REVEALED: Every Premier League team’s best player so far this season, according to stats boffins SofaScore… with a Spurs star ranked highest and Erling Haaland being outperformed at Man City

• James Maddison is the best performer in the Premier League so far 
• Bruno Fernandes has been rated as Manchester United’s best player 
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ 

Rodri is Manchester City’s best performing player this season ahead of Erling Haaland and James Maddison is the highest-rated performer in the Premier League, according to SofaScore.

The Premier League champions have lost their last three matches in all competitions with the Spaniard forced to serve a three-game suspension for his red card against Nottingham Forest.

Maddison, meanwhile, has hit the ground running at Spurs, scoring two goals and setting up five in eight matches as Ange Postecoglou’s men went into the international break top of the table. 

Elsewhere, the Premier League’s leading goal-scorers Brighton have a highest-ranked player who is not a forward and Burnley have the lowest-rated high performer with an average of 7.

Here Mail Sport reveals the best performing player across all 20 Premier League teams, according to SofaScore, finding some surprising results. 

SofaScore are a sports data-based company generating player ratings using a ‘sophisticated algorithm’ that rates each player’s performance out of 10 each game. 

Erling Haaland isn’t Manchester City’s best performer this season in the Premier League according to data from SofaScore

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Arsenal – Bukayo Saka, 7.70

Even with Arsenal rouletting penalty duties, Arsenal’s star-boy has bagged four and set up two. A curler against Nottingham Forest his most delightful.

Saka was key for the Gunners in the North-London derby, shooting at goal before Christian Romero deflected it into his own net. Shortly after, he converted a penalty.

In Arsenal’s biggest win of the season though, 1-0 at the Emirates over title-rivals Manchester City, Saka was sidelined with a thigh injury.

Bukayo Saka has scored four goals and set up two so far in the Premier League this season

Aston Villa – Ollie Watkins. 7.46 

Nicknamed Ollie ‘Slotkins’ by fans, the school-boy Arsenal fan has recorded the only 10/10 rating this season, in Aston Villa’s 6-1 thrashing of Brighton after bagging a hattrick and providing an assist.

It was a slow start, not scoring until gameweek six in a 1-0 win over Chelsea. But the forward has consistently been involved in goals, providing four assists.

The added attacking prowess of Moussa Diaby means Watkins has the complimentary pieces to form a clinical front line.

Ollie Watkins has overcome a slow start to score four goals in eight matches

Bournemouth – Neto, 7.20 

Bournemouth are the lowest scorers this Premier League, with only five goals. Only Burnley and Sheffield United have conceded more.

This makes club captain Neto a key player at Bournemouth, and heavily involved in games.

Hs ratings have varied from a 5.9, in a 3-1 loss to Brighton, to a 8.4 in a 0-0 against Chelsea, Bournemouth’s only clean sheet this season.

Brentford – Mathias Jensen, 7.38 

With key injuries and a suspended Ivan Toney, others have had to take on more responsibility at Brentford.

Despite having only one win, Jensen’s performances have been upstanding beating out Bryan Mbeumo for the highest rating.

The midfielder chipped in with the opener in a 2-2 with Bournemouth and set up Brentford’s goal in a 1-1 with Nottingham Forest, both coming from his set pieces. Two more goals and another assist came in defeats.

Brighton – Pascal Gross, 7.53 

Brighton have scored the most Premier League goals this season, yet their best performing player only has two.

Move aside the hot youth prospects and step in Mr. reliable Pascal Gross who can be used in various positions and is the ultimate utility man.

In a heavily rotated Brighton side, Gross remains the consistent performer. His highest rated performance to date, 9.2, actually came in a 3-1 loss to West Ham.

Burnley – Josh Brownhill, 7.00 

Vincent Kompany’s Burnley have underwhelmed so far this season, and it is their side that have the lowest rated high performer at 7.00.

Captain Josh Brownhill, who has scored one of Burnley’s seven Premier League goals this season.

The midfielder’s performances have been rated in the range of 6.5-7.4, with his 7.4 high coming in a 1-0 loss to Manchester United.

Chelsea – Enzo Fernandez, 7.49 

With Chelsea’s finishing problems, it’s perhaps no surprise that midfielder Enzo Fernandez has been their highest rated player.

The Argentine has dished out the most progressive passes in the league (83) and has the highest progressive passing distance of any midfielder.

Despite missing a penalty at West Ham, he has received Chelsea’s best player rating in two games this season – notably a man of the match performance on the opening day against Liverpool.

After a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge, Enzo Fernandez has grown into a key player for Mauricio Pochettino this season

Crystal Palace – Joachim Andersen, 7.72 

Andersen’s Crystal Palace are joint with Arsenal in keeping a league-high four clean sheets thus far and only Manchester City and Arsenal have conceded less goals.

The Dane has averted danger, providing the third most headed clearances this campaign and is recovering the ball 4.9 times per game.

The centre-back has even contributed offensively, scoring a goal-of-the-month nominee, the crucial goal in a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, and against Brentford.

Everton – James Tarkowski, 7.40 

Sean Dyche’s team have also struggled going forward, underperforming their xG by eight goals, and so it is a defender familiar with Dyche’s style that has performed most consistently.

Tarkowski scored and assisted in Everton’s first win of the season against Brentford, making four clearances and earning a 9.0 match rating.

