Welcome to the Premier League player power rankings after Matchday 17. After each weekend of play in the English Premier League, Sportsnet will rank the top 20 players for the 2018-19 season. Regardless of reputation, everyone starts from scratch at Matchday 1, and will steadily move up, down, or out of the rankings as the games progress.
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1. Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 1)
He had Romelu Lukaku comfortably tucked into his back pocket for most of the match but there was absolutely nothing he could do about Alisson’s calamitous error that allowed Manchester United to equalize.
Liverpool were in cruise control for most of the match and United simply lacked the flair to test van Dijk. Not so sure the Dutchman made it look so easy he’s getting Roger Federer comparisons, but Jamie Carragher is clearly smitten.
Jamie Carragher on Virgil van Dijk: “You know when you see Federer play Tennis, everything just looks easy, he’s just there, he’s always there. He’s the Federer of Football, everything feels like he’s got another gear." pic.twitter.com/LX1XvXOxOn
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) December 16, 2018
2. Eden Hazard, Chelsea (Previous matchday: 3)
The Belgian superstar’s tremendous second half against Manchester City appears to have brought him back to peak form. He wasn’t as influential in the second half against Brighton and Chelsea will be sweating over his fitness after a strong challenge from Dale Stephens.
3. Raheem Sterling, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 4)
Twenty-five minutes of action was all England’s brightest star at the moment needed to make an impact in Matchday 17. City came up against an unintimidated Everton side on Saturday and but for some poor finishing, could have easily been trailing.
That made Sterling’s goal that gave City a 3-1 lead that much more important, albeit flattering, and prevented another disappointing result after the loss to Chelsea.
No other player has been directly involved in more Premier League goals (15) this season than Raheem Sterling.
9 goals
6 assistsWhat a season he’s having. pic.twitter.com/wq2kBOXUjB
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 15, 2018
4. David Silva, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 2)
Silva won’t be back until 2019 so he will steadily take a plunge if those below him continue to perform.
5. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 7)
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho made man-marking the Egyptian a major priority, employing what on the surface appeared a 3-4-3, but was much more of a 5-4-1 with how little his side saw of the ball.
Salah still found a way to get on the ball and despite being kept off the scoresheet, the attention he garnered opened space for his teammates and Mané was the primary beneficiary.
6. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal (Previous matchday: 5)
Struggled with his finishing against Southampton and just wasn’t as much of a threat without Alexandre Lacazette by his side. Improved once the Frenchman came on but Arsenal needed more without ideal options in the backline due to injury.
7. Aymeric Laporte, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 6)
The Frenchman offered City his typical creativity in creating a few chances for the side, but this is as vulnerable as the City backline has looked all season. Everton were arguably the better side going forward and so Laporte takes a bit of a hit.
It’s not as big as the collisions he suffered in the match, the second one causing plenty of concern until he helped quell some of it through social media.
All is okey! Thank you so much for all the messages. Well done team! +3 #AL14 @ManCity pic.twitter.com/I0X9Wvv5BT
— Aymeric Laporte (@Laporte) December 15, 2018
Still, he had time for a bit of a laugh at teammate Bernardo Silva’s expense.
@benmendy23 Do you know if @BernardoCSilva has any issues with me? pic.twitter.com/Q2puthxLTH
— Aymeric Laporte (@Laporte) December 13, 2018
8. Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal (Previous matchday: 9)
Presumably came off the bench as manager Unai Emery looks to manage the health of his players during the busiest time of the year and the logic made sense going up against a Southampton team with just one league win on the season.
That’s why they play the games, though, and this could be a vital three points dropped by the Gunners and a decision Emery may come to regret.
9. Ryan Fraser, Bournemouth (Previous matchday: 8)
This was as disappointing a performance as we’ve seen from the Scot all season. Sure, the Wolves have been a bit resurgent of late including a win over Chelsea, but it’s the Cherries who have set a level of expectation with their performances this season.
Fraser was rather anonymous throughout the match and perhaps struggled to find a rhythm missing his partner in crime Callum Wilson for the first hour.
10. Callum Wilson, Bournemouth (Previous matchday: 10)
There were doubts as to whether Wilson would play at all so the team should be encouraged that he was able to get in half-an-hour of action after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Bournemouth should however be discouraged by their inability to create much in the final third in his absence.
