We use the Opta Player Ratings to analyse the stats of the Premier League players of the week from Matchday 14.
For a quick primer on how the Opta Player Ratings are 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 ratings are at the heart of our set of brand-new, free-to-play gaming experiences, so if you think you can predict the upcoming Player Ratings each week, you should have a go at playing. There are a ton of prizes to be won.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the top performers from Matchday 14 in the Premier League.
1. Martin Ødegaard– 98.4 (ARSENAL 2-1 Wolves)
Mikel Arteta must be absolutely delighted to have his captain and talisman Martin Ødegaard fit and firing again after an injury-hit November. The Norwegian missed three games last month due to a hip injury and, although Arsenal won two of those, they never quite look as fluent without him.
A lack of attacking fluency has been a consistent theme for the team as a whole this year – in the Premier League at least – but Arsenal did have spells against Wolves where they looked back to their best.
Not least for Ødegaard’s goal, Arsenal’s second, which came after a brilliant 18-pass move down the left-hand side. Only six Premier League goals this season have come after more passes, while this was Arsenal’s longest passing sequence for a goal this campaign.
The Arsenal skipper also created six chances to go with his goal, the most any Arsenal player has created in a game this season, and the most for Ødegaard since he created seven against Aston Villa in February this year.
The midfielder was everywhere, attempting (88) and completing (78) more passes than anyone else on the pitch. A whopping 52 of those attempted passes came in Wolves’ defensive third. Only two players – Pascal Groß (64 against West Ham) and Cole Palmer (56 against Brentford) – have attempted more passes in the final third in a Premier Leauge game this season.
2. Jack Grealish – 94.1 (MANCHESTER CITY 3-3 Tottenham)
With the arrival and immediate success of new signing Jérémy Doku, Jack Grealish has found playing time harder to come by this season.
An injury-hit off-season meant Grealish returned to Manchester City’s pre-season camp undercooked, and he’s had to settle with piecemeal involvement in their title defence thus far. The winger has made the most substitute appearances of any City player this season (five).
But his introduction off the bench on Sunday showed his undeniable quality and highlights the extraordinary depth of City’s squad. Grealish’s performance was punctuated by what appeared to be the game-winning goal, as he swept home a ruthless City move that began with Rodri dispossessing Yves Bissouma midway through the Spurs half. That was cancelled out, of course, by Dejan Kulusevski’s late equaliser.
It didn’t quite feel like it, but there were also glimpses of the control that Grealish brings to City’s left side, with the Englishman winning five fouls in his limited cameo, at least two more than anyone else on the pitch. Grealish showed the physical side of his game too, winning six of his nine duels – more than anyone else on the pitch.
3. Josh Brownhill – 93.5 (BURNLEY 5-0 Sheffield United)
Josh Brownhill grabbed his third goal of the season as Burnley finally won a home league game. Going into this match, they were the last of all the 92 clubs in England’s top four tiers to win a home league match this season, but put their dismal run of nine consecutive Premier League defeats at Turf Moor to bed in convincing fashion.
Burnley led from the 15th second onwards courtesy of Jay Rodriguez’s rapid opener, and Brownhill bookended the day with a fine strike from the edge of the box in the 80th minute.
Burnley’s 5-0 win against Sheffield United represents the joint-largest margin of victory in Premier League history by a team starting the day bottom of the table, and the biggest since Sheffield Wednesday’s 5-0 win against Bolton in November 1997.
Only central midfield partner Sander Berge (12.3km) covered more ground than Brownhill (12.0km) in the game, as the Burnley skipper put in an influential performance both on and off the ball.
4. Zeki Amdouni – 93.0 (BURNLEY 5-0 Sheffield United)
Zeki Amdouni was another beneficiary in Burnley’s 5-0 win.
The Swiss striker killed the game with Burnley’s third goal after 73 minutes, reacting quickest to pounce on a loose ball on the edge of the area, before bursting through the heart of Sheffield United’s defence and finishing past Wes Foderingham. Amdouni then turned provider minutes later, teeing up Luca Koleosho for his first Burnley goal.
Amdouni leads all Burnley players for total shots (20), shots on target (11) and overall expected goals (2.25) this campaign, and you suspect he will need to run hot in front of goal to boost Burnley’s hopes of survival.
5. Neal Maupay – 91.9 (BRENTFORD 3-1 Luton)
Neal Maupay struggled on loan at Everton last year, scoring just once in 27 league appearances, a tally he eclipsed on Saturday after just eight league games at Brentford. As Yoane Wissa’s cross pin-balled around in the Luton box, Maupay was in the right place to slam home from close range.
An interview he gave to Sky Sports at the start of the season illuminated just how hard he’d found his time on Merseyside. “I’m always honest and tell the truth; last season, I didn’t enjoy myself. I didn’t enjoy my football and life up there was tough. The people around the club, the fans, made my life really difficult.”
Out of that environment, Maupay seems to be finding his feet once more. He’s either scored (2) or assisted (1) in three of his four Premier League home games for Brentford, as many goal involvements as in his previous 32 such games in the competition for Everton and Brighton (three goals).
Top Performers by Game: Matchday 14
Here were the top-performing players in each game in MD 14:
Arsenal 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Martin Ødegaard, 98.4
Brentford 3-1 Luton Town: Neal Maupay, 91.9
Burnley 5-0 Sheffield United: Josh Brownhill, 93.5
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton: Orel Mangala, 83.0
Newcastle United 1-0 Manchester United: Anthony Gordon, 89.2
Bournemouth 2-2 Aston Villa: Ollie Watkins, 90.2
Chelsea 3-2 Brighton and Hove Albion: Facundo Buonanotte, 86.5
Liverpool 4-3 Fulham: Trent Alexander-Arnold, 87.4
West Ham United 1-1 Crystal Palace: Mohammed Kudus, 90.3
Manchester City 3-3 Tottenham Hotspur: Jack Grealish, 94.1
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