Sports
20 Best Players in the Premier League Right Now [Ranked]
With the 2025/26 Premier League season well underway, teams have bolstered their squads throughout the summer in the hopes of improving on their previous campaign. With many sides buying effectively, the Premier League once again has a litany of superstars playing week in and week out.
The likes of Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Martin Zubimendi have brought their talents to the English top flight, but with so many great names already operating at the top of the English football pyramid, it might take the big money arrivals some time to reach the same level of their predecessors.
Taking into account a variety of ranking factors — which are detailed below — these are the 20 best Premier League players right now.
Ranking Factors
- How well they’ve started the current Premier League season.
- Their performances since arriving in the English top flight.
- Importance to their respective sides.
- For forwards – goals and assists have been taken into account.
- Memorable performances from recent seasons.
20-16
Bruno Fernandes, Alexander Isak, Eberechi Eze, Bruno Guimaraes, Antoine Semenyo
There isn’t always much going for Ruben Amorim’s side. However, Bruno Fernandes continues to impress. A creative force who has dragged his team through bad patch after bad patch, he is the true embodiment of a captain. Despite his role becoming deeper and deeper on the pitch, making less use of his creativity, United fans still adore him, and the fact he keeps creating astronomical levels of chances means he remains just on the list.
Alexander Isak was at the centre of one of the Premier League’s biggest sagas in the summer window. Demanding a move away from Newcastle, the Sweden-born forward got his way with a nine-figure move to Premier League champions, Liverpool. A Thierry Henry-esque talent, he notched in 62 goals in 109 outings for Newcastle during his three years there. Now performing for a big six side, it remains to be seen if he can replicate his talents on Merseyside, but injuries and fitness have restricted him so far.
Another summer signing is up next in the form of Eberechi Eze, who was instrumental in Crystal Palace’s FA Cup and Community Shield double before then making the full-circle move back to boyhood club Arsenal, where he remains a composed presence in attacking midfield. Following him is Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes. The Brazilian was one of the first major moves the Magpies made after they were taken over, and he’s been an incredible bit of business. He acts as the engine in the middle for the club and is the heart of the team.
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, with six goals and three assists in 11 games, is arguably among the top three players of the season so far. The fact that he could be on the books of a big-six club as early as January suggests he may soon climb even higher in these rankings. But form can only take you so far this early in the campaign, so for now he has to settle for 16th.
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The Best Premier League Players – 20-16 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Player |
Position |
Club |
Nationality |
|
20. |
Bruno Fernandes |
CM |
Manchester United |
Portugal |
|
19. |
Alexander Isak |
ST |
Liverpool |
Sweden |
|
18. |
Eberechi Eze |
CAM |
Arsenal |
England |
|
17. |
Bruno Guimaraes |
CM |
Newcastle |
Brazil |
|
16. |
Antoine Semenyo |
RW |
Bournemouth |
Ghana |
15-11
William Saliba, Rodri, Bryan Mbeumo, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer
Taking up the 15th spot is Arsenal’s William Saliba. He is a rock-solid part of the Gunners’ impenetrable defence, and his aura alone is enough to put his attackers off. He is followed by Rodri, who, while having won the Ballon d’Or in 2023, has struggled to regain his glorious best since returning from an ACL injury. That said, form is temporary, and class is permanent.
Slowly but surely, things have been starting to fall into place at Manchester United for Bryan Mbeumo. A vital cog in the Brentford machine, his 28-goal contributions in the 2024/25 season earned him a move to a struggling United side. Notching five goals and one assist in 11 league outings at his new club, he’s the saving grace that Ruben Amorim has been desperate for.
After a stellar 23/24 campaign, Phil Foden had a dismal season last time out, but that doesn’t take away from how talented he is. The Englishman is one of the brightest attackers in the league and has already shown glimpses in the 25/26 campaign, with seven goal contributions in 14 games to earn him a recall to the England squad.
10 Best Free-Kick Takers in the Premier League Right Now [Ranked]
From Trent Alexander-Arnold to Cole Palmer, the 10 best current Premier League free-kick takers have been listed.
