EPL 100: Ranking of Premier League's Best Players After Matchday 4
As Manchester City and Liverpool kicked off at 12:30 p.m. BST on Saturday, a worldwide sigh of relief occurred in unison. Premier League football was back after an incredibly rude, untimely August interruption.
The first slate of fixtures following an international break always throw up some oddities, as squads are rotated according to how far certain players have travelled, and this weekend was no different.
We have updated our lists to take into account the fourth and latest weekend of action. It's divided into seven different position groups, and it's based solely on performances in the Premier League in 2017-18.
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In order to be eligible, you have to have taken part in at least half the games your team has played. Therefore, those who have only featured in one of the four matches so far this season aren't included.
Goalkeepers
Jonas Lossl loses his spot atop the goalkeeper rankings this week, with David de Gea usurping him. It's not that the Huddersfield man was bad; it's that his Manchester United counterpart was clearly better.
Neither managed clean sheets—the first time that's happened this season—but De Gea did shock the world with a stunning reaction save against Stoke City that saved his side a point.
One to note is Rob Elliot, who moves up five this week after a strong showing against Swansea City. He's really seizing his chance between the sticks.
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | David De Gea (+1) | Manchester United |
| 2 | Jonas Lossl (-1) | Huddersfield Town |
| 3 | Jack Butland (Stay) | Stoke City |
| 4 | Jordan Pickford (Stay) | Everton |
| 5 | Rob Elliot (+5) | Newcastle United |
| 6 | Ben Foster (-1) | West Bromwich Albion |
| 7 | Kasper Schmeichel (-1) | Leicester City |
| 8 | Lukasz Fabianski (Stay) | Swansea City |
| 9 | Thibaut Courtois (-2) | Chelsea |
| 10 | Asmir Begovic (New!) | AFC Bournemouth |
Right-Backs/Right-Wing-Backs
Antonio Valencia hangs on to his first-place berth here, but he's fortunate to do so. The fact Joe Gomez didn't play and Allan Nyom conceded three is a major factor there.
Gomez not taking to the field for Liverpool's demolition at the hands of Manchester City simply protects his stock and keeps him in the top 10, while Kyle Walker's on the rise following his impressive return from suspension.
Despite Southampton's poor performance at the weekend, Cedric Soares was the lone bright spot from right-back and moves into the top three as a result.
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Antonio Valencia (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 2 | Kiko Femenia (+3) | Watford |
| 3 | Cedric Soares (+1) | Southampton |
| 4 | Joe Gomez (-1) | Liverpool |
| 5 | Danilo (+2) | Manchester City |
| 6 | Allan Nyom (-4) | West Bromwich Albion |
| 7 | Tommy Smith (-1) | Huddersfield Town |
| 8 | Kyle Walker (+2) | Manchester City |
| 9 | Matthew Lowton (-1) | Burnley |
| 10 | Victor Moses (-1) | Chelsea |
Left-Backs/Left-Wing-Backs
Ben Davies is out for Marcos Alonso's spot at the top!
The Welshman played one of the finest games of his Tottenham Hotspur career on Saturday at Goodison Park, keeping a clean sheet, assisting a goal and playing a big part in another. Next week we could be looking at a new No. 1.
Daley Blind was rested for Manchester United's draw with Stoke City, and that actually boosts his stock, as his replacement, Matteo Darmian, wasn't great.
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Marcos Alonso (Stay) | Chelsea |
| 2 | Ben Davies (+2) | Tottenham |
| 3 | Daley Blind (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 4 | Chris Lowe (-2) | Huddersfield Town |
| 5 | Benjamin Mendy (New!) | Manchester City |
| 6 | Ryan Bertrand (-1) | Southampton |
| 7 | Stephen Ward (+1) | Burnley |
| 8 | Erik Pieters (New!) | Stoke City |
| 9 | Chancel Mbemba (Stay) | Newcastle United |
| 10 | Leighton Baines (Stay) | Everton |
Centre-Backs
Last week's top two centre-backs—Christopher Schindler and Eric Bailly—both regressed in their performances this week, but the latter regressed more. It is thoroughly unlike Bailly to be caught ball-watching as a striker steals in front of him in the box, but that's what happened, and he's punished here for it.
Sead Kolasinac is still in the centre-backs category having played the majority of his minutes there, but he moves upward as a result of his strong performance at left-wing-back at the weekend. A strange one, but hopefully one more start on the flank next week will see him rightly moved over.
James Tarkowski has already scooped two Man of the Match awards for Burnley this season as he rises to take up Michael Keane's mantle.
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Christopher Schindler (+1) | Huddersfield Town |
| 2 | Eric Bailly (-1) | Manchester United |
| 3 | Ben Mee (Stay) | Burnley |
| 4 | Kurt Zouma (+2) | Stoke City |
| 5 | James Tarkowski (+3) | Burnley |
| 6 | Sead Kolasinac (+5) | Arsenal |
| 7 | Zanka (-3) | Huddersfield Town |
| 8 | Cesar Azpilicueta (+6) | Chelsea |
| 9 | Jan Vertonghen (+8) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 10 | Phil Jones (-5) | Manchester United |
| 11 | Ciaran Clark (+2) | Newcastle United |
| 12 | Sebastian Prodl (-3) | Watford |
| 13 | Toby Alderweireld (+5) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 14 | Christian Kabasele (New!) | Watford |
| 15 | Phil Jagielka (Stay) | Everton |
| 16 | Jamaal Lascelles (New!) | Newcastle United |
| 17 | Harry Maguire (-7) | Leicester City |
| 18 | Ahmed Hegazi (-12) | West Bromwich Albion |
| 19 | John Stones (New!) | Manchester City |
| 20 | Jack Stephens (New!) | Southampton |
Defensive Midfielders/Central Midfielders
There's a little shakeup at the top in this section, with Paul Pogba still reigning supreme but those just below him switching about. We could get a shift at the top in the coming weeks, with the Manchester United man set for a spell out through injury.
