EPL 100: Ranking of Premier League's Best Players After Matchday 29
Sometimes it feels as though Premier League football never stops. On the back of an exciting midweek round came a full weekend of action. Some incredible goals were scored, three major rivalries were renewed and the title race took a sizeable turn.
It's all recapped in this latest edition of the EPL 100.
Only performances in the 2018-19 Premier League season affect this ranking. Reputations, cup performances and European showings matter not.
To be eligible, players need to have started at least 50 per cent of games—so in this case, 15 (or more) out of 29.
Players who have appeared in multiple positions (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mohamed Salah, Bernardo Silva) are categorized by the spot they've played in most. If those values are level, they fall into the category for the role they played most recently.
The idea is for our rankings to give you an idea on a week-to-week basis of who the best in each position has been this season. So if a Team of the Season was crowned this early, the No. 1s in each category would be our choices.
Goalkeepers
1 of 7
We were treated to excellent goalkeeping displays en masse this weekend.
Alisson Becker, Lukasz Fabianski, Jordan Pickford and Ederson Moraes all looked secure on their way to clean sheets.
Ben Foster, Bernd Leno and Kepa Arrizabalaga didn't keep clean sheets but were varying degrees of instrumental to their teams earning points, while Hugo Lloris saved a penalty at the death to ensure Tottenham grabbed a point in the north London derby.
Biggest rise: Multiple (+1)
Biggest fall: Martin Dubravka (-2)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Alisson Becker (Stay) | Liverpool |
| 2 | Lukasz Fabianski (Stay) | West Ham United |
| 3 | Ederson Moraes (+1) | Manchester City |
| 4 | David De Gea (-1) | Manchester United |
| 5 | Ben Foster (Stay) | Watford |
| 6 | Bernd Leno (+1) | Arsenal |
| 7 | Hugo Lloris (+1) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 8 | Martin Dubravka (-2) | Newcastle United |
| 9 | Jordan Pickford (Stay) | Everton |
| 10 | Kepa Arrizabalaga (Stay) | Chelsea |
Right-Backs/Right Wing-Backs
2 of 7
Our top four right-backs all impressed this weekend. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was the pick of the bunch, immediately finding his groove after two games out injured, but Trent Alexander-Arnold's clean sheet keeps his challenge for top spot at bay.
Cesar Azpilicueta's showing at Fulham was a good one, combining defensive solidity with a low, drilled cross that Gonzalo Higuain converted. That takes him above Ashley Young, who had some trouble against Ryan Bertrand at Old Trafford and was somewhat fortunate not to concede a penalty (or two).
Seamus Coleman enters the ranking after a good display in the Merseyside derby.
Biggest rise: Cesar Azpilicueta, Martin Montoya (+1)
Biggest fall: Ashley Young (-1)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Trent Alexander-Arnold (Stay) | Liverpool |
| 2 | Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Stay) | Crystal Palace |
| 3 | Matt Doherty (Stay) | Wolves |
| 4 | Kyle Walker (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 5 | Ricardo Pereira (Stay) | Leicester City |
| 6 | Cesar Azpilicueta (+1) | Chelsea |
| 7 | Ashley Young (-1) | Manchester United |
| 8 | DeAndre Yedlin (Stay) | Newcastle |
| 9 | Martin Montoya (+1) | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 10 | Seamus Coleman (New!) | Everton |
Left-Backs/Left Wing-Backs
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Jonny's absence from Wolves' starting XI, combined with Lucas Digne's performance against Liverpool, is enough to force a swap between the two.
Digne wasn't faultless, but he did produce a number of last-ditch actions that stopped Mohamed Salah and Co. from taking aim at goal more often. It was a bit desperate at times, but it was enough.
No one else moves as, for the most part, our left-backs turned in steady 6/10 showings.
Biggest rise: Lucas Digne (+1)
Biggest fall: Jonny (-1)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Andy Robertson (Stay) | Liverpool |
| 2 | Luke Shaw (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 3 | Ben Chilwell (Stay) | Leicester |
| 4 | Lucas Digne (+1) | Everton |
| 5 | Jonny (-1) | Wolves |
| 6 | Jose Holebas (Stay) | Watford |
| 7 | Sead Kolasinac (Stay) | Arsenal |
| 8 | Marcos Alonso (Stay) | Chelsea |
| 9 | Matt Ritchie (Stay) | Newcastle |
| 10 | Ryan Bertrand (Stay) | Southampton |
Centre-Backs
4 of 7
Another week, another dominant Virgil van Dijk performance. It's not fair on the others, is it?
On the same pitch, Michael Keane also excelled for Everton, producing key clearances and big, goal-saving blocks. He moves above Victor Lindelof, whose performances have dipped a touch over the last week.
Further down, there were plenty of small moves, while Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Willy Boly join the top 20.