Just missing out on the top 10 because of ongoing poor form and fitness doubts is Cole Palmer. Where would Chelsea be without him? The courage to make the jump from Manchester to west London was commendable – but the 23-year-old’s 40 goal contributions from his debut season prove he made the right choice.
He continued his fine form last term, notching 15 goals and eight assists in 37 top-flight outings. What a phenomenal talent Enzo Maresca has at his disposal, even if things haven’t been so smooth for him recently.
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The Best Premier League Players – 15-11 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Rank |
Player |
Position |
Club |
Nationality |
|
15. |
William Saliba |
CB |
Arsenal |
France |
|
14. |
Rodri |
CDM |
Manchester City |
Spain |
|
13. |
Bryan Mbeumo |
RW |
Manchester United |
Cameroon |
|
12. |
Phil Foden |
CM |
Manchester City |
England |
|
11. |
Cole Palmer |
CAM |
Chelsea |
England |
10-6
Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Moises Caicedo, Alisson Becker, Bukayo Saka
Liverpool’s versatile Dominik Sbozoszlai, who typically operates in midfield, but has recently proven he can perform at right back as well, finds himself just ahead of teammate Ryan Gravenberch. Entering his third season as a Liverpool player, the Hungarian international’s 16 goal contributions in the 2024/25 season were his best return in a Reds shirt, as he continues to cement himself as a starting fixture in a side stacked in the midfield department.
Neither of them, however, are able to hold a candle to Moises Caicedo just yet. Chelsea’s most important middle man, the Ecuadorian international has recently added goals to his game after proving to be a beacon for interceptions, breaking up play with worrying ease.
Since arriving from AS Roma in the summer of 2018, there have been few – if any – shot-stoppers that have been able to replicate the exploits of Alisson Becker between the sticks. Not only has he won everything there is to win, but his varied skill set makes him such a unique and important player for Liverpool.
![Best Midfielders in the Premier League [Ranked]](https://static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/midfielders.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=140&h=98&dpr=2)
20 Best Midfielders in the Premier League Right Now (2025)
Florian Wirtz, Bruno Fernandes and Martin Odegaard all feature in the Premier League’s top 20 midfielders right now.
Rounding out this section, and thus just missing out on the top five, is Arsenal poster boy Bukayo Saka. The Hale End graduate, regarded as his side’s most important player, has lacked sufficient cover in his position and, as such, has been an ever-present for Arteta in recent seasons – but his output has never waned. Last season, an injury kept him on the sidelines for a while, though, highlighting how important he is to Arsenal.
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The Best Premier League Players – 10-6 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Rank |
Player |
Position |
Club |
Nationality |
|
10. |
Ryan Gravenberch |
CDM |
Liverpool |
Netherlands |
|
9. |
Dominik Szoboszlai |
CM |
Liverpool |
Hungary |
|
8. |
Moises Caicedo |
CDM |
Chelsea |
Ecuador |
|
7. |
Alisson Becker |
GK |
Liverpool |
Brazil |
|
6. |
Bukayo Saka |
RW |
Arsenal |
England |
5-1
Gabriel, Declan Rice, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland
For a long time, Gabriel was seen as Saliba’s right-hand man or even his understudy. But the roles have been reversed lately, with the Brazilian now the most important part of a defence collecting clean sheets like they’re going out of fashion. What’s more, he’s become a key weapon at the other end of the pitch, proving to be the single most influential factor in Arsenal’s set-piece prowess.
Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal had fans wondering whether he’d be able to replicate his West Ham United exploits – but, well, of course he has. As dynamic as ever, the Englishman has performed like a ticking metronome in the London club’s engine room and has gone from strength to strength, adding a layer of goals to his game.
Regarded as one of the best centre-backs in Champions League history, the imposing Virgil van Dijk is stationed in at third place, taking the mantle from the aforementioned Gabriel as the league’s best, and most consistent, central defender.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been a revelation since joining the Reds in 2017, becoming the club’s record scorer in the Premier League. While many thought that he’d drop off in the post-Jurgen Klopp era, the Egyptian actually had one of his best-ever campaigns during Arne Slot’s maiden year and was influential to the Reds claiming just their second ever Premier League title. There’s no doubt he’s the best player in the Premier League when at his best, but his numbers this season have dipped, and he must now accept there’s one player better than him.
