Every Prem club’s player of the season so far includes four sold by Newcastle

Ian Watson 02 Dec 2025 1:16 PM

Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson and Dominik Szoboszlai.

A fifth of Premier League clubs have Newcastle to thank for their best player this season, even if the Toon’s highest-rated star was a more savvy piece of business…

Here we are, already over a third of the way into the season, and the Premier League is taking shape. At least at the very top and bottom. Everywhere in between is a wonderful chaotic mess.

Individually, the stand-outs are starting to… stand out. Here, according to WhoScored ratings, is every club’s best player of the season so far…

Arsenal – Declan Rice

The third-best player in the league so far, Rice’s rating (7.30) is matched by Gabriel, but the England star edges it on account of having played more minutes. Rice is becoming the complete midfielder, even if the battle between him and Moises Caicedo was won by… Reece James.

Aston Villa – Boubacar Kamara

Villa had a rough summer but their best signing may have been the contract extension penned by Kamara in July. His first goal of the season, the winner against Wolves, was Villa’s ninth from outside the box, more than they have scored inside the area. Which feels… unsustainable.

Bournemouth – Marcos Senesi

As one of the few defenders Bournemouth kept, we’re about to see how important the 28-year-old is since the Argentinian will sit out the clash with Everton due to suspension.He needed dropping anyway.

Brentford – Igor Thiago

The Premier League’s second-highest scorer with 11 goals in 13 games, Thiago’s exploits might be catching more attention if he wasn’t in Erling Haaland’s shade. Thiago, though, is matching Haaland for importance, both having scored 52 per cent of their team’s goals.

Brighton – Yankuba Minteh

Only Jeremy Doku and Mohammed Kudus have enjoyed more successful take-ons than the Liverpool-linked winger, with just Doku and Cody Gakpo recording a higher number for expected assists.

Burnley – Martin Dubravka

It is handy the summer signing has been in good form since no goalkeeper has been busier than Dubravka, the Slovakian making more saves than any other keeper having faced the most shots on target.

MORE: Who is the best Prem keeper this season? Vicario, Pickford plummet

Chelsea – Trevoh Chaolobah

Chalobah has had to be patient while establishing himself as a Chelsea starter but the defender has the seventh-highest average rating in the league, with Gabriel the only centre-back higher on the list.

Crystal Palace – Daniel Munoz

The Colombian has scored two and assisted another couple while showing himself to be the kind of wing-back Manchester United could use. Which may be one of Munoz’s primary motivations.

Everton – Iliman Ndiaye

Losing Ndiaye, their top scorer, during AFCON is a big worry for Everton, with his performances said to have put him on Liverpool’s shortlist along with Kenan Yildiz, Rodrygo and Michael Olise. Everton, of course, would never send Ndiaye up the road, but the company he’s keeping highlights the Senegal winger’s impressive form.

MORE: Prem clubs ranked on AFCON impact: Arsenal advantage, Sunderland screwed

Fulham – Kenny Tete

The right-back flirted hard with Everton over the summer but Tete stayed at Fulham to be the only Cottager averaging seven-plus this season.

Leeds United – Sean Longstaff

Arguably their best summer signing, Longstaff’s absence for the next four to six weeks is a massive blow to Daniel Farke. Even if the manager can’t think beyond the next two games.

Liverpool – Dominik Szoboszlai

It speaks to Liverpool’s wretched season that you have to go through 28 players on the list of WhoScored’s top Prem performers before a Red appears. And even then, it’s Szoboszlai, who’s been shunted around Arne Slot’s side, playing every Premier League minute along the way.

Manchester City – Erling Haaland

Obviously. Though Doku deserves a mention too as City’s and the Premier League’s next best player.

Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes

Again, obviously. Despite playing deeper, Fernandes remains United’s and the Premier League’s most creative player. Yet people still think he’s A Problem.

Newcastle United – Malick Thiaw

Given how many Prem clubs needed a centre-back in the summer, it is a surprise Newcastle were allowed a seemingly free run at Thiaw, whose superb start to Prem life earned the 24-year-old a Germany recall.

Nottingham Forest – Elliot Anderson

The fourth player on this list to be sold by Newcastle, Anderson has been not only Forest’s best player but one of England’s too. The midfielder was immense against Brighton – yet Forest still lost. They’ll miss him when he goes for £100million, maybe to City.

Sunderland – Granit Xhaka

The Premier League signing of the season and it’s not even close.

Tottenham Hotspur – Mohammed Kudus

It’s scary to think how bad Spurs would have been to watch without Kudus’s dribbling on the right flank. Mercifully for Thomas Frank, assuming he lasts long enough, Ghana f***ed up qualification for AFCON, so Tottenham won’t lose their only attacking spark. Though it might be worth the manager thinking of even a single alternative.

West Ham – Jarrod Bowen

It’s been Bowen or bust again for the Hammers this season, the captain seemingly having too much on his plate to stop one of his players committing self-sabotage.