Top 50 EPL Players Entering the 2019-20 Season
By Jeff Weisinger
The 2018-19 season gave us memories, dominant play, and one heck of a race for the league title, eventually won by Manchester City on decision day.
With the 2019-20 season coming fast and as teams are reporting for pre-season training camp in preparation for the upcoming campaign, we took to the near impossible task of ranking the top 50 players entering the Premier League this season. Most of these are recognizable names, with a few newcomers on newly-promoted teams to watch.
Here are our top 50 players entering the start of the Premier League season next month, with some merit based on overall talent for the player but mostly based on their production from the 2018-19 campaign.
50. Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City
When on the pitch, and when healthy, Kevin de Bruyne is one of the best midfielders in the game. Neither of those two really happened last season. The Belgian mid missed half of the season due to one leg injury after another, scoring just a pair of goals and tallying only a pair of assists. But, when healthy, as he should be entering this season, de Bruyne can tally over 16 assists per season as he did in the two previous years before last season and will be looking to get back to that in a comeback season for him in 2019.
49. Shane Duffy, Brighton and Hove Albion
The Irish defender made a big name for himself scoring this season for the Seagulls, finishing second on Brighton with five while tallying four assists for an attack that struggled to score in 2018-19 and barely survived relegation. Duffy’s five goals also put him in second in goalscoring, behind just one other central defender in any of Europe’s top-five leagues – Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos. Not a bad name to be associated with. With a new manager in place, Duffy will be expected to have a better season in what’s expected to be a fast start for the Seagulls under new manager Graham Potter. The Seagulls open the season with three matches against teams that finished in the bottom half, opening the way also for a fast start in the goal tallies for Duffy.
48. Ahmed El Mohamady, Aston Villa
Aston Villa did some strong work in the Championship last year and gave us several players to watch for entering their return to the top flight in 2019. El Mohamady’s eight assists last season were more than any other newly promoted defender entering this season (also his most since 2012-13), along with his 52 key passes, also the most among recently promoted defenders. He netted a pair of goals just to add the cherry on top of a strong comeback season. El Mohamady’s eight assist-season comes on top of his five-assist season a year ago. Aston Villa also led the league in spending this summer (93.1 million Euros spent), looking to stay in the Premier League for the foreseeable future.
47. Emi Buendia, Norwich City
Buendia’s 12 assists for the Canaries in their return from the Championship is the most of any newly-promoted player entering the Prem in 2019 (and a personal career-best). He also netted eight goals for good measure. His 91 key passes from last season could have him on pace for a similar type of season assist-wise, and he barely trailed Sheffield United’s Oiliver Norwood for most in the Championship last year. Their return to the Premier League will be rough, but Buendia will be looking to prove himself in his first time in a top-flight league since 2015-16 in Spain.
46. Solomon Rondon, West Brom United
Rondon returns to West Brom after scoring 11 goals and tallying seven assists for a Newcastle United side that struggled at times in the Premiership. But they survived, and finished mid-table last season. His 11 goals with the Magpies in the 2018-19 campaign marked the first time that the Venezuelan striker reached the double-digit mark in league play since he arrived in the Premier League in 2015. After one of his best individual seasons since 2014 in Russia where he netted 13 goals, Rondon’s biggest question mark is if he can actually outdo himself in 2019.
45. Moussa Sissoko, Tottenham Hotspur
In a season nobody saw coming, Sissoko got his groove back and became one of the most effective central-midfielders in England and possibly Europe this season. He proved everyone who questioned him wrong and became a staple in manager Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI. Sissoko’s stock is on the rise and it’s easy to see him continue his hot streak with the Spurs when 2019 kicks off.
44. Conor Coady, Wolves
Coady started every match for the Wolves backline last season in his first year as a Premier League regular. He found a ton of success dropping back from his original center-midfielder position into centerback and turned every lesson he got from his old Liverpool days into becoming a rising star defender in England. Considering Coady has played just about every match for the Wolves since his arrival in 2015, it’s hard to see him regressing anytime soon, especially next year.
43. Jack Grealish, Aston Villa
The 23-year-old Grealish showed his value in the Championship last year and is looking to make an even bigger statement as Aston Villa returns to the top flight this year. Injuries held him to just 34 appearances, in which he scored six goals and tallied six assists; but he also led Aston Villa with 78 chances created, more than anyone else on the team last year. He could get off to a hot start as Aston Villa have relatively easy start to the season with just two opponents that finished in the top seven last year (Tottenham in Week 1 and Arsenal in Week 6) to open the campaign.