First is the inevitable Erling Haaland, formerly of Borussia Dortmund. A goalscoring machine of the highest order, the Norwegian record-breaker entered last campaign as prolific as ever, but his astonishing rate slowed down throughout the season. It was actually considered a disappointing year for the striker, but he still managed to score 32 goals in all competitions. If that doesn’t tell you how good he is, not much will. Now with 14 goals in 11 games of the 25/26 Premier League campaign, he is putting the rest of the league on notice for questioning his previous seasons’ output.
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The Best Premier League Players – 5-1 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Player |
Position |
Club |
Nationality |
|
5. |
Gabriel |
CB |
Arsenal |
Brazil |
|
4. |
Declan Rice |
CM |
Arsenal |
England |
|
3. |
Virgil Van Dijk |
CB |
Liverpool |
Netherlands |
|
2. |
Mohamed Salah |
RW |
Liverpool |
Egypt |
|
1. |
Erling Haaland |
ST |
Manchester City |
Norway |
All statistics in this article per Transfermarkt – correct as of 21-11-25.
Coming into Sunday night’s clash at the White House, Ilia Topuria, for many, was unstoppable. He had defeated Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira, all in devastating fashion, and had a professional MMA record of 17 wins and zero defeats.
However, it didn’t go his way against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, as the fight was stopped between the fourth and fifth round. It’s Topuria’s first professional defeat, and on the grandest stage of them all. The question is, how will he recover from a war like that?
The five-round bout for the coveted UFC lightweight championship went in a way few could have imagined. From the off, Gaethje was inflicting the heavier damage, even shutting Topuria’s right eye after the first round.
In the second, the Spaniard looked back to his best, reminding everyone of his quality. The flurry of body shots seemingly flipped the fight on its head, but it wasn’t enough to finish off the challenger. In the end, Topuria didn’t have the stamina to continue at this blistering pace, a factor that led to the American hero taking control.
Much has been made of the stoppage, especially with the opposing words from the cornermen and Topuria himself. The fight almost came to its climax the round prior, however, if not for Marc Goddard, who prevented the doctor’s stoppage.
After a war like this, there are always questions about whether the fighter will ever be the same again, and worries about how bad the damage actually was. Now, Pablo Motos, a close friend of Ilia Topuria, has provided an update on his current state.
Ilia Topuria Update Given By Close Friend
“This morning, I was with Ilia. He has fractures in his orbital bones in his nose. They were treating his wounds and he still couldn’t open his eyes properly.”
With the fight ending the way it did, Topuria is set for another long stint on the sidelines, this time, however, to recover. The idea of a rematch has been floated about, though, Gaethje would more than likely defend his belt before that.
What Next For Ilia Topuria
For Topuria, the long-awaited clash with Paddy Pimblett could perhaps finally come to fruition. The Englishman faces Benoit Saint-Denis during international fight week, but a win could fire him right back into contention. Pimblett, unsurprisingly, was outspoken after watching UFC Freedom 250, especially with the manner in which it ended.
“The only thing you had to do was beat a 38-year-old coming off of a five-round war with me. Instead, you quit on your stool like the little b**** you are,” he said.
The state of the lightweight division is likely to be completely different by the time Topuria eventually returns, but when he does, there will be plenty of big names looking to test themselves against the once inevitable champion.
Ngal’ayel Mukau’s comments about Cristiano Ronaldo have gone viral after DR Congo and Portugal played out a 1-1 draw at the World Cup on Wednesday afternoon.
Ronaldo, now 41 years old, was named in Seleção das Quinas’ starting XI for their match against the African nation at Houston Stadium in Texas.
Portugal went into the match as huge favourites and it didn’t take them long to take the lead as Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves headed home in the sixth minute.
Despite having the lion’s share of possession for the remainder of the first half, Portugal were unable to add to their lead and DR Congo made them pay when Yoane Wissa restored parity on the stroke of half-time.
Neither side could find a winner in the second half as the the spoils were shared.
