The Athletic have once again published their 50 best Premier League players, with this latest update coming after 50 games. The stats and numbers provide the basis for their risers and fallers, with performances so far shaping who has moved up and down the list.
Now, with Chelsea making a fast start to the season and most of their key players performing well across the opening four games (let’s forget Brentford), there was a strong case for some Blues to feature.
The likes of Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro have all been consistently impressive this season, with the Brazilian forward even picking up the Premier League Player of the Month award for August.
But how highly does The Athletic rate Chelsea’s best performers? Let’s take a look at the Blues players who feature, and where they rank.
Player (team) | Rank |
|---|---|
Erling Haaland (Manchester City) | 1(=) |
Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal) | 2 (+2) |
Declan Rice (Arsenal) | 3 (=) |
Elliot Anderson (Manchester City) | 4 (+6) |
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) | 5 (-2) |
Emi Martinez - 37 (New place)
A new entry on the list after being left out of the summer rankings, he may have earned his place more on reputation and past performances than on his current form this season.
Indeed, The Athletic’s justification focuses more on the work of his agent than on his performances to date, particularly given how he emerged as Chelsea’s No. 1 after the player scrambled for an exit in the latter stages of the transfer window.
There is no questioning his shot-stopping ability, which he has proven time and again, but his command of the area and tendency to make costly mistakes remain major concerns. For us at Pride of London, this feels like a particularly generous ranking.
Reece James - 31 (No movement)
His position was never likely to guarantee a particularly high ranking, but his performances in midfield haven’t exactly stood out across Chelsea’s first six competitive appearances.
The latest injury will disrupt any momentum he was building in that role, but hopefully he can return to action before too long and pick up where he left off.
Joao Pedro - 18 (No movement)
The Brazilian forward would have expected his strong start to the season to earn him a rise up the rankings, having scored three goals and provided three assists. Despite being named Player of the Month for August, however, there has been no change to his position.
He is currently sidelined through injury but is expected to return before the next set of rankings is released, giving him another opportunity to build on his impressive start and climb the list.
Cole Palmer - 14 (down 1)
Cole Palmer was in superb form early in the season, a timely reminder that last term was more an injury-hit campaign than a decline in his quality. Ultimately, his call-up to the national squad is a recognition, but his withdrawal a good thing.
If he can maintain this level of form throughout the season, his performances should put him in contention for a place among the Premier League’s top 10 by the time the rankings are updated again.
Moises Caicedo - 12 (down 5)
The biggest dropper on the list, and perhaps understandably so, having managed just 13 minutes of Premier League action this season. With so little game time under his belt, there are barely any statistics to make a case for him at this stage.
Hopefully, once he returns from injury and gets back to his best, he can climb his way back into the top 10.
Morgan Rogers - 11 (up 12)
The biggest mover on the list just misses out on the top 10, which is dominated by Arsenal and Manchester City, alongside a solitary Manchester United player. The £100 million man has certainly lived up to his price tag across the opening five games, proving to be a revelation for Chelsea.
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