The Wonderkid Power Rankings: Arsenal & Man City starlets among this week's new entriesplaceholder image
The Wonderkid Power Rankings: Arsenal & Man City starlets among this week's new entries | Getty Images/Iconic Media
Counting down the ten best young players in the Premier League - with new entries from Arsenal, Man City & Bournemouth.
Christmas is upon us, but before our journalists crack open the sherry and start going to town on the mince pies, there’s one last duty for them to perform – to watch the tape, comb through the stats, and come up with a faintly festive edition of our weekly Wonderkid Power Rankings.
Last time out, we named West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes as the best young player in the Premier League on current form for the second consecutive week, but can he cling on after his side took a pasting at the hands of Manchester City last weekend? Or will another bright spark be tucking into their turkey in first place?
We’ve got no fewer than three Under-21s dropping out of the Top 10 this week: Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki is away at AFCON, Chelsea’s Estêvão didn’t play due to injury, and Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi slides out after failing to fire in front of goal against Burnley – all of which leaves room for us to put three players in our rankings for the first time this season.
10. Jamie Gittens – Chelsea (⬇️2)
We debated for a while about whether to drop Gittens or Kroupi from the Top 10 this week. Neither made much of an impact, but we decided to give Gittens the benefit of the doubt because while he didn’t make much of a dent against Cardiff City in the EFL Cup and didn’t even play against Newcastle United over the weekend, his work rate off the ball continues to be very high. We also reckon that his defensive work meant that he contributed more to his team’s cause this past week than Kroupi did. Frankly, though, he's a little lucky to keep his spot and will need to do something special over the festive period to remain in our rankings next week with a few players beneath him in our reckoning starting to warm up a little.
9. Myles Lewis-Skelly – Arsenal (new entry)
If you’d told us last season that we wouldn’t bring Lewis-Skelly into our Top 10 until December, we would not have believed you for a second – not least because we collectively hold the left-back in very high regard indeed. Higher, it would seem, than Mikel Arteta, who has barely given him a game, but having looked good against Club Brugge and Wolves in recent weeks he got the full 90 minutes against Crystal Palace on Tuesday and played very well, using the ball and well and defending his flank almost faultlessly.
8. Savinho – Manchester City (new entry)
Another player we’d have expected to have had in our Top 10 before now, Savinho hasn’t been particularly consistent this season but has found some form of late, scoring with a deflected effort against Brentford in the EFL Cup quarter-finals before a lively cameo in the routine 3-0 win over West Ham, during which he gave several defenders conniptions and could easily have scored when he surged between two defenders only to have a low effort saved by Alphonse Aréola. The Brazilian is just starting to look more like his old self.
7. Álex Jiménez – Bournemouth (new entry)
The Spanish full-back has been teetering on the brink of the Top 10 for some time now and finally earns his breakthrough – having impressed us during the 4-4 draw against Manchester United, he was excellent against Burnley, creating chances and swinging in crosses with regularity at one end of the pitch while shutting down a lot of attacks at the other. Jiménez forced a superb seven turnovers, didn’t miss a tackle and only a couple of fouls blotted his copybook. Another fine signing by Bournemouth, from what we’ve seen so far.
6. Michael Kayode – Brentford (⬇️2)
It was just a few weeks ago that Kayode was our number one, not that his recent form has fallen so far off – it’s simply that the competition for places in the top half of the table has become extremely tough, and the Italian is this week’s unlucky loser. It’s especially cruel given that he was really rather good against Wolves over the weekend, but he struggled against Manchester City in the EFL Cup too and that was the performance that really cost him this week.
5. Nico O’Reilly – Manchester City (⬇️3)
Another player who loses ground in our rankings less because of his failings than because of the successes of others – although it was hard to miss the fact that his work in one-on-one situations, a sometimes glaring weakness in his game, was poor this week. Against West Ham, he won just one of 12 ground duels, which is remarkably poor.
He also failed to create a single meaningful chance in either of City’s games, but aside from that his passing was as precise and sensible as always, his defending in open spaces was excellent and he forced several key turnovers, with a total of 12 ball recoveries over the course of the two games. A mixed bag, basically, in a week in which others were more consistent.
4. Lewis Hall – Newcastle United (⬆️1)
Having been one of Newcastle’s best players in a disappointing derby day last weekend, Hall was once again among the better performers at St. James’ Park during the 2-2 draw against Chelsea, dominating in defence for large periods and stretching play in the final third on a number of occasions.
Although the 21-year-old didn’t manage to generate a truly clear-cut opening, his movement around Anthony Gordon helped Newcastle to manoeuvre their way into several dangerous positions and he was strong at the back, winning seven of his nine one-one-ones, forcing a couple of turnovers and making no fewer than four interceptions. His defensive positioning has been an area he has needed to work on – this was a game which suggests that he’s doing just that.
3. Lewis Miley – Newcastle United (⬆️3)
Until recently, there was a valid criticism of Miley which suggested that he didn’t really grab games by the scruff of the neck or impose himself on the opposition. That has changed dramatically – and after scoring with an excellent header against Fulham during midweek (from a corner created by his own run and shot) Miley has continued a run of form in which he has not only put his stamp on games but altered the course of them with his goals.
He wasn’t able to do the same thing against Chelsea but he did contribute significantly in midfield, forcing a massive nine turnovers even if he wasn’t able to use the ball quite as well as he has in other matches. Miley is getting better with and without possession by the week, and at just 19 is starting to look like a truly indispensable player for Newcastle.
2. Adam Wharton – Crystral Palace (⬆️1)
This was, frankly, a pretty bad week for Crystal Palace. Unexpectedly hammered by Leeds United in the league and then dumped out of the EFL Cup on penalties by Arsenal, perhaps the only real silver lining was Wharton, who was highly impressive in both games and seems to be getting right back to his very best.
Over the course of the two games, Wharton created a host of presentable chances, forced 11 total turnovers of possession, blocked two shots and generally seemed to be just about everywhere. Palace may have struggled for the last week or so, but Wharton has been all-action.
1. Mateus Fernandes – West Ham United (-)
We toyed with taking top spot away from Fernandes because while he scarcely put a foot wrong against Manchester City, he also wasn’t able to tip the balance of a one-sided match – then again, that was largely true of the Portuguese midfielder’s closest contenders this week too, so Fernandes stays at the top of our tree for Christmas.
Fernandes completed every dribble, almost every pass (even if none exactly sliced City’s defence apart), didn’t miss a single tackle, won all but one of his one-on-ones both in and out of possession and won the ball back from the opposition four times – a rock-solid all-round stats sheet and a smooth performance for the eye test, just one which didn’t really help with West Ham largely overwhelmed by a far superior side. It would be harsh to hold that truth against Fernandes, however, who’s used to being the best player on a struggling side.
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