EPL 100: Ranking of Premier League's Best Players After Matchday 18
We are on the cusp of the halfway stage of this exciting Premier League season, and there are still so many unknownsโtitle destination aside, of course. Seven teams are in play for the top-four spots, and everyone else could still feasibly be dragged into a relegation scrap.ย
This past weekend was yet another example of how unpredictable things can be. Who had Huddersfield Town smashing Watford, Crystal Palace destroying Leicester City and West Ham obliterating Stoke City...allย awayย from home?
We have updated our lists to take into account the latest weekend of action. They are divided into seven position groups and based solely on performances in the Premier League in 2017-18.
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To be eligible, a player must have taken part in at least half the games his team has played.
Goalkeepers
It's a clear top two, and then the rest. Ederson Moraes once again impressed, extending the gap between himself and third place, with his dagger-like passing from the back catching the eye against Tottenham.
Nick Pope, Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois all collected clean sheets so receive a boost to their stock, while Asmir Begovic and Kasper Schmeichel fall after letting in seven between them.
Biggest rise:ย Multiple (+1)
Biggest fall:ย Multiple (-1)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | David Deย Geaย (Stay) | Manchesterย United |
| 2 | Edersonย Moraesย (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 3 | Nick Pope (Stay) | Burnley |
| 4 | Thibautย Courtoisย (+1) | Chelsea |
| 5 | Kasperย Schmeichelย (-1) | Leicester City |
| 6 | Lukaszย Fabianskiย (Stay) | Swansea City |
| 7 | Jordan Pickford (Stay) | Everton |
| 8 | Petr Cech (+1) | Arsenal |
| 9 | Asmirย Begovicย (-1) | AFC Bournemouth |
| 10 | Mat Ryan (New!) | Brighton & Hove Albion |
Right-Backs/Right Wing-Backs
A Kyle Walker with a point to prove is a rather menacing prospect, it seems. Coming up against his old club at the weekend, he excelled for Manchester City on the right.
Antonio Valencia's hamstring went ping against West Brom, and perhaps that's been coming given the number of minutes he's played of late. Another solid Joe Gomez performance next week might just pave the way for him to leapfrog the Manchester United man.
Jonjoe Kenny's breakthrough campaign with Everton has been a good storyline, but not only is he playing, he's playing well.
Biggest rise:ย Hectorย Bellerinย (+3)
Biggest fall:ย Kieranย Trippierย (-3)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Kyle Walker (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 2 | Antonio Valencia (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 3 | Joe Gomez (Stay) | Liverpool |
| 4 | Kikoย Femeniaย (Stay) | Watford |
| 5 | Victor Moses (+1) | Chelsea |
| 6 | Matthewย Lowtonย (-1) | Burnley |
| 7 | Hectorย Bellerinย (+3) | Arsenal |
| 8 | Cedricย Soaresย (Stay) | Southampton |
| 9 | Jonjoe Kenny (New!) | Everton |
| 10 | Kieranย Trippierย (-3) | Tottenham Hotspur |
Left-Backs/Left Wing-Backs
The most notable left-sided performance across the league this past weekend was Marcos Alonso's, who scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea beat Southampton at Stamford Bridge.ย Combining a goal with a clean sheet is a sure-fire way to move you up the rankings.
Outside of he and Fabian Delph, though, we were left scratching for strong showings. Alberto Moreno, Stephen Ward, Sead Kolasinac and Christian Fuchs were either dropped or left out due to injury, and Ben Davies only managed a bit of stoppage time off the bench.
Biggest rise:ย Marcos Alonso (+2)
Biggest fall:ย Ben Davies (-2)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Fabianย Delphย (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 2 | Ashley Young (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 3 | Seadย Kolasinacย (Stay) | Arsenal |
| 4 | Ryan Bertrand (Stay) | Southampton |
| 5 | Marcos Alonso (+2) | Chelsea |
| 6 | Stephen Ward (+1) | Burnley |
| 7 | Ben Davies (-2) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 8 | Alberto Moreno (Stay) | Liverpool |
| 9 | Chris Lowe (New!) | Huddersfield Town |
| 10 | Christian Fuchs (-1) | Leicester City |
Centre-Backs
Burnley kept yet another clean sheet this weekend, but the performance looked a little shaky in parts. James Tarkowski's poor challenge conceded a penalty that was blazed over, and he moves down in the rankings as a result.
Chelsea's clean sheet means Cesar Azpilicueta remains at the summit, while Andreas Christensen moves up one to enter the top three. Other notably stronger performers were Christopher Schindler and Chris Smalling.
