Manchester City and Chelsea somehow escape unscathed, while Liverpool – predictably – have no representatives in the ‘Big Eight’ Premier League Worst XI of the season; Manchester United have five.
To keep things fair, this team only includes players who’ve made at least 20 appearances and 10 starts in the Premier League this season. Match ratings come via WhoScored, so don’t blame us — blame the algorithm.
GK: Andre Onana (Manchester United) – 6.52
Every goalkeeper has a clanger in them – it comes with the territory when you’re playing in the most high-risk position on the pitch. But this is a particularly erratic bunch. Robert Sanchez, Guglielmo Vicario and Onana have all been walking VAR checks at times, while Emiliano Martinez, Ederson and Nick Pope aren’t exactly bastions of reliability either. Even David Raya and Alisson have had wobbles, though they’re clearly less error-prone than the rest.
The algorithm has Onana rock bottom of the lot, and it’s hard to argue. Four errors leading to a shot and three leading directly to goals in the Premier League – plus a bizarre knack for making himself look smaller in his goal – make him a prime candidate to be replaced. If United had a bigger budget, Ruben Amorim would surely axe him.
RB: Archie Gray (Spurs) – 6.17
We do feel for young Archie Gray. He’s filled in at right-back, centre-back and left-back in an injury-ravaged Spurs side, with the occasional reward of a cameo in midfield – his actual position.
It’s been a turbulent season for Ange Postecoglou and his squad, and the algorithm has picked out Gray as the scapegoat, somehow making him the only Spurs player in the ‘Big Eight’ Worst XI of the season.
Clocking up 1,563 Premier League minutes is no small feat, but playing here, there and everywhere, rarely in his natural role, probably isn’t doing wonders for his development.
CB: Leny Yoro (Manchester United) – 6.33
Another teenager enduring a bruising introduction to Premier League life. Leny Yoro’s debut season has been littered with injury setbacks, and limping off against West Ham on Sunday now puts his Europa League final place in doubt.
That would be a fitting end to a stop-start campaign. United were warned about his fitness record before splashing £52million on him from Lille last summer. A metatarsal injury in just his second appearance ruled him out for months, and he didn’t make his Premier League debut until December 4.
There’s clearly loads of potential – no-one’s disputing that – and it’s been a brutal year for just about everyone at Old Trafford. But this has been far from the ideal start for the 19-year-old in particular.
CB: Pau Torres (Aston Villa) – 6.41
A bit of experience at the back, but not quite the calming influence Aston Villa hoped for. Pau Torres looked a smart signing after arriving from Villarreal in July 2023, settling quickly into Unai Emery’s system. But things have unravelled somewhat in 2024/25.
Villa’s January-February wobble – one win in seven with Torres injured – seemed to underline his importance. But since returning to fitness, he’s played in just four of their last eight games, all wins, and isn’t looking quite as undroppable as he once did.
With calls for Tyrone Mings to get the nod over him, Torres suddenly feels more like a rotation option than a defensive cornerstone.
LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal) – 6.41
Jamie Carragher compared him to Wayne Rooney and Jude Bellingham, praising his “football arrogance” – and it’s been a pretty spectacular breakthrough season for Myles Lewis-Skelly. But two red cards have dragged down his average rating enough to sneak him into this back four.
Still, the talent is obvious, and he looks every inch a long-term fixture in Arsenal’s defence for the next decade. Not a Young Player of the Year candidate, though, clearly.
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CM: Joe Willock (Newcastle) – 6.26
From one Hale End graduate to another. Joe Willock has struggled for regular minutes in a Newcastle midfield that – when available – picks itself: Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.
With Joelinton ruled out for the season, Willock looked like the natural alternative. But after starts against Ipswich and Brighton, he didn’t feature at all in the win over Chelsea, with Anthony Gordon preferred in a reshuffled XI.
The lack of consistent starts has dragged down his average rating, and Willock ends up with the second-lowest score in this XI – only Gray has fared statistically worse.
CM: Christian Eriksen (Manchester United) – 6.41
Set to leave Manchester United when his contract expires this summer, Christian Eriksen just scrapes into this XI with 11 starts and 22 Premier League appearances in 2024/25.
It’s been a miserable season all round, but United could still salvage something by beating Eriksen’s former club, Spurs, in next Wednesday’s Europa League final. He’s unlikely to start that one, which means he’ll probably get run-outs against Chelsea and Aston Villa in the final two league games – in a last-gasp attempt to bump his average rating and escape this team. Because obviously, that’s what he really cares about.
RW: Leon Bailey (Aston Villa) – 6.42
In 23 Premier League appearances this season, Leon Bailey has managed a meagre one goal and two assists – and picked up more yellow cards (three) than either.
Injuries continue to hamper the Jamaican, who took a step forward last term but hasn’t kicked on this time around. Villa have coped well without him, and with Marcus Rashford likely to leave, Donyell Malen looks set to leapfrog Bailey in Unai Emery’s pecking order – alongside Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers.
AM: Joshua Zirkzee (Manchester United) – 6.32
Signed from Bologna last summer to ease the burden on Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee looked an instant hit when he scored the winner on his debut against Fulham – but that was the high point for the Dutchman.
The big question remains: where is his best position? It could be attacking midfield, up front, or maybe he’s destined for a Joelinton-style reinvention as a box-to-box midfielder.
Rather than seeing this as a problem, Amorim might do well to view Zirkzee’s versatility as a genuine opportunity.
LW: Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa) – 6.43
Villa might feel hard done by having three players in this worst XI, but hey, life isn’t fair, and the algorithm doesn’t lie.
Ramsey’s red card against Bournemouth last weekend didn’t do his average rating any favours, helping land him a spot in this unfortunate XI after making the worst team of the weekend.
With one goal and five assists from 28 Premier League games in 2024/25, it’s a disappointing return for a player with top talent. Still, at 23, he’s one of the brightest young talents in Emery’s squad.
ST: Rasmus Hojlund (Manchester United) – 6.27
It’s hard to say anything about Hojlund that hasn’t already been said – the young Dane frustrates United fans every week, doing everything possible to make his £70m price tag feel like yet another colossal transfer disaster at Old Trafford.
In 30 Premier League appearances this season, he’s managed a miserable four goals. Whatever excuses you want to make for United’s struggles or his age, that return is nowhere near good enough for a striker who cost so much.
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