It is very hard for football players to stay at the top level in the Premier game, which is the most competitive and physically demanding game in the world. Every season, some players stand out because of how well they can affect games, whether it’s by scoring goals, playing defence, or controlling the middle. The 2024–25 season has been the same, with a number of players putting in great efforts week after week.
This season, both well-known superstars have kept their top spots and up-and-coming artists have made a name for themselves. While Mohamed Salah continues to amaze everyone with how well he plays at any age, players like Cole Palmer and Bryan Mbeumo have shown they belong with the best. Defenders and midfielders have also had their moments. Antonee Robinson and Ryan Gravenberch, for example, have shown that their jobs are just as important as the players’.
This list of the 15 best players in the Premier League takes into account all of their contributions, including goals, assists, defensive play, stability, and effect on their teams. The players range from creative playmakers to deadly finishers, and from rock-solid defenders to tireless midfield engines. These players have been in the league’s most exciting moments, as teams have fought for the title, a spot in Europe, and just to stay alive.
This season, these are the top 15 players in the Premier League. Stats may only tell part of the story, but there’s no denying that they change the pitch.
15. Thomas Partey (Arsenal)
Defensive midfielders aren’t usually rated on how many goals and assists they make, but their work is often the key to a team’s success. No defensive player has done better than Thomas Partey this season. Only Ryan Gravenberch has seen better play.
His defensive numbers show how important he is: he won 44 tackles (62% of the time), 128 duels (59.8% of the time), and 22 aerial duels (59.5% of the time). Besides that, he has blocked three shots, made 32 fouls, and recovered 106 loose balls. Partey isn’t known for his skill on offence, but he has still made two assists, giving him an expected assists (xA) value of 2.01.
Another strength is passing, with 1,185 successful passes and an amazing 88.9% accuracy rate. He has been able to control the game with his 47 perfect long balls (61% accuracy), and he has also made 15 chances.
14. Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
Chris Wood has been in great shape this season, scoring 18 goals compared to a predicted tally of 10.4 goals, which shows how well he finishes. His xG on target (xGOT) of 14.4 shows that he can make the most of chances to score goals.
He has taken 47 shots so far, and 28 of them have hit their targets, which is very good precision. In addition to scoring goals, Wood has set up three others, created 15 chances, and kept his long-ball accuracy at a solid 64.3%. His throwing accuracy is only 66%, but his cross accuracy of 100% shows that he is good at delivering from far away.
13. Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
Not a surprise addition? Not at all. Antonee Robinson has been one of the best fullbacks in the league. He has 10 assists, which is the same number as Bukayo Saka and just two less than Mohamed Salah.
It’s not often that a right back plays this imaginatively. Big names like Dani Carvajal, Jules Koundé, and Rico Lewis haven’t even come close to his stats. Some of his helps are:
• (e) vs. Leicester
• (-1) vs. Ipswich
• e-card vs. Brentford
• ️ vs. Brighton
• ▏㸏 vs. Liverpool
• ️ vs. Bournemouth
• vs. West Ham
This season, no goalkeeper in the Premier League has set up more goals.
12. John Stones (Tottenham Hotspur)
Even though Spurs have been having a bad season, James Maddison has been outstanding, hitting nine goals and setting up five others. He is still one of the best attacking midfielders in England and has been very important with his imaginative play.
Maddison has also made a name for himself as an expert at taking free kicks. After Maddison’s first game in 2018, only James Ward-Prowse (15) has scored more straight free kicks in the Premier League than him. He now has as many as Frank Lampard (9).
11. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
With two goals and six assists, Liverpool’s attacking full-back is still one of the best playmakers from defence. He has been very important to Liverpool’s title run and has helped them keep the best goal difference in the league.
10. Ryan Gravenberch has joined Liverpool.
Gravenberch’s stats make him arguably the best defensive player in the league this season. This season, he is the only player in the Premier League to make 40 or more tackles and 40 or more interceptions:
•45 stops
•40 interceptions
Only Mario Lemina (62.3%) has a higher duel win rate than Gravenberch (59.5%), and he has played at least 150 games.
Son Heung-min plays for Tottenham Hotspur.
Even though Tottenham has had a lot of illness problems, Son has kept delivering. He is still one of the most reliable forwards in the league, with six goals, nine assists, and four “Man of the Match” awards.
His place in North London Derby history is also set:
•14: Harry Kane
Number 8: Emmanuel Adebayor
•8: Son Heung-min
•7: Robert Pires
No. 5: Robin van Persie, Thierry Henry, and Gareth Bale
8. Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
After 27 games, Palmer had a great start to the season, scoring 14 goals and setting up six others. He won five Man of the Match awards. In his last 12 games, though, he has only scored three goals, which is a drop in form.
7. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
A great player who is lifting a team that is having trouble. This season, Bruno Fernandes has played for three different coaches and still helped set up 12 goals in 25 games.
Over 10 goals and assists have been scored or set up by him in all five of his full seasons at Manchester United:
•28 goals and 18 assists in 2020–21
•10 goals and 14 helpers in 2021–22
– 14 goals and 13 helpers in 2022–23
15 goals and 13 assists in 2023–24
•10 goals and 12 helpers in 2024 25
6. Arsenal player Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka is still one of the most important players in the Premier League this season, even though he has been out for over two months with a leg injury. The Arsenal winger had already scored 5 goals and set up 10 others before he got hurt in late December. This made him one of the most effective players in the league. He has been very important to Mikel Arteta’s team, as shown by the 15 goals he has helped set up in just 16 games.
