Each week we use the Opta Player Ratings to review the top-performing players from each Premier League matchday.
The Opta Player Ratings are something we introduced this summer. For a quick primer on how they’re calculated, you can check our explainer here.
In short, the Opta Player Ratings take into account over 100 different metrics to provide an accurate measure of performance for every player over a single match, specific period or whole season. Those metrics power six subcomponents for each player – categories like shooting, passing and defending. Then, those subcomponents are combined to calculate a total score (from 20-100) according to a player’s position in the match.
These scores also power our brand-new gaming experiences, which are free-to-play and can be checked out below.
Here are the top performers from Matchday 10 in the Premier League.
1. Eddie Nketiah – 99.9 (ARSENAL vs. Sheffield United)
Eddie Nketiah’s first Premier League hat-trick capped off what was a perfect day for Arsenal on Saturday as Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a resounding 5-0 victory over struggling Sheffield United.
Nketiah, leading the line in the absence of Gabriel Jesus who will miss a few weeks through injury, got Arsenal rolling in the first half, superbly controlling a cross from Declan Rice to finish past Wes Foderingham. He doubled Arsenal’s lead in the second, reacting fastest to lash a loose ball in the box into the net, before notching his third moments later with a powerful strike from range.
Nketiah had previously scored a hat-trick for Arsenal in the EFL Cup, but never in the Premier League. In doing so, he became the 22nd different hat-trick scorer in the Premier League for Arsenal, and the first Arsenal player to bag one since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did so against Leeds United in February 2021. With those 22 individual hat-trick scores, Arsenal have more unique hat-trick scorers than any other team in the competition.
2. Dominik Szoboszlai – 98.2 (LIVERPOOL vs. Nottingham Forest)
Dominik Szoboszlai continued his lightning start to life at Liverpool with a commanding performance in the Reds’ 3-0 home win against Nottingham Forest.
The all-action midfielder was his usual hive of activity and dominated in almost every facet of the game. He created four chances – the most of any player on the pitch – including grabbing two assists, the second via an impressive raking pass to Mohamed Salah.
Off the ball, he won possession back for Liverpool 12 times, more than any player on either side and a tally that only three Liverpool players have bettered in a game this season (Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Joël Matip).
The Hungarian was involved in seven shots for his side in this match, the most of any player.
3. Mario Lemina – 96.4 (WOLVES vs. Newcastle United)
Mario Lemina was on the scoresheet as Wolves came from behind twice to draw 2-2 against Newcastle.
The midfielder doesn’t score often – this was his first strike of the season and just his fourth in 102 Premier League appearances – but he shrugged off Kieran Trippier at the back post to power home a header from a corner.
It was an assured performance from the Gabon international, who misplaced just one pass to finish with a 97.6% passing accuracy, the best figure of anyone who featured in this game.
He was dynamic out of possession too, winning the ball back for Wolves on 13 different occasions, more than anyone else on the pitch. In fact, that’s the highest tally for any Wolves player in a single game this season.
That combative off-the-ball display took Lemina’s possession won total for the season to 65, a figure that no other Wolves player can better.
4. Erling Haaland – 95.2 (Manchester United vs. MANCHESTER CITY)
Fourth last week and fourth again this week. Erling Haaland is as consistent as he is devastating.
The Norweigan grabbed two goals and an assist as Manchester City easily swept aside bitter rivals Manchester United.
The first came from the spot after the VAR handed City a penalty midway through the first half. Then, having nearly doubled City’s lead just before the break, Haaland scored City’s second just four minutes into the second half, heading home from Bernardo Silva’s cross.
Haaland then turned provider to set up Phil Foden for City’s third, which meant he has now directly contributed to eight goals (five goals and three assists) in his three Manchester derby appearances in the Premier League.
Those strikes took Haaland to 20 goals in 23 away appearances in the Premier League, the fewest games needed to reach this tally in the competition, overtaking Kevin Phillips’ record of 20 goals in his first 28 away games.
Only Sergio Agüero (eight goals in 13 games) has now scored more goals against Manchester United than Haaland (five goals in three games).
5. João Palhinha – 92.5 (Brighton vs. FULHAM)
Fulham must be counting their lucky stars that João Palhinha’s proposed deadline-day move to Bayern Munich fell through. With the Bavarian giants still reportedly interested in Palhinha that saga may not be over, but Marco Silva knows he can at least call upon the defensive midfielder until January.
So much of the Portuguese midfielder’s work comes off the ball, but he made a telling one on it against Brighton, finding himself on the edge of the box after Fulham won the ball back high up, before swivelling to smash home.
There was still plenty of his industry on show, though, with Palhinha contesting 22 duels against Brighton and winning an eye-popping 16 of them (72.7%). Both were by far and away the highest totals of any player on the pitch.
Top Performers by Game: Matchday 10
Here were the top-performing players across each game in MD 10:
Chelsea vs Brentford: Ethan Pinnock, 89.3
Bournemouth vs Burnley: Antoine Semenyo, 90.7
Arsenal vs Sheffield United: Eddie Nketiah, 99.9
Wolves vs Newcastle United: Mario Lemina, 94.7
West Ham vs Everton: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 84.0
Aston Villa vs Luton Town: Moussa Diaby, 88.8
Brighton vs Fulham: João Palhinha, 92.5
Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: Dominik Szoboszlai, 98.2
Aston Villa vs West Ham United: Douglas Luiz, 93.3
Manchester United vs Manchester City: Erling Haaland, 93.5
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