Standout performers from the Premier League this season 4.0
Using PFF FC grades and metrics, Grading Lead Luke McCabe highlights five standout performers from the Premier League so far this season, this time it’s Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves. To read more about how we grade players, click here.
Nottingham Forest - Matz Sels
After a quick dip in form towards the end of the year, Forest have regained their composure and won 7 of their last 8 in the Premier League, their only dropped points coming against leaders Liverpool. As the two-time European champions start dreaming about a return to the continent for the first time since a 1996 UEFA Cup quarter-final against Bayern Munich, they have a number of players who have contributed to this incredible run. Ola Aina and Nikola Milenkovic have been resolute in defence, while Chris Wood has a 91.4 shooting grade which is only behind Cole Palmer’s 99.5. Then their attacking midfield trio of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga have created 95 chances between them this season. However, Forest’s standout player has been goalkeeper Matz Sels.
The Belgian has the highest shot-stopping grade in the league (90.3) and has more positively graded saves than any other keeper, Sels has not had a single save attempt downgraded so far. What makes this even more impressive is he has faced the 4th most shots in the league, which is not a healthy position for a team in the top 3 to be in without an excellent goalkeeper. Liverpool’s Alisson and Caoimhin Kelleher have been forced into action on 76 occasions between them and Arsenal’s David Raya 77 times compared to Sels’ 99. As we rapidly approach the final third of the season, a large contributing factor to whether Forest will be celebrating a top 4 finish will come down to whether Sels is just in a great run of form or whether he’s establishing himself as one of the best goalkeepers in England.
Southampton - Ryan Manning
No Southampton player has exactly covered themselves in glory this season as the club currently sits bottom of the table with 6 points. With only one win so far they find themselves 10 points adrift of safety. This isn’t an article looking at a team’s player of the season up to this point, just somebody who stands out among others in our PFF FC Grades. There is one player who grades reasonably well but has found himself out of the team since new manager Ivan Juric took over - left-back Ryan Manning.
Manning was left out of the squad for the first 6 games of the season by previous manager Russell Martin before forcing his way back into the side. However, since Martin’s sacking Manning has yet to make a start in the Premier League, the Croatian head coach preferring Kyle Walker-Peters at left-back over the Irish international.
Looking at their performances side by side this season, Manning does seem to have the edge over Walker-Peters in a lot of categories.
Manning has 6 grades of 70+ compared to Walker-Peters 3 and Walker-Peters has slightly worse defensive positioning downgrades than Manning, even accounting for the fact Walker-Peters has played more than twice as many minutes. Manning hasn’t been excellent in his limited opportunities but has shown positive signs. For a team looking for any spark to save their season could a more creative player with a better cross grade and a natural left-foot be an answer?
Tottenham Hotspur - James Maddison
Tottenham are another side that has disappointed compared to expectations coming into the season. They currently sit 15th without a league win since their 5-0 dismantling of Southampton over a month ago. Despite their struggles their players have been putting in fine individual performances. Heung Min-Son has been his reliable self, Dejan Kulusevski still seems to go under the radar as a quality player and Dominic Solanke has chipped in with a couple of goals (even though Spurs would like him to go on a more consistent run in that area). The player I’ve chosen to have a look at however is James Maddison.
In his second season with Spurs he has continued the form he showed in the first couple of months of the 2023-2024 season before injury slowed down the second half of his year. Maddison has an 84.3 Passing grade, 9th best in the league and an 81.4 shooting grade. He’s also the third best player in the league at protecting the ball with an 86.7 tackle resistance grade. He has an 87.9 Passing grade under pressure which means he passes better when a defender’s baring down on him than he does when he has more time on the ball. He’s also got the third most line-breaking passes among attacking midfielders and an 88% pass completion rate under pressure.
West Ham United - Jarrod Bowen
Another team that finds themselves under new management, Graham Potter is probably itching to get his captain back from a foot fracture he suffered against Liverpool. Currently 10 points clear of the drop zone, West Ham will be looking to try and make that an even more comfortable gap over the next few games, hopefully as Bowen returns.
The England international has graded above-average or excellently in each of the key areas for a forward. His shooting grade of 87.8 is the 5th best in the league and his passing grade of 83.9 is the 10th best and first among wingers. He leads West Ham with 42 chances created, Lucas Paqueta is 2nd, trailing him by 18, and that 42 means only 5 wingers have created more than him this season. His 79.4 crossing grade also puts him 6th among wingers. On the defensive side of his game he’s also contributed. His 79.8 fifty/fifty duel grade puts him at the top of the list for wingers and attacking midfielders and he’s done the dirty work with a 75.0 tackling grade, 5th best among players at his position.
Wolves - Matheus Cunha
Wolves’ star man has been under fire from his manager this week for his attitude in the Monday night defeat to Chelsea but that shouldn’t overshadow the performances he’s put in. He’s averaging just shy of a goal every other game this season, his 10 accounting for almost a third of the team’s goals, and looks like a lone bright spot in a side that has really struggled.
Cunha has an 83.1 passing grade and an 84.7 passing grade on through balls, which is the third best for an attacking midfielder. He grades above average in fifty/fifty duels, shooting and dribbling and has an excellent 85.4 tackle resistance grade, good enough for 6th best in the league this season. He’s created 38 chances which is the second most for a player in one of the sides currently in the bottom five teams, only Ipswich’s Leif Davis has created more (41). He has also produced 70 line-breaking passes and has the 7th most defensive-line breaking passes with 17.
Cunha’s versatility and well-rounded game will bring a number of suitors as the transfer window enters its final stages.
This article was crafted using PFF FC Player grades. If you're affiliated with a club and would like to explore its capabilities, feel free to contact us at sales-fc@pff.com to arrange a demo.