Premier League player rankings: Mohamed Salah is king

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, right, celebrates with his teammate Roberto Firmino after scoring his side's opening goal against Crystal Palace. (Rui Vieira/AP)

Welcome to the Premier League player power rankings after Matchday 23. Following each gameweek 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. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 2)

Both Salah’s goals this weekend were of the opportunistic variety, making sure he was the right man in the right place at the right time to help keep Liverpool’s lead at seven points atop the table.

With his 50th Premier League goal in just his 58th game, Salah tied Sergio Aguero for fourth-fastest to the landmark behind Andy Cole, Alan Shearer and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

2. Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 1)

Well, it’s hard to be complimentary of the defending when a side concedes three goals, but the first was due to Andy Robertson losing his marker and the Dutchman was held down on a corner that prevented him from clearing away for the second. The third, with Liverpool up 4-2, certainly places some blame on him as he failed to pick up on Max Meyer’s probing run into the box.

Off days happen.

3. Raheem Sterling, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 3)

It was shocking to see the penalty shot he rightly thought he earned in the first half denied but he kept plugging away and showed excellent movement to score with a header.

He’s always coming at defenders and has been among the best in the league at doing so this season.

4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal (Previous matchday: 4)

With Unai Emery switching formation and opting to play Alexandre Lacazette alongside Aubameyang, the Gabonese striker was far more impactful. He spent the previous match on the wing and was collecting the ball far too deep, but was able to have some excellent combination play with the Frenchman this time around.

He had a chance to put Arsenal ahead early after an excellent low cross from Lacazette early on, but even though he didn’t convert, it’s the fact that he’s always putting himself in those positions that should have Arsenal battling for a top four spot till the very end.

5. Eden Hazard, Chelsea (Previous matchday: 5)

You can just feel the enormity of the pressure when the ball is at his feet to deliver something special. Chelsea just don’t have goals in them at the moment and teams are crowding the Belgian knowing that it’s half the job done.

6. Aymeric Laporte, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 8)

Was the best defender on the pitch both aerially and along the ground against Huddersfield Town and City will be buoyed by having put together back-to-back clean sheets after seven straight matches without one.

What he’s done this season with the ball at his feet has arguably only been bettered by van Dijk.

7. Andrew Robertson, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 6)

The most energetic player in the league fits beautifully in a system that demands a high level of intensity and movement at all times. Liverpool will be thrilled to have secured his services for years to come over the weekend.

Oh, he assisted on Sadio Mane’s goal that gave Liverpool a two-goal cushion in a match that ultimately ended 4-3.

8. David Silva, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 9)

Came on as a substitute for Fernandinho and made in impact, but not enough to see him make a move in these rankings.

9. Harry Kane, Tottenham (Previous matchday: 7)

It’s going to be a steady decline for Kane with the news that he’s expected to miss out on playing time till at least early March. Can Tottenham hang on to a top-four spot without him?

10. Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal (Previous matchday: 10)

Was, frankly, excellent against Chelsea and it appears Emery learned his lesson from the Liverpool game of the consequences for not having his best players on the pitch.

Lacazette was a constant menace till he was subbed off, fully deserving of the goal he scored, and played a major role in making Chelsea look as jaded as they did.

11. Sadio Mané, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 11)

Showed excellent composure in a frenetic match to seal Liverpool’s victory, cutting in from the left side and slotting past the keeper for a 4-2 lead.

The combination play between Firmino, Salah and Mané was at its best and Liverpool needed it to be to win this one.

12. Toby Alderweireld, Tottenham (Previous matchday: 14)

Once again Spurs’ best defender but he’ll be so heavily depended on to ensure the defence is strong through this crucial stretch without the offensive firepower Tottenham have become accustomed to this season.

13. Ryan Fraser, Bournemouth (Previous matchday: 12)

It just seems like the heavy dependence on his production has taken its toll as the season wears on. If not for Wilson’s sublime strike, this would have been another mostly unproductive match for Bournemouth in the final third.

14. Callum Wilson, Bournemouth (Previous matchday: 18)

After initial rumours that Chelsea would come hard for the Englishman, the news that Gonzalo Higuain will join Chelsea has perhaps allowed Wilson to re-focus for his current team.

With a well-taken goal, he showed just how much he means to the Cherries but now we might be reminded of just how much they miss him as he picked up a knee injury.

15. Sergio Aguero, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 15)

Perfect header to tee up Leroy Sané’s goal but his personal attacking prowess — besides his goal against Liverpool — has been lacking since returning from injury.

16. Son Heung-min, Tottenham (Previous matchday: 13)

Son will be dropping steadily like Kane but not for too long as the Asia Cup ends on Feb. 1.

17. Leroy Sané, Manchester City (Previous matchday: N/A)

He is the epitome of City’s abundance of riches. Still not a certainty to start but he’s been one of the most productive players in the league. The ball at his feet is like a mint left on your hotel pillow, perfectly resting but tickling viewers’ senses by sheer anticipation of what’s to come.

Germany really went to the World Cup without this guy.

18. Roberto Firmino, Liverpool (Previous matchday: N/A)

Another goal to his tally but the reason he’s into the rankings now is because of the remarkable flexibility he provides his manager.

Against Palace, Firmino played four different positions and allowed Jurgen Klopp to search for the answers he needed in a match where his side had to dig deep to claim all three points.

19. Ricardo Pereira, Leicester City (Previous matchday: 16)

Leicester City are a mess, it feels. Pereira has seemed immune to it for most of the season and played an important role in helping the Foxes put on an impressive second half comeback until it was all undone by an egregious last minute error.

20. Alisson, Liverpool (Previous matchday: N/A)

It may seem strange to re-introduce the Liverpool keeper to the rankings after conceding three goals but with the names that dropped out, he’s been on the cusp of a return the last few weeks.

It’s not even as though he made a mistake on the goals, either.

Honourable mentions:

Sol Bamba (Cardiff City). Mathew Ryan (Brighton & Hove Albion). Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool). Dele Alli (Tottenham). Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford (Manchester United). Fernandinho, Bernardo Silva, Ederson (Manchester City). Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton).

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