Abdoulaye Doucoure's ridiculously strong start to the season continued as he dominated the centre and scored a long-range effort at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday, while David Silva and N'Golo Kante also move up after similarly strong showings.
The biggest drop is Oriol Romeu's, who had a uncharacteristically poor day against Watford; Idrissa Gueye and Philip Billing struggled to make their usual impact, too.
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Paul Pogba (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 2 | Abdoulaye Doucoure (+2) | Watford |
| 3 | Nemanja Matic (-1) | Manchester United |
| 4 | David Silva (+1) | Manchester City |
| 5 | Aaron Mooy (-3) | Huddersfield Town |
| 6 | N'Golo Kante (+2) | Chelsea |
| 7 | Kevin De Bruyne (+7) | Manchester City |
| 8 | Steven Defour (-1) | Burnley |
| 9 | Nathaniel Chalobah (+5) | Watford |
| 10 | Jack Cork (Stay) | Burnley |
| 11 | Fernandinho (+9) | Manchester City |
| 12 | Mousa Dembele (-3) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 13 | Philip Billing (-2) | Huddersfield Town |
| 14 | Mikel Merino (+2) | Newcastle United |
| 15 | Mario Lemina (Stay) | Southampton |
| 16 | Darren Fletcher (+3) | Stoke City |
| 17 | Gareth Barry (New!) | West Bromwich Albion |
| 18 | Idrissa Gueye (-1) | Everton |
| 19 | Jake Livermore (New!) | West Bromwich Albion |
| 20 | Oriol Romeu (-8) | Southampton |
Attacking Midfielders/Wingers
It felt cruel that Henrikh Mkhitaryan wasn't awarded his sixth assist of the season on Saturday. After all, it was he who fired in the corner that Marcus Rashford netted from—albeit after a knock-on and a header from Pogba—and he who slid Romelu Lukaku through on goal only to see him score at the second time of asking.
The Armenian was otherwise a little quiet, crowded out in possession, and it feels like that's the hallmark of his season: periods of time doing nothing and then an explosion of creativity and life.
Tom Cleverley has been moved into this section this week after playing in a more advanced role of late, and he's not the only new addition: Anthony Knockaert and Danny Welbeck both join the top 20, too.
It's been surprisingly hard to fill out 20 top performers in this section this season. Perhaps with the returns of Eden Hazard, Philippe Coutinho and more, things get a little easier soon.
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 2 | Christian Eriksen (+1) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 3 | Mohamed Salah (+1) | Liverpool |
| 4 | Marcus Rashford (+1) | Manchester United |
| 5 | Sadio Mane (-3) | Liverpool |
| 6 | Richarlison (+4) | Watford |
| 7 | Raheem Sterling (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 8 | Dele Alli (Stay) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 9 | Juan Mata (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 10 | Anthony Martial (-4) | Manchester United |
| 11 | Tom Cleverley (+2) | Watford |
| 12 | Michail Antonio (+5) | West Ham United |
| 13 | Danny Welbeck (New!) | Arsenal |
| 14 | Riyad Mahrez (+1) | Leicester City |
| 15 | Nathan Redmond (-3) | Southampton |
| 16 | Elias Kachunga (-5) | Huddersfield Town |
| 17 | Anthony Knockaert (New!) | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 18 | Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Stay) | Crystal Palace |
| 19 | Bernardo Silva (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 20 | Matt Phillips (Stay) | West Bromwich Albion |
Strikers
With Roberto Firmino dropping from top spot after an understandably muted performance at the Etihad Stadium, we had a tough choice when it came to a replacement: Gabriel Jesus or Alvaro Morata? We've opted for Jesus, but it's tight; it's difficult to have both feet in either camp.
Romelu Lukaku stays in fourth after netting his fourth of the season, and then comes a slew of new entries, including star names Sergio Aguero, Alexandre Lacazette and Harry Kane.
Chris Wood, who hasn't played that much football but has netted in each of the two games he's played, enters at ninth.
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Gabriel Jesus (+2) | Manchester City |
| 2 | Alvaro Morata (Stay) | Chelsea |
| 3 | Roberto Firmino (-2) | Liverpool |
| 4 | Romelu Lukaku (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 5 | Harry Kane (New!) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 6 | Sergio Aguero (New!) | Manchester City |
| 7 | Alexandre Lacazette (New!) | Arsenal |
| 8 | Jamie Vardy (New!) | Leicester City |
| 9 | Chris Wood (New!) | Burnley |
| 10 | Dominic Calvert-Lewin (-5) | Everton |
All statistics via WhoScored.com
