Courtesy of WhoScored’s average match ratings, here is the worst player at each Premier League club in this season.
We can’t be saying some bench fodder is a club’s worst player, so you can only qualify if you’ve started at least six games this season.
Liverpool’s is a summer signing, Arsenal’s is a surprise, and Brighton’s is still reeling after not getting his big move. Here goes nothing…
Arsenal: David Raya (6.61)
Premier League leaders Arsenal can’t look at a single player and say: ‘You must improve.’ Maybe Ebere Eze? When he isn’t soaked in North London Derby narrative, he’s not really been that great.
But he’s not Arsenal’s player. Raya is Arsenal’s player. This is despite him leading the Premier League Golden Glove race. Maybe you lose points for slamming the ground like a child. Who knows how the algorithm works?
READ MORE: Who is the best Prem keeper this season? Do Arsenal have a Raya problem?
Aston Villa: Evann Guessand (6.36)
Signed from Nice for £26million in the summer, Guessand has zero goals and one assist in 11 Premier League appearances for Villa.
Bournemouth: Adam Smith (6.29)
Smith was Bournemouth’s representative throughout most of last season. We said they had to sign a new right-back, but then they had to sign a new centre-back. And then a left-back. And then another centre-back. So then a new right-back became an afterthought.
Andoni Iraola did sign Alex Jimenez, but he’s only 20 years old, so Smith has been called upon frequently this campaign. Sharing the right-back load is probably the way to go.
Brentford: Mathias Jensen (6.20)
With only two goals in 14 games, Jensen is playing more regularly than he was at the start of the campaign and remains a crucial player in the Brentford squad.
Brighton: Carlos Baleba (6.31)
His failed transfer to Manchester United has clearly had a detrimental effect on Baleba’s form, and he is playing his way out of his dream move.
There’s no doubt that Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton are now favoured by the United hierarchy. It’s time to get your s**t together, son.
Burnley: Josh Laurent (6.14)
After looking like they’d be competitive all season, Burnley have just gone off the boil a bit. We’re suddenly fearful that the Clarets and Wolves will continue to fade away and the relegation battle will be a lot less exciting than initially expected.
Chelsea: Liam Delap (6.32)
In exactly six Premier League starts, Delap hasn’t registered a goal or assist for Chelsea. He’s now out for around six weeks and won’t be the Blues’ representative here much longer, because six starts soon won’t be enough to merit an inclusion.
Crystal Palace: Dean Henderson (6.68)
This feels harsh. But a 6.68 average rating doesn’t feel wrong for Henderson. Palace have just been that good this season.
Everton: Thierno Barry (6.28)
It’s hardly surprising that Barry – who didn’t register a shot on target until his 14th Everton appearance and only scored his first goal on matchday 15 – is Everton’s worst player in 2025/26.
Fulham: Josh King (6.22)
King’s average rating might be a bit pants but he’s still shown plenty of promise this season.
Leeds United: Lucas Perri (6.26)
After joining last summer, Perri didn’t get off to the best start, nor the worst. Then he got injured. And because his start to life at Leeds was so meh, Daniel Farke felt no need to rush him back, putting his faith in Karl Darlow. And now Perri is playing again, but conceding a whole heap of goals.
Liverpool: Alexander Isak (6.19)
Almost any player would’ve been funny, but Isak might be the funniest option of all. The Mo Salah narrative is already so strong that we are fine with it not being him. Florian Wirtz has been awful, Alisson is conceding goals for fun, and Milos Kerkez is really struggling. But the floppiest flop in Premier League flopsville is a beauty, really.
The most expensive player in Premier League history has one goal and one assist (which was an accident) in eight league appearances for Liverpool. He’s looked off the pace since minute one. All after the biggest saga of the summer transfer window and burning all of his bridges with Newcastle United. It isn’t easy to have any sympathy.
Manchester City: Bernardo Silva (6.63)
City legend Silva is still someone Pep Guardiola heavily relies on, starting 11 times in the Premier League and featuring in all 15 matches. He’s not been amazing by any stretch, but a 6.63 isn’t that bad.
Manchester United: Leny Yoro (6.36)
Ruben Amorim enjoys changing his centre-backs in every game, which can be detrimental to one’s match rating. Yoro has played in all 16 of United’s league matches this term, starting 10 times.
Newcastle United: Anthony Elanga (6.24)
We’re hardly surprised by Elanga’s inclusion. For £55million, his output has been nowhere near good enough. His end product has lacked all season, and Jacob Murphy might have already usurped him in Eddie Howe’s pecking order.
Nottingham Forest: Chris Wood (6.36)
Wood hasn’t played since October 18 but was pretty rubbish up to that point. He scored a brace against Brentford on matchday one but those are his only two goals in eight Premier League matches. At this point last season, he had 10 goals and Forest were fourth in the table.
Sunderland: Chemsdine Talbi (6.29)
Sunderland have been the Premier League’s surprise package this season, making the inclusion of any player feel harsh, but it has to be someone. And that someone is young Belgian attacker Talbi.
Tottenham Hotspur: Randal Kolo Muani (6.29)
Kolo Muani is yet to score or assist in seven Premier League starts for Spurs. Their best player, if you’re wondering, is Mohammed Kudus.
West Ham: Tomas Soucek (6.34)
It was anyone’s guess who West Ham’s player would be, and as Niclas Fullkrug (6.17) only has five starts, it’s Soucek.
Wolves: Hwang Hee-Chan (6.11)
Jeez. Only one player? Wolves, as a collective, have been an abomination this season. We’ll hardly be pinning it all on Hwang.
Relegation is pretty much guaranteed for a club with two points from 16 Premier League games. And they’re being let down by two of their better players, with Andre and Jorgen Strand Larsen (both 6.28) both massively underperforming as well.
Andre’s error for Manchester United’s opening goal at Molineux on Monday was both calamitous and hilarious, contributing to one of the worst goals of all time.
Not one Wolves player can hold their head up right now. It’s been pathetic all across the board. Though there is an argument that they’ve been massively let down by the ownership, who didn’t have a good summer transfer window. And now Andre and Strand Larsen are tanking their value. Ideal.
READ MORE: Why Wolves v Brentford is the biggest game of the season so far