Biggest rise: Kurt Zouma, Issa Diop (+3)
Biggest fall: Federico Fernandez (Out)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Virgil van Dijk (Stay) | Liverpool |
| 2 | Aymeric Laporte (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 3 | John Stones (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 4 | Toby Alderweireld (Stay) | Tottenham |
| 5 | Michael Keane (+1) | Everton |
| 6 | Victor Lindelof (-1) | Manchester United |
| 7 | Antonio Rudiger (Stay) | Chelsea |
| 8 | Fabian Schar (Stay) | Newcastle |
| 9 | Jannik Vestergaard (Stay) | Southampton |
| 10 | Jan Vertonghen (+1) | Tottenham |
| 11 | David Luiz (-1) | Chelsea |
| 12 | Kurt Zouma (+3) | Everton |
| 13 | Jan Bednarek (-1) | Southampton |
| 14 | Shane Duffy (+2) | Brighton |
| 15 | Ryan Bennett (-1) | Wolves |
| 16 | Issa Diop (+3) | West Ham |
| 17 | Lewis Dunk (Stay) | Brighton |
| 18 | Sokratis (New!) | Arsenal |
| 19 | Willy Boly (New!) | Wolves |
| 20 | Conor Coady (Stay) | Wolves |
Defensive Midfielders/Central Midfielders
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This weekend was a mix of good and bad for central midfielders.
Among the good were David Silva (created Man City's goal), Declan Rice (scored and dominated against Newcastle) and Moussa Sissoko (starred vs. Arsenal).
Among the bad were Paul Pogba (missed a penalty), Lucas Torreira (played just 45 minutes and was sent off) and James Milner (sluggish movement and poor passing).
Biggest rise: Multiple (+2)
Biggest fall: James Milner (-3)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Fernandinho (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 2 | Bernardo Silva (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 3 | David Silva (+1) | Manchester City |
| 4 | Georginio Wijnaldum (-1) | Liverpool |
| 5 | Declan Rice (+2) | West Ham |
| 6 | Paul Pogba (-1) | Manchester United |
| 7 | Fabinho (-1) | Liverpool |
| 8 | N'Golo Kante (+2) | Chelsea |
| 9 | Lucas Torreira (-1) | Arsenal |
| 10 | Moussa Sissoko (+2) | Tottenham |
| 11 | Joao Moutinho (-2) | Wolves |
| 12 | Harry Winks (-1) | Tottenham |
| 13 | Ander Herrera (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 14 | Ruben Neves (Stay) | Wolves |
| 15 | Abdoulaye Doucoure (+2) | Watford |
| 16 | Etienne Capoue (Stay) | Watford |
| 17 | Idrissa Gueye (+1) | Everton |
| 18 | James Milner (-3) | Liverpool |
| 19 | Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Stay) | Southampton |
| 20 | Ilkay Gundogan (New!) | Manchester City |
Attacking Midfielders/Wingers
6 of 7
Heung-Min Son hasn't looked his best in the last three fixtures, and that's resulted in a drop of one. It probably would have been two had Leroy Sane played more than 116 Premier League minutes across February.
Diogo Jota and Gerard Deulofeu have been in good form and continue to move upwards, each rising two. Richarlison's bright cameo against Liverpool earns him a spot inside the top 20; the last time we saw him was in the strikers section, but he's classed as a wide man now.
Dele Alli's lack of appearances sees him drop out of the top 20.
Biggest rise: Diogo Jota, Gerard Deulofeu (+2)
Biggest fall: Dele Alli (Out)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Raheem Sterling (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 2 | Eden Hazard (+1) | Chelsea |
| 3 | Heung-Min Son (-1) | Tottenham |
| 4 | Leroy Sane (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 5 | Sadio Mane (Stay) | Liverpool |
| 6 | Diogo Jota (+2) | Wolves |
| 7 | Roberto Firmino (-1) | Liverpool |
| 8 | Anthony Martial (-1) | Manchester United |
| 9 | Christian Eriksen (Stay) | Tottenham |
| 10 | David Brooks (Stay) | Bournemouth |
| 11 | Jesse Lingard (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 12 | Nathan Redmond (Stay) | Southampton |
| 13 | Gylfi Sigurdsson (Stay) | Everton |
| 14 | James Maddison (Stay) | Leicester |
| 15 | Felipe Anderson (+1) | West Ham |
| 16 | Ryan Fraser (+1) | Bournemouth |
| 17 | Gerard Deulofeu (+2) | Watford |
| 18 | Pedro (Stay) | Chelsea |
| 19 | Richarlison (New!) | Everton |
| 20 | Michail Antonio (Stay) | West Ham |
Strikers
7 of 7
Mohamed Salah has now struggled in two of his last three appearances. Is it possible he's cooling off at just the wrong time? He's also one appearance on the wing away from moving position groups, so that's something to keep an eye on heading into Gameweek 30.
Harry Kane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang swap places after the former scored a penalty and the latter missed from the spot in the north London derby, while Raul Jimenez reclaims two of the three spots he dropped last week after a good performance against Cardiff City.
Biggest rise: Raul Jimenez (+2)
Biggest fall: Salomon Rondon (-2)
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1 | Sergio Aguero (Stay) | Manchester City |
| 2 | Mohamed Salah (Stay) | Liverpool |
| 3 | Harry Kane (+1) | Tottenham |
| 4 | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (-1) | Arsenal |
| 5 | Marcus Rashford (Stay) | Manchester United |
| 6 | Alexandre Lacazette (Stay) | Arsenal |
| 7 | Raul Jimenez (+2) | Wolves |
| 8 | Callum Wilson (-1) | Bournemouth |
| 9 | Wilfried Zaha (+1) | Crystal Palace |
| 10 | Salomon Rondon (-2) | Newcastle |
All statistics via WhoScored.com.
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