Manchester City star striker Erling Haaland has made it 11 on the season in just eight games, as he bagged yet another brace in the Premier League to help lift the Citizens to a 2-0 win over Everton and another Player of the Season candidate, former Man City teammate Jack Grealish.
Where does Haaland stack up in the Premier League Player of the Season race for the 2025/26 season so far after scoring two more goals to the good? Here are the latest updated rankings, smack dab in the middle of Matchday 8.
5. Sunderland RB Nordi Mukiele
The average Premier League fan probably doesn’t know who Nordi Mukiele is, but one of the new additions to this excellent Sunderland defense has quietly been extraordinary at right back, picking up where he left off from his days in the Bundesliga at RB Leipzig before an ill-fated move to PSG in Ligue 1.
Mukiele is a French national team level right back when he’s at his best, and he’s been spellbinding to start the season, pitching a perfect game at right back against lowly Wolves this weekend, including a goal to boot.
Right now, Mukiele is averaging 8 clearances, 4.3 combined tackles and interceptions, 0.2 blocks, and just 0.3 dribbles completed allowed per game. He might be the best defensive right back in European football this season.
4. Chelsea DM Moises Caicedo
Moises Caicedo deserves so much credit outside of Stamford Bridge than he’s currently getting, as the Ecuadorian international has clearly been the best defensive midfielder in world football to start the 2025/26 season, only growing in strength with each passing week.
Even though he didn’t start against Nottingham Forest, he played a role in Chelsea eventually blowing Ange Postecoglou’s men out 3-0. He is still averaging an insane 4.8 combined tackles and interceptions per game despite this bench appearance dragging down his average.
3. Tottenham RW Mohammed Kudus
Mohammed Kudus has yet to play on Matchday 8, and he’s a serious threat to overtake Antoine Semenyo, as he has to share more of the shooting and passing burden with other forwards and does so much more to start attacks.
The Ghanaian international is averaging a whopping 4.3 dribbles completed per game, and after Grealish flopped against mighty Manchester City, Kudus is now unquestionably the signing of the season.
2. Bournemouth LW Antoine Semenyo
Although Antoine Semenyo played a role in Bournemouth’s goal, he didn’t contribute to a goal in this one to reach 10, and Bournemouth collapsed in the end to draw Crystal Palace 3-3 after a last-gasp penalty from Jean-Philippe Mateta sealed the late-blooming star striker’s hat trick.
Even though Semenyo played decently well, all told, with three dribbles completed, his overall impact and end product as a shooter and creator were subdued in past games. And that’s enough to fall on a competitive list like this one when it’s the elite of the elite.
1. Manchester City ST Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is now No. 1. With 11 goals this season, Haaland is blowing out the competition in the Premier League Golden Boot race and already breaking goal-scoring records held by league legends like Ruud van Nistelrooy of Manchester United fame.
He is untouchable and carrying Manchester City to victory directly with his goals. It doesn’t matter that he’s not elite at anything else, because goals are what this game is all about – and Haaland is the one leading City to wins.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.