He was also Everton’s highest rated defender, 7.9, when Everton kept their first clean sheet against Bournemouth making eight clearances and blocking two shots.

Fulham – Bernd Leno, 7.40 

Some may argue Joao Paulinha, subject to summer transfer interest, is Fulham’s most important player. But SofaScore say Bernd Leno is their best performing.

Leno has prevented 2.7 goals against expected goals-on-target (xGot), after topping this metric last season.

On the opening day of the season, he earned a 9.5 match rating for keeping a clean sheet at Goodison Park whilst making nine saves.

Liverpool – Mohamed Salah, 7.74 

Five goals, four assists – a goal contribution in seven out of eight games and that should surprise no-one.

Liverpool defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson may have competed on the match rating front previously, but each have only registered one assist this campaign.

Salah’s chemistry with the new front three is evident. All five of Darwin Nunez’s Premier League assists to date have been for Salah.

Mohamed Salah has recorded a goal contribution in seven out of eight games this season

Luton – Carlton Morris, 7.24 

Luton’s start to the season has been rough. They are just the second Premier League side to lose their first four league games.

But their talisman, who scored Luton’s first ever Premier League goal, has been willing them on. Specifically, he has been winning his arial duels (44) and is top of the league in this category.

He’s scored three in total, assisting one, and crucially got the second in Luton’s first Premier League win, 2-1 at Everton.

Manchester City – Rodri, 8.05 

The importance of Rodri to Manchester City is apparent from his recent suspension. Following a red card against Nottingham Forest, City have gone on to lose all three games Rodri missed for.

Rodri receives the ball more than any other Manchester City player and distributes it in a very efficient manner with a 94.8% pass completion rate.

A game-winner in the 88th minute against Sheffield United and an opening day goal and assist at Burnley show he has been able to contribute offensively when needed.

The importance of Rodri to Manchester City is apparent from his recent suspension, with the Premier League champions losing all three matches he missed

Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes, 7.65 

Fernandes took on the Manchester United captaincy this season and is often the bright spark in a sometimes-uninspiring attacking line.

He has played as many progressive passes as James Maddison (81) and has had the most touches in the opposition final third out of any player.

A Van-Persie-esque volley against Burnley stands out as his moment of the season up to now, and he was also instrumental in United’s comeback from 2-0 down against Nottingham Forest with an assist and the winning goal, from the penalty spot.

Bruno Fernandes has played as many progressive passes as James Maddison this season

Newcastle United – Kieran Tripper, 7.85 

Tripper’s Newcastle began the season with three losses in five games but have since turned a corner.

In a record-breaking 8-0 victory over Sheffield United, Tripper provided a hattrick of assists for a 9.2 match rating.

He has since chipped in with assists at Burnley and West ham for a three-game streak and leads Europe’s top five leagues in assists, for a defender.

Kieran Trippier has been rock-solid for Newcastle and has chipped in with key assists 

Nottingham Forest – Willy Boly, 7.46 

The Ivorian centre-back has been Nottingham Forest’s standout player according to SofaScore ratings.

Boly ranks second in the league in shots blocked, with twelve, and fourth in clearances made, with 43.

Forest have kept two clean sheets with Boly in the side, and he was their highest ranked player (7.9) in their 1-0 victory over Chelsea.

Sheffield United – Wes Foderingham, 7.42 

The gig off Sheffield United goalkeeper is not an easy one. They face the most shots and are expected to concede the most goals. Foderingham could not stop eight flying past him in a rout by Newcastle.

But, in his first season as a Premier League starter he has had some admirable performances making the most saves this season and preventing 2.2 goals against expected goals-on-target (xGot).

He received an 8.9 match rating in their 2-1 defeat to Spurs, after making eight saves and earned two 8.0 ratings for performances against Manchester City and Crystal Palace.

Tottenham Hotspur – James Maddison, 8.09 

The arguable signing of the summer has been hugely influential in Spurs’ best ever Premier League start, with two goals and five assists. Averaging a higher-match rating than the revived Son Heung-min.

From his position as attacking midfielder, Maddison has created more chances (11) than anyone else, averaging 1.48 per game.

Given vice-captain honours for his first season at the club, his charisma has been resourceful in filling the Harry-Kane shaped void.

James Maddison is the highest-rated performer in the Premier League, according to SofaScore.

West Ham United – James Ward-Prowse, 7.69

David Moyes asked for proven Premier League quality this summer and got it, in the form of James Ward-Prowse.

The dead-ball specialist has thrived at West Ham, with plenty of targets to aim for on his exceptional set-pieces. Nayef Agured, Kurt Zouma and Tomas Soucek all over 6 ft 2.

He made an immediate impact with two assists on his debut, a win against Chelsea, and has gone on to deliver one more assist and two goals.

Wolverhampton Wanderers – Jose Sa, 7.5 

Pedro Neto, league leader in assists with Maddison and Tripper, has not been Wolves’ best player this season, according to SofaScore.

Rather it is Jose Sa, who has prevented 3.2 goals against expected goals-on-target (xGot), more than any other goalkeeper. Sa has also made the second highest number of saves, 35, on an effective 72.9% save percentage.

Sa’s standout performance came in a 1-0 win at Everton, where he received a 9.7 match rating for seven saves and five high claims.

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

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