AI can be a helpful tool when used correctly, but don't bank on it for the best footballing opinions
A football fan looks upset
AI has had a stinker with these opinions (Image: Getty)
Football writers have nothing to worry about with regard to AI taking our jobs if Gemini's picks for the worst Premier League players in 2026/27 are anything to go off. It was a busy summer for clubs all across England, who desperately scrambled to bring in reinforcement and shift deadweight for the season ahead.
Some clubs ultimately dipped into the market far more than others, as Chelsea completed their usual first-team overhaul, with Tottenham Hotspur doing the same to avoid a repeat of last season's embarrassing 17th-place finish. Coventry City, Hull City and Ipswich Town also made marked improvements to their squads to help them keep afloat following promotion from the Championship. On the flipside, AFC Bournemouth welcomed just four fresh faces to their ranks, as they look to navigate a new life under Marco Rose.
With players having plenty of time to settle into their new surroundings - each club already having played five times - we asked Gemini to give us five of the worst Premier League stars this season thus far. Here's what it told us...
Sandro Tonali
After a £92.5million move from Newcastle, Tonali has struggled to anchor Tottenham's midfield. Opponents have frequently bypassed the centre of the pitch, lading critics to label his early performances as a "damp squib."
Bypassing the fact that Spurs signed Tonali from Newcastle United in a package worth up to £100m, AI has got this one all wrong. Statistically, the Italian midfielder hasn't even been the worst player at the club, offensively racking up 293 completed passes and landing four shots on target in total from outside of the box in his five appearances.
Defensively, meanwhile, Tonali has made a total of 11 tackles, four interceptions and two blocks, also winning 20 duels in total. For comparison, Archie Gray - who has made four appearances this season - has managed just five tackles and four interceptions.
Sandro Tonali runs
Sandro Tonali hasn't even been Spurs' worst player (Image: Getty)
Bradley Barcola
The £120m acquisition has quickly drawn scrutiny. He has lacked end product in his opening minutes of football, with pundits already labelling him a massive transfer regret for Liverpool.
While Barcola hasn't been anything to write home about since his £123m move from Paris Saint-Germain, the Frenchman has realistically been limited in terms of minutes as a result of his return from injury and Cody Gakpo's dominance (just 170 minutes to show for his time at Anfield). Of course, completing just seven dribbles is a horrific figure, although a 77% pass completion rate is certainly decent for a winger.
But compare Barcola's stats to that of Bournemouth's Rayan - a player who was linked with both Arsenal and Liverpool this summer - and anyone can see that AI has got this one terribly wrong. Rayan, for context, has played 438 minutes this season, completing just six dribbles and harbouring a pass completion rate of just 62%. Don't be surprised to see Barcola surpass him given more time to find his footing in the English top flight.
Bradley Barcola looks
Liverpool fans will be expecting big things from Bradley Barcola (Image: Getty)
Alejandro Garnacho
Signed on loan from Chelsea, Garnacho's short-term move has been heavily criticised. Early assessments suggest he is highly unlikely to get much game time and have categorised the deal as completely unnecessary for Villa.
Let's face the facts; Aston Villa may land as Garnacho's last chance saloon to prove himself in the Premier League, consideing he has already failed to gel with Manchester United and Chelsea. But the 22-year-old has racked up just 31 minutes in total from three substitute appearances in the Midlands thus far.
As a result, there's not too much data to go off in terms of statistics, but a 94% pass completion rate is the polar opposite of poor. For context, that's a better return than Bukayo Saka, Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Cherki and Marcus Rashford - albeit, Garnacho has had far less time on the pitch, ergo, less time to make a hash of things.
Alejandro Garnacho looks
Alejandro Garnacho hasn't had enough time to thrive (Image: Getty)
Liam Delap
Acquired from Chelsea for £45m, Delap has looked horribly out of place in Forest's attack. He has struggled significantly to justify his substantial price tag in the opening gameweeks.
If I were writing this article 12 months ago - just after Chelsea had snapped up Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m, I would find it hard to disagree with AI on this one. However, we're in the big 2026 and the 23-year-old has already broken the mould this season - scoring against Villa earlier this month.
Has Dominic Solanke scored this season? No. How about Taiwo Awoniyi? Nope. Tammy Abaham? How many goals does he have? Nada. A striker's job is to score goals, so I rest my case.
Liam Delap looks
Liam Delap is off the mark for Forest (Image: Getty)
Omar Marmoush
The loan signing from Eintracht Frankfurt was initially seen as a coup, but it has quickly turned into a gamble that isn't paying off yet. He has failed to make a positive impact in an already crowded Spurs attack.
Oh dear, oh dear, where do I begin with this one? While Spurs have picked up Marmoush on loan, they've brought the Egyptian forward in from Manchester City - not Eintracht Frankfurt. They also have a £60m obligation to buy him next summer.
Omar Marmoush stands
Omar Marmoush hasn't been the best this term (Image: Getty)
Marmoush hasn't mad an impact just yet in terms of goals or assists, but the 27-year-old has shown signs of promise thus far. He holds a 94% pass completion rate and has won 71% of his dribbles. He has also had 14 touches inside opponents' boxes, showing that he's getting in the right areas to prove devastating. Of course, that doesn't count for nought if he fails to put chances away - but with Spurs undertaking a complete overhaul of their first-team, he may take a little while longer to gel.