Every Premier League club’s best player | OneFootball

The 2024/25 Premier League season is about to begin, with clubs and their supporters full of optimism about the year ahead.

Whether it’s a title charge, European qualification or a newly-promoted club hoping to avoid an immediate return to the Championship, everyone has their own unique aims and you’ll be hard-pressed to find many supporters without at least a hint of excitement about what lies ahead.

Of course, whether you’re Manchester City or Ipswich Town, to hit your targets and achieve respective greatness you need big performances from your top players. So, who are the biggest difference-makers at each Premier League club right now?

Here is the best player from each, calling upon the famous ‘Squawka Score’ built off attacking stats for players with at least 2,223 (65%) league minutes last season.

Arsenal: Bukayo Saka

Squawka Score: 81%

Bukayo Saka hit whole new heights last season, with a career-best 16-goal return in the Premier League alone — a record that extends to 20 goals across all competitions alongside 13 assists. Saka was first among Arsenal players in several key metrics in Premier League play in 2023/24, including goals (16), xG (15.5), shots on target (37), take-ons completed (49) and crosses completed (45).

It’s actually remarkable to think that Saka doesn’t even turn 23 until next month. It feels like he’s been around and at an elite level forever. In fact, he has the second-highest Squawka Score on this entire list, which is a pretty decent way to get us started.

Aston Villa: Ollie Watkins

Ollie Watkins’ winner for England in the final moments of their Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands will go down as one of the most iconic moments in Three Lions history, but nobody should be surprised at his impact after the campaign he had with Villa.

Across all competitions, the 28-year-old netted 27 goals, while his Premier League record stood at 19 goals and 13 assists. The former left him fourth behind only Alexander Isak (21), Cole Palmer (22) and Erling Haaland (27) in the Golden Boot race, while nobody could match him in the latter.

Watkins and Villa now have a Champions League adventure to look forward to.

Bournemouth: Antoine Semenyo

Until a few days ago, Dominic Solanke would have been the entry here following his 19-goal haul in the Premier League last season. However, the one-time England international — who will surely pick up more caps soon — has now departed to Tottenham. No other Bournemouth forward player clocked up the requisite minutes, so we’ve had to dig a little deeper here.

Antoine Semenyo was the Cherries’ next-best performer, scoring 54% with a rather respectable eight goals and two assists across 2,113 Premier League minutes. The 21-time Ghana international was first among Bournemouth players for take-ons attempted (105) last season, while coming second for take-ons completed (50), shots on target (31), goals scored (8) and through-balls attempted/completed (5/4).

Keep an eye out for Bournemouth’s imminent signing of Evanilson, with the Brazilian forward notching 25 goals and seven assists across all competitions for Porto last season, with a very impressive Squawka Score of 73%.

Brentford: Yoane Wissa

Brentford had to work hard in attack last season thanks to the suspension of Ivan Toney and a long-term injury sustained by Bryan Mbeumo. Yoane Wissa certainly stepped up and played a huge role in the struggling Bees eventually strolling to safety, bagging 12 goals and three assists in 34 Premier League appearances.

Wissa will hope to hit new levels with the returns of Mbeumo and Toney for the full campaign — if, of course, the latter remains a Brentford player through the rest of the summer transfer window.

Brighton: Simon Adingra

Returning from his loan at Belgian side Union-SG, Simon Adingra enjoyed a highly respectable first season in English football, notching seven goals and three assists in 39 combined Premier League and Europa League appearances — six goals and one assist in the Premier League.

Adingra was Brighton’s top league goalscorer from open play (6) and first for the Seagulls for take-ons completed (50), using his pace and trickery to terrorise defenders.

It’s worth noting that Joao Pedro also enjoyed an excellent campaign, scoring 20 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions, with a record of nine goals and three assists in the Premier League. His 2,047 minutes leaves him just short of the required threshold here.

Chelsea: Cole Palmer

It will probably come as absolutely no surprise that England’s Euro 2024 final goalscorer is the top performer on this list.

Cole Palmer burst aflame in his first season as a Chelsea player following a shock move from Manchester City, coming second in the Premier League Golden Boot race with 22 goals and second in the assists race with 11. Across all competitions, he hit the 40 mark for direct goal involvements (25g/15a).

Of course, the raw goals and assists only tell half the story of Palmer’s 2023/24 campaign, in which he also finished in the Premier League’s top five for penalties scored (9), shots on target (46), big chances scored (15), big chances created (17), through-balls completed (13) and open-play assists (10).

Simply phenomenal.

Crystal Palace: Jean-Philippe Mateta

For the first half of last season, it looked increasingly likely that Jean-Philippe Mateta would be consigned as a Crystal Palace flop and probably moved on this summer. Then Oliver Glasner arrived.

What followed was a remarkable return of 13 goals in 13 Premier League games under the Austrian, compared to just three goals in 22 games prior to his appointment. Matata ended 2023/24 with 19 goals and five assists across all competitions and heads into the new campaign off the back of a five-goal haul at the Olympics, where he helped France to a silver medal.

If Mateta can keep up these numbers, he may just give Palace an outside shot at European qualification or a cup run after the Eagles finished 10th last season.

Everton: Dwight McNeil

Everton were definitely a ‘sum of their parts’ sort of team last season, which is hardly surprising given Sean Dyche is their manager. So, it shouldn’t come as a shock to see their top performer, Dwight McNeil, having the lowest score on this list at 48%.

That’s not to say McNeil was bad, of course. The former Burnley man provided more assists (6) than any other Everton player in the Premier League last season, while he was also first for take-ons completed (30). But supporters will expect much more from him and a number of other players in blue this season.

