Premier League player rankings: Salah, van Dijk battling at the top

mohamed-salah-celebrates-scoring-a-goal

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool F.C at the Vitality Stadium, Brighton England. Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. (Gareth Fuller/AP)

Welcome to the Premier League player power rankings after Matchday 22. 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. Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 1)

This was a game where Liverpool’s championship mettle was tested. Coming off a defeat to Manchester City, away to a Brighton and Hove Albion side that was unbeaten in their last four matches, they needed to show they could dig in and get three points and get back on track.

The Dutch superstar was at his cool, collected best throughout to lead his side to their 20th clean sheet in 36 league matches he’s played.

The best player in the league this season continues to receive much deserved plaudits off it.

2. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 4)

Earned another penalty and converted to put himself in a surprisingly envious position for left-footed penalty takers in the league this season.

The early season struggles have been well and truly behind him for a while now but one can’t help but wonder if he can rise to the challenge and find an even higher level to help Liverpool to their first league title since 1990.

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

Earned a penalty for City’s second goal that put him in rarified air in the Premier League.

More importantly, Sterling may be building a proud legacy for himself off the pitch for the manner in which he is making the fight against racism a conversation.

4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal (Previous matchday: 2)

Was moved over to the left to accommodate Alexandre Lacazette in a central attacking position and was just far too deep for much of the match.

Credit the Hammers for the way they played but you expected more from the man atop the leaderboard for goals alongside Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane.

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

Virtually everything leading up to and during the Chelsea-Newcastle match should tell you all you need to know about the Belgian’s plight at the moment.

With no faith in either Alvaro Morata or Olivier Giroud, manager Maurizio Sarri turned to Hazard as a false nine instead of his customary position on the left. With no real striking threat, Newcastle defenders surrounded him at every opportunity, but he still managed to assist on the winning goal because of the attention he received.

6. Andrew Robertson, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 8)

Another first-rate performance from the working class hero. As good as he’s been on the pitch, it’s hard to say it’s been better than his entertainment off it.

7. Harry Kane, Tottenham (Previous matchday: 6)

There are certainly two sides to the coin that was Harry Kane’s performance against Manchester United. He deserves to be commended for his tremendous energy throughout the match and the opportunities created.

But should he have done better with the chances he had to beat David de Gea or was this just another classic performance from arguably the best goalkeeper in the world?

He probably should have done better with a similar angle to the one Marcus Rashford had when he scored the opener. He completely whiffed on a point-blank header that teammate Erik Lamela was so shocked by the ball arriving at him instead that it went off his shoulder and out of play. Those are the two he’d like to have back, while the others were just too much De Gea.

8. Aymeric Laporte, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 7)

City were in cruise control for much of their match against Wolves but if there was one blip it came courtesy the Frenchman.

Still he unlocked the Wolves’ defence for the first goal with a pass that’s so coveted from centre-backs in the modern game and City will need his best going forward to try and hunt down Liverpool.

9. David Silva, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 11)

No Manchester City player has made more league appearances than Silva now and he provided a reminder of why with a vintage performance.

He maintained possession throughout and was constantly the brains behind the City offensive operation. A well deserved landmark for the Spaniard.

10. Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal (Previous matchday: 9)

You’ve got to make the most of your opportunities, and while Lacazette looked good up top, the standard on his team is Aubameyang.

No goals in a loss to West Ham that saw him receive the full 90 minutes for the first time since Matchday 12 won’t make it any easier for Unai Emery to start him as the lone man up top going forward.

11. Sadio Mané, Liverpool (Previous matchday: 10)

Not the best of days for Mané, who has battled consistency issues this season. Rarely the case, the ball seemed to stop at his feet against Brighton and he never really seemed in complete sync with Salah, Roberto Firmino or Xherdan Shaqiri as one expects.

It’s possible that Brighton are just a bit of a bogey team for the Senegalese international.

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

Everton and their defence have struggled at home all season so it was certainly disappointing to see Ryan Fraser not come up with some goods in this match.

He’s been battling injury for the last few weeks, and outside of the thrilling 3-3 draw with Watford, has just one assist to show for in eight of his last nine league appearances.

13. Son Heung-min, Tottenham (Previous matchday: 14)

Again, credit where credit is due to the South Korean for playing his part in the Spurs’ tremendous second-half performance against the Red Devils.

It wasn’t meant to be, though, and now Son is off to the Asian Cup. With Kane potentially out due to injury, this could be a rough stretch ahead for Tottenham in front of goal. Rougher still, that Son may have been racially abused, and this on the heels of a Tottenham fan getting banned for four years for throwing a banana skin in the direction of Aubameyang a month ago.

14. Toby Alderweireld, Tottenham (Previous matchday: 15)

Was victim to one of De Gea’s unbelievable saves on Sunday but was very good defensively throughout the match.

Tottenham took the chance of allowing themselves to be exposed to United’s counter in the first half, and those holes were plugged at halftime with a change in formation. It was pretty smooth sailing for the Belgian from there.

15. Sergio Aguero, Manchester City (Previous matchday: 13)

Came on as a substitute for the final 15 minutes as he continues his recovery from injury.

16. Ricardo Pereira, Leicester City (Previous matchday: 17)

It was a shock to see Southampton come away with a win over Leicester with the way the Foxes have been playing off late and Pereira will do well to impress over the next few weeks.

Wolverhampton away, followed by Liverpool, Man United and Tottenham.

17. Richarlison, Everton (Previous matchday: 18)

While his work rate was good, he seems to have lost the firepower that made him such a lethal threat in front of goal early in the season with zero goals in his last five starts.

Had a couple of chances against Bournemouth — one of which was cleared off the line — before Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on for him and got a goal himself.

Still, you’d think he’s done enough this season to have former Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink pronounce his name correctly.

18. Callum Wilson, Bournemouth (Previous matchday: 16)

Was missed against Everton due to a hamstring injury and the days are dwindling down for a team to acquire his services in this January window.

19. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crystal Palace (Previous matchday: 19)

It’s wild to think that two of the best right-backs in the league this season are 21 or younger. It’s a “pick ’em” between Wan-Bissaka and Trent Alexander-Arnold at the moment but the Palace defender gets the nod for now with four more appearances thus far.

20. Lucas Digne, Everton (Previous matchday: N/A)

Digne has steadily been moving up the ladder of full-backs in the league and if Everton can make the most of what should be a fairly light schedule ahead, he’s likely to move up the charts.

Honourable mentions:

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

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