DR Congo Star Gives Honest Take on Cristiano Ronaldo After Match
Ronaldo would have been hoping to get off to a flying start at the 2026 World Cup. However, despite playing the full 90 minutes, he was unable to make an impact.
In fact, he received a Sofascore rating of just 6.1/10 after a highly frustrating night that saw him take three shots but record none on target.
You scored
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Lille midfielder Mukau was asked about Ronaldo in his post-match interview. A reporter quizzed him on whether DR Congo had worked on a ‘special plan’ to contain the 41-year-old. Mukau replied:
“To be honest, not really, because we know he’s not the same as before… he’s a bit older now.”
“Still, one of the greatest to ever play the game, much respect to him!”
Thierry Henry Questions Cristiano Ronaldo After Portugal 1-1 DR Congo
Thierry Henry sent a message to Ronaldo following his performance against DR Congo. The Frenchman, who was covering the game as a pundit for Fox, said following the draw:
“One thing that’s important, people, please at home, the team needs to score. Not you needs to score…
“Because he [Ronaldo] wants to score, he goes in the path of the back pass, you see both players, and it’s easier for you to defend. And that’s my thing: the team needs to score. Not you.”
Ronaldo addressed his performance and the result on social media after the match. He wrote: “It wasn’t the start we wanted, but this is far from over. Head up and focus on the next game.”
Portugal and Ronaldo are next in action on Tuesday, June 23, when they take on Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium.
A clip of Wayne Rooney’s analysis of Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance during Portugal’s 2026 World Cup opening match against DR Congo has caused a stir on social media.
Portugal were expected to breeze past DR Congo, who were given a 0.09% chance of winning this summer’s tournament by Opta’s Supercomputer, but Roberto Martinez’s side were left frustrated by their unfancied opponents at the Houston Stadium.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves put Portugal 1-0 up in the 6th minute with a fine header, only for Newcastle United’s Yoane Wissa to equalise on the stoke of half-time.
Ronaldo, who turned 41 in February, played the full 90 minutes but struggled to make an impact.
He spurned a couple of chances to score and has now gone 10 consecutive major tournament games without netting for Portugal.
Thierry Henry Goes Viral For World Cup Analysis on Cristiano Ronaldo For Portugal
Thierry Henry has been receiving praise for his analysis on Cristiano Ronaldo’s struggles for Portugal.
Rooney’s Analysis of Ronaldo’s Performance
Rooney joked that his former Manchester United teammate will “have been raging” after watching his long-term rival Lionel Messi score a hat-trick for Argentina in his first appearance of the 2026 World Cup.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner equalised Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 World Cup goals in the process.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe scored two goals in France’s opening match, and Erling Haaland also netted a brace for Norway.
While Ronaldo has received heavy criticism for his underwhelming performance against DR Congo, Rooney jumped to the veteran forward’s defence with his half-time analysis.
Rooney highlighted how Ronaldo’s mere presence posed problems for DR Congo’s defence and helped to contribute towards Portugal’s goal.
“What Ronaldo’s doing is he’s taking that option away from defenders,” Rooney explained. “He’s standing behind them, then they’re looking over their shoulders, like ‘where is he?’, then they drop and then it creates a lot of space in front of the back four – it’s really clever.” Watch the clip below:
Rooney’s analysis has split opinion. Some football fans expressed their disbelief, with one commenting on X (Twitter): “Yeah, Wayne Rooney probably doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Another said: “I nearly volleyed my tele listening to this,” while a third added:
“Haha. That goal was all because of the genius of Ronaldo standing still in the box.”
A fourth fan said: “Who is he kidding? Ronaldo was a joke.”
You scored
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However, others felt that Rooney made a salient point. One person commented: “Someone needs to state facts while the clowns are pushing their agendas, glad it’s Wazza!”
Another wrote: “Because Rooney understands football, unlike 99.99% of football fans,” while someone else commented:
”He’s spot on? Nothing wrong with any of this.”
Ronaldo will be desperate to silence his critics when Portugal face Uzbekistan in their second Group K match on June 23. Their final group stage match is against Colombia four days later.
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