Biggest rise:ย Christopher Schindler (+5)
Biggest fall:ย Christianย Kabaseleย (-6)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Cesarย Azpilicuetaย (Stay) | Chelsea |
| 2 | John Stones (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 3 | Andreas Christensen (+1) | Chelsea |
| 4 | Benย Meeย (+1) | Burnley |
| 5 | Jamesย Tarkowskiย (-2) | Burnley |
| 6 | Phil Jonesย (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 7 | Nicolas Otamendi (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 8 | Nachoย Monrealย (+3) | Arsenal |
| 9 | Jamaalย Lascellesย (Stay) | Newcastle United |
| 10 | Chris Smalling (+4) | Manchester United |
| 11 | Janย Vertonghenย (-3) | Tottenhamย Hotspur |
| 12 | Antonio Rudiger (-2) | Chelsea |
| 13 | Christopher Schindler (+5) | Huddersfield Town |
| 14 | Harryย Maguireย (-2) | Leicester City |
| 15 | Tobyย Alderweireldย (Stay) | Tottenhamย Hotspur |
| 16 | Davinsonย Sanchez (Stay) | Tottenhamย Hotspur |
| 17 | Kurtย Zoumaย (Stay) | Stoke City |
| 18 | Lewis Dunk (+1) | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 19 | Christianย Kabaseleย (-6) | Watford |
| 20 | Zanka (New!) | Huddersfield Town |
Defensive Midfielders/Central Midfielders
Deciding which of N'Golo Kante or Fernandinho should be ranked second, just behind David Silva, is a difficult task from week to week. This time it's the Brazilian who edges the contestโbut don't believe that's because Kante didn't play well.
Philippe Coutinho moves up into fourth after slaying AFC Bournemouth, while Jack Cork and Steven Defour move up again as Burnley kept it tight and compact away from home.
Outside of the big names, Aaron Mooy put in a stellar, two-goal performance as Huddersfield Town put four past Watford.
Biggest rise:ย Aaronย Mooyย (+7)
Biggest fall: Ericย Dierย (-6)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | David Silva (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 2 | Fernandinhoย (+1) | Manchester City |
| 3 | N'Goloย Kanteย (-1) | Chelsea |
| 4 | Philippeย Coutinhoย (+2) | Liverpool |
| 5 | Nemanjaย Maticย (-1) | Manchester United |
| 6 | Abdoulayeย Doucoureย (-1) | Watford |
| 7 | Jack Cork (+2) | Burnley |
| 8 | Stevenย Defourย (+2) | Burnley |
| 9 | Aaron Ramsey (-2) | Arsenal |
| 10 | Cesc Fabregasย (Stay) | Chelsea |
| 11 | Mikel Merino (+1) | Newcastle United |
| 12 | Vicenteย Iborraย (-1) | Leicester City |
| 13 | Aaronย Mooyย (+7) | Huddersfield Town |
| 14 | Tiemoueย Bakayokoย (+4) | Chelsea |
| 15 | Georginioย Wijnaldumย (+3) | Liverpool |
| 16 | Marioย Leminaย (-1) | Southampton |
| 17 | Harry Winks (-4) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 18 | Tomย Cleverleyย (-1) | Watford |
| 19 | Wilfred Ndidi (-3) | Leicester City |
| 20 | Ericย Dierย (-6) | Tottenham Hotspur |
Attacking Midfielders/Wingers
Manchester City faced Tottenham without David Silva this weekend, but any concerns about how they'd get on were waylaid when Kevin De Bruyne turned on the style. There's stiff competition for this No. 1 spot in the form of Mohamed Salah, but KDB is just relentless in his brilliance.
Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane also enjoyed themselves in that game, bagging two goals and two assists, respectively, while Christian Eriksen's late goal allows him to move above Richarlison and Riyad Mahrez.
Biggest rise:ย Mesutย Ozilย (+4)
Biggest fall:ย Anthonyย Knockaertย (-5)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Kevin Deย Bruyneย (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 2 | Mohamedย Salahย (Stay) | Liverpool |
| 3 | Raheemย Sterling (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 4 | Eden Hazardย (Stay) | Chelsea |
| 5 | Leroy Sane (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 6 | Christianย Eriksenย (+2) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 7 | Riyadย Mahrezย (-1) | Leicester City |
| 8 | Marcusย Rashfordย (+1) | Manchester United |
| 9 | Richarlison (-2) | Watford |
| 10 | Sadioย Mane (Stay) | Liverpool |
| 11 | Anthony Martial (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 12 | Mesutย Ozilย (+4) | Arsenal |
| 13 | JBย Gudmundssonย (Stay) | Burnley |
| 14 | Jesse Lingard (New!) | Manchester United |
| 15 | Heung-Min Son (-3) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 16 | Willian (New!) | Chelsea |
| 17 | Demarai Gray (-3) | Leicester City |
| 18 | Juan Mata (New!) | Manchester United |
| 19 | Pascal Gross (-2) | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 20 | Anthonyย Knockaertย (-5) | Brighton & Hove Albion |
Strikers
The only striker in our top five who scored this weekend was Romelu Lukaku, who netted a header from a good Marcus Rashford cross.
Given that's not enough to lift him above any of the top four, it means that for the first time, there are no changes in that region. The positive stories are further toward the bottom, with Wilfried Zaha impressing and Wayne Rooney reaching double figures for the season.
Biggest rise:ย Wilfried Zaha (+1)
Biggest fall:ย None
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Harry Kane (Stay) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2 | Sergioย Agueroย (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 3 | Gabriel Jesus (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 4 | Alvaroย Morataย (Stay) | Chelsea |
| 5 | Romeluย Lukakuย (Stay) | Manchesterย United |
| 6 | Jamieย Vardyย (Stay) | Leicester City |
| 7 | Alexandreย Lacazetteย (Stay) | Arsenal |
| 8 | Wilfried Zaha (+1) | Crystal Palace |
| 9 | Roberto Firmino (New!) | Liverpool |
| 10 | Wayne Rooney (Stay) | Everton |
All statistics viaย WhoScored.comย
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