Throughout the season, Saka’s skill at making chances and turning them into goals has been clear. Even though he has missed a few games, he is still one of the best assist makers in the league, tied for second place with Antonee Robinson. Because he is so creative, he has made 19 big chances, which is more than any other player in the Premier League. Quite surprisingly, 46% of the chances he has made have been big chances, and 24% have led to assists.
Saka’s ability to move, dribble, and make decisions in the final third is very important to Arsenal’s approach. Defenders have a hard time keeping up with him because he can speed up quickly and make technical plays while drawing multiple opponents. Arsenal has missed him, and he will continue to be one of the most important players in the league once he is fully healthy.
5. Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)
Alexander Isak has found his right place in the Premier League. Since moving from Real Sociedad to Newcastle United, he has become one of the most dangerous strikers in England. This season, the Swedish forward has been in great shape, hitting 19 goals and setting up 5 others in just 25 games. Even though Newcastle has had a lot of injuries this season, his steadiness in front of goal has helped them stay in the running for a European spot.
The things that make Isak a great forward are his speed, skill, and ability to finish. He has a lot of different ways to score, like a calm one-on-one finish, a strong shot from outside the box, or a smart header. He moves very well when he’s not carrying the ball, always putting himself in the best spot to take advantage of defence mistakes.
Due to how often he scores, he is also one of the players who has scored 50 Premier League goals the fastest. Isak joins Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, and Ruud van Nistelrooy as one of the best players in the world by reaching this goal with just 76 games to go. He is one of the best players in the league because he is good at scoring goals and can step up when it matters.
4. Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
Bryan Mbeumo has slowly become one of the Premier League’s best though least well-known attackers. Mbeumo has been a Brentford player for more than five years, including when they were in the Championship. This season has been his best in England’s top flight. In 26 games so far, he has scored 13 goals and set up 4 others, which is more than he scored all of last season.
Even more impressive than Mbeumo’s acts is the setting in which he works. Even though Brentford doesn’t have a lot of world-class stars, Mbeumo is still an important part of their attack. He is very flexible and can play on the left, as a second striker, or even as a forward by himself when needed. His passing, shooting, and goal-scoring skills have been very important for Brentford’s fight to stay in the league and move up to the middle of the table.
It’s also good that Mbeumo works hard. He never stops pressing players, goes back when needed, and always tries to make a big game difference. Because he is smart in the closing third and can finish, he has been one of the best players in the league this season.
3. Wolf Matheus Cunha
Individual brilliance is often overshadowed by team problems when you play for a team in the bottom half of the table. Matheus Cunha, on the other hand, has refused to let Wolverhampton Wanderers’ problems define his season. The Brazilian forward has been great. In 26 league games, he has scored 13 goals and set up 5 others, making him one of the most active players in the league. He has also been named Man of the Match 5 times, which shows how important he is.
Cunha isn’t just a typical striker who waits to be played through; he gets involved in the game by dropping deep to link up with midfielders and moving defenders around. Because of his technical skill, close control, and speed, he is hard to defend against, and his vision lets him set up chances for his partners.
Cunha’s ability to score amazing goals has been one of the best things about his season. This season, he has scored five goals from outside the box, which is more than any other league player. His goals against Aston Villa, Fulham, Manchester United, and Liverpool are some of the most famous ones. He is unpredictable and confident, as shown by the fact that he scored straight from a corner kick against a top team like Liverpool.
Even though Cunha is on a team that is having a bad season, he has continued to show that he is one of the most dangerous forwards in the league.
2. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Erling Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm since he joined Manchester City. He scored so many goals in his first season that he won the Premier League Golden Boot and the league title. He has continued to be the best this year, hitting 19 goals and setting up 3 others in 25 games. It’s clear that he’s one of the best players in the world because he’s won 5 Man of the Match awards.
The fact that Haaland can score in any situation makes him an extremely useful player for Pep Guardiola’s team. Defenders have no idea how to stop the Norwegian, whether it’s a tap-in, a powerful header, or a long-range goal. In the box, he can move like no one else, and when he sees the goal, his strength makes it almost impossible to stop him.
Aside from the goals he scores, Haaland’s presence alone changes the way Manchester City plays. Defenders have to pay extra attention to him, which makes room for John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva. His ability to draw defenders out of place helps City’s attack even when he’s not scoring.
Haaland has scored a lot of goals in the Premier League, and as long as he stays healthy, he will continue to be one of the best forwards in the world.
1. Mohamed Salah (Wayne Rooney)
This season, Mohamed Salah is not only the best player in the Premier League, but he may also be the most important player in the world. The Egyptian forward has once again had a great season. In 27 games, he has scored 25 goals and set up 16 others, making him the most effective player in the league. He has also won 14 Man of the Match awards, which shows how important he is to Liverpool’s success.
Salah has been the main reason why Liverpool has been so good under Arne Slot. His efforts have been very important in keeping Liverpool in the running for another Premier League title. They are currently 8 points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the table. He is the only player in the league who can deliver in big games, whether they are against teams that are in the running for the title or those that are in danger of being relegated.
