the 26-year-old was well on the way to putting together another strong, imperious showing before exiting.
2. Ander Herrera, Manchester United
19 of 20
Last Week: 2nd
Movement: None
For the first time in a while, Ander Herrera's performance for Manchester United was about average. He's been so impactful and so important of late, but against Hull City, he wasn't at his best.
It was a game United failed to win, and the reason for that failure does not lie with Herrera, but he wasn't as accurate in the pass or effective at creating turnovers as usual. He was still energetic and snappy, but it didn't quite fall into place for him.
1. Diego Costa, Chelsea
20 of 20
Last Week: 1st
Movement: None
Diego Costa endured a disappointing evening at Anfield, with his missed penalty the headline event in the week's biggest Premier League fixture. He did win the penalty, luring Joel Matip into a silly challenge, but his failure to convert was the difference between one and three points.
Despite this, the Spaniard remains No. 1 in the rankings. A missed penalty doesn't change the fact he's been the best player in the Premier League this season, and the lead he's built up over the rest is pretty substantial.
Stats via WhoScored.com