It’s worth noting that Dominic Calvert-Lewin enjoyed a four-goal and one-assist flourish in his final seven Premier League appearances of the season, but only managed 2,186 minutes across the entire campaign.

Fulham: Alex Iwobi

Alex Iwobi can certainly be a frustrating figure, but there’s no doubting his technical ability. Last season, the Nigeria international was first among Fulham players in the Premier League for take-ons completed and second for chances created (49) following his move from Everton, helping the Cottagers finish 13th.

Ipswich Town: Conor Chaplin

Leif Davis is definitely one to watch for Ipswich this season following his ridiculous 21-assist return from left-back in the Championship. However, Conor Chaplin was the Tractor Boys’ top Squawka Score performer at 66% after producing 13 goals and nine assists in 44 league appearances.

Chaplin is a great mixture of grit and creativity, although his Squawka Score does require the caveat of being posted in the second tier.

Leicester City: Abdul Fatawu

Like Chaplin, there is a second-tier caveat to be inserted here. But there’s still no denying how important Abdul Fatawu was to Leicester’s Championship title push, with six goals and 13 assists alongside team-highs for take-ons completed (90) and big chances created (32).

Can he translate that form to the Premier League?

Liverpool: Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah needs no introduction here. Goalscoring phenom, creative genius, talismanic leader. He can do it all. In fact, there’s probably no better praise you can give the Egyptian than the fact that an 18-goal, 10-assist haul in the Premier League last season is to be considered bang average by his eye-watering standards.

It remains to be seen what a 32-year-old Salah will offer Liverpool under new manager Arne Slot, but we’re sure it’ll be special.

Manchester City: Phil Foden

Phil Foden was on a one-man mission to mop up individual awards last season, being named the Football Writers’ Association, Premier League and Manchester City Player of the Season. That’s hardly surprising given he dropped 27 goals and 12 assists across all competitions to help City to another Premier League title, an FA Cup final and the Champions League semi-finals — actually a poor return by their lofty standards.

Foden never quite replicated that form for England at Euro 2024, but there’s absolutely no doubt he will return strong for City in 2024/25 — especially with the second-highest Squawka Score in this list.

Manchester United: Bruno Fernandes

It was just a casual 15 goals and 13 assists for Bruno Fernandes last season to help Manchester United offset an eighth-place Premier League finish by winning the FA Cup.

The Red Devils’ captain recently put pen to paper on a new contract keeping him at Old Trafford until the summer of 2027 with another year on option and it’s easy to see why United are desperate for him to stick around, with Fernandes creating more chances (114) than any other Premier League player last season.

Fernandes has a central role to play if United are to continue growing under Erik ten Hag.

Newcastle United: Alexander Isak

As mentioned, Isak came third in the Golden Boot race last season with 21 goals, with that record extending to 25 across all competitions and meaning he’s netted 35 times in 67 appearances for the Magpies.

After some brief links with a move away, it’s become clear that Isak is all but certain to remain at St. James’ Park for at least another year and his finishing, speed and dribbling prowess will be key if Eddie Howe’s men are to secure an immediate return to European competition.

England winger Anthony Gordon also scored 69% on his Squawka Score but is heavily linked with boyhood club Liverpool at present.

Nottingham Forest: Morgan Gibbs-White

Nottingham Forest would not have survived over the past two seasons were it not for Morgan Gibbs-White, who has hit 10 goals and 18 assists in 72 Premier League appearances during that time. North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham were linked with the former Wolves man earlier in the summer but appear to have moved onto other targets, which is just as well given Gibbs-White’s 140 chances created since Forest’s Premier League return is at least 104 more than any other player at the club.

Southampton: Adam Armstrong

Scoring the winner in the playoff final is enough to make you a hero on its own, but that strike at Wembley for Adam Armstrong was his 24th of the season for Southampton, alongside another 13 assists.

Can he do it in the Premier League? Whether for the Saints or Newcastle, he’s struggled at that level in the past with just four goals and four assists in 68 top-flight appearances, but his confidence will be higher than ever on this occasion.

Tottenham Hotspur: Son Heung-min

He may now have competition from Solanke, but Son Heung-min was always going to be the Spurs entry with Harry Kane now long, long gone to Bayern Munich.

The South Korea international did his best to make sure Tottenham didn’t miss their former captain, taking the armband for himself and hitting 17 goals and 10 assists in 35 Premier League appearances. That was enough to lift the Lilywhites back into the Europa League and this time around, the 32-year-old will hope to be even more effective to inspire a return to the Champions League.

West Ham United: Mohammed Kudus

It takes some doing to take the limelight away from Jarrod Bowen at West Ham, but Mohammed Kudus enjoyed a wonderful debut campaign in England last season. The former Ajax man helped himself to eight goals and six assists in 33 Premier League appearances, extending to 14 goals across all competitions.

Kudus was also easily West Ham’s top dribbler in the Premier League with 124 completed — at least 83 more than any other teammate.

Liverpool were linked with the Ghana international as a potential long-term replacement for Salah but for now, Kudus’ focus should be on helping new Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui to push the club back into the European race.

Wolves: Matheus Cunha

Gary O’Neil deserves massive credit for maintaining Wolves as a steady Premier League outfit last season, finishing 14th and 20 points clear of relegation despite injuries and a modest budget.

Matheus Cunha was a big driving force behind their mid-table obscurity, with 12 goals and seven assists in 32 Premier League appearances. Another season like that from the 11-time Brazil international will likely attract the attention of bigger clubs but for now, he remains arguably Wolves’ most important asset — alongside Hwang Hee-chan.