11. Sadio Mané, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 15)
A brilliant goal to open the scoring against Manchester United, perfectly timing a run well spotted by Fabinho, before calmly chesting the ball down and tucking the ball past David de Gea with his left foot.
Xherdan Shaqiri will steal the headlines but it’s Mané who made the winning goal possible with a terrific run from the left flank that forced David de Gea into a save which rolled into the Swiss international’s path.
12. Andrew Robertson, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 12)
Had a pair of corners that didn’t even make it past the first man before Salah decided he had seen enough and took the next corner himself.
That was about as bad as it got for the Scot as he marauded up and down the left flank in such impressive fashion that it left opposing manager Mourinho gushing in praise of him after the match.
“LFC play 200-m.p.h. with the ball and without the ball,” Mourinho said to the media. “I am still tired just to look at Robertson. He makes, I think, 100-metre sprint per minute … Absolutely incredible.”
Jose Mourinho: "I am still tired just from looking at Andy Robertson! Absolutely incredible – he makes a 100m sprint per minute"#LFC #MUFC
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) December 16, 2018
13. Sergio Aguero, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 11)
Did not play, again. That’s four straight league matches he’s missed now.
14. Richarlison, Everton (Previous matchday: 13)
Really should have done better when presented with a pair of opportunities in front of goal and that’s the ruthlessness you need to jump into the elite class that will have the likes of Barcelona or Real Madrid calling.
Everton played well enough to come away with something against City, but poor finishing did them in and there were no bigger culprits than the Brazilian and Theo Walcott.
15. Toby Alderweireld, Tottenham (Previous matchday: 16)
The Belgian was in cruise control for much of the night and has taken like a moth to a flame in marshalling the Spurs back line.
January is almost here and Spurs will be hoping they can keep him away from what is sure to be multiple suitors.
16. Harry Kane, Tottenham (Previous matchday: 17)
He’s got four goals and three assists in his last six starts and playing the role of facilitator on Matchday 17 gave Tottenham a huge three points.
Dropping points over the busy holiday season is what can often make or break a season, and after being deadlocked with Burnley heading into injury time, Kane brilliantly held up the ball on the edge of the box before laying off perfectly for Christian Eriksen to hammer home the winner.
Mauricio Pochettino will be happy for Kane to play all the Fornite he wants as long as this level can be maintained.
You can’t fly away from me! @Ninja do you need a Winter Royal partner? #fortnite #297m #sniper #Season7 pic.twitter.com/xHns0eTs7T
— Harry Kane (@HKane) December 13, 2018
17. Jorginho, Chelsea (Previous matchday: 14)
The Blues lacked creativity outside of Hazard and so the Italian has to take some of the criticism for that. It’s been a bit of a rough patch for him of late as is usually the case for players experiencing England’s holiday stretch for the first time.
18. Matt Doherty, Wolverhampton Wanderers (Previous matchday: 19)
Another performance the Irishman can be proud of. Wolves have now won three straight matches and are just a point behind Manchester United.
Doherty will have his hands full next week, though, against a Liverpool side where he’ll have to both deal with the threat of Mané and cause some level of threat with his own runs down the right flank.
19. Felipe Anderson, West Ham United (Previous matchday: 20)
Make that five goals and two assists in the Brazilian’s last seven matches after just one goal and one assist in his first 10.
It was shocking to see the space Fulham allowed on their right side and Anderson was more than happy to take advantage of it in setting up Robert Snodgrass’ opener. He’ll be vital over the next month as the Hammers look to get by without Marko Arnautovic.
20. José Holebas (Previous matchday: N/A)
After a bit of a nosedive after a hot start, Holebas is back playing some of his best football and has now been directly involved in more goals (7) than any Premier League defender.
To boot, the goal he scored this weekend was as pretty as they come.
Honourable mentions:
Lucas Torreira (Arsenal). Leroy Sané (Manchester City). James Maddison, Harry Maguire (Leicester City). Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea). Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton). Sol Bamba (Cardiff City). Mathew Ryan (Brighton & Hove Albion). Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace). Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson (Liverpool). Lucas Moura (Tottenham).
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