42. Conor Hourihane, Aston Villa
Where Grealish found the spotlight with his all-around play last year, Hourihane found the back of the net. The 28-year-old Irish midfielder netted eight goals –including an important goal in the promotion playoffs – and tallied 11 assists for an Aston Villa side that scored 82 goals in the Championship last year. Like Grealish, Hourihane could explode onto the goalscoring sheet early with Aston Villa’s relatively easy start to the 2019-20 season.
41. Wilfried Ndidi, Leicester City
Ndidi may get more attention if he played for a bigger club than the shocking one-time, underdog champion Leicester City. He was one of the best defensive mids last season, leading all EPL mids with 144 tackles and was third in interceptions with 83. At just 22, turning 23 in December, he can still improve many parts of his offensive game. After appearing in 33 matches in 2017-18, Ndidi started in every match for the Foxes last season, building consistency and reliability.
40. Gylfi Sigurdsson, Everton
Last year, Everton went as far as Sigurdsson went. When he was on, so was Everton. When he was off, well, so was Everton. Sigurdsson’s 13 goals in the Premier League last year tied Paul Pogba’s for most by any midfielder. He could face some competition from within; he turns 30 in September and the team may bring in a younger midfielder to either play with or play over him. Sigurdsson’s 13-goal season was also his first double-digit campaign since he scored 11 in 2015-16, then for Swansea.
39. Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace
In the 2017-18 season, Wilfried Zaha was Crystal Palace. He could take a bit of a break last year, though. With breakout seasons by guys like Andros Townsend, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Luka Milijovevic, Zaha was still productive, despite taking less of the offensive load on his shoulders. He recorded the first double-digit scoring season of his career last year and marked his third-career 10-assist season. He’s continued to raise his stock since arriving at Crystal Palace in 2014 and that doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon.
38. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Manchester United
The 21-year-old right back was Crystal Palace’s best player this season, dominating on the pitch, helping set up the attack and, defensively, locking down his area out wide. He made a name for himself in just seven starts, earning a five-year deal with Manchester United this summer. If England wasn’t already stacked at full-back, Wan-Bissaka would’ve already capped with the Three Lions; even though there’s still time for England to make that move, DR Congo may come calling sooner than later. Like many of the young players who took to the pitch in England on much fuller roles this season, he will be a player to watch for in 2019.
37. Diogo Jota, Wolves
Diogo Jota might be a bigger star if he played for a larger club than Wolverhampton. The 22-year-old returned from his loan spell at Atletico Madrid and dropped 10 goals in all competitions for the Wolves last year. He started the season slow, waiting until December to score his first Premier League goal. But once he was moved from the wing to the No. 9 spot, he began to score in bunches, posting a hat-trick in his debut at center forward against Leicester City. Now that he has his place on the pitch set at the No. 9, we’ll have to see if he can progress there, or if last year was just a fluke.
36. Jamie Vardy, Leicester City
The “Jamie Vardy party” was relatively quiet last season, despite Vardy pouring in 18 goals with four assists. He hasn’t come close to that magical, Premier League winning 2015-16 campaign where he scored a career-high 24 goals with eight assists. The question is, can he keep up the pace he’s set of around 20 goals a season?
35. Christian Eriksen, Tottenham Hotspur
Despite having a subpar season by his standards, Eriksen still played a role in guiding the Spurs Champions League Final run. Along with his eight goals, he “only” tallied 12 assists in the Premier League this season, tied for third with City’s Raheem Sterling, and three behind now-former Chelsea star Eden Hazard for most in the league. Look for Eriksen to rebound from a down year when 2019 kicks off.
34. Callum Wilson, Bournemouth
Wilson had the most productive season of his career with Bournemouth so far last year, reaching double digits in goals (14) and assists (10) after clawing back from a torn ACL just a year earlier. Where a torn knee could end a forward’s career, Wilson got better, especially adding in the new passing element to his game last season. How he builds on this season will have to be seen. Wilson’s reached the 20-goal mark just twice in his career, but both times were in the lower divisions in Championship and League One. He’s never recorded back-to-back double-digit scoring seasons in his career and the 14 he netted last year was a career-best for him in the Premier League.
33. Victor Lindelof, Manchester United
Like most at Manchester United, once Jose Mourinho left, Lindelof got better. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Lindelof was right back into his World Cup form, a key part of a defensive backline that earned 11 clean sheets last season while switching between a back three and back four. Expect Lindelof and all of Manchester United to continue to build forward in the first full season under Solskjaer in 2019.
32. James Maddison, Leicester City
In his first year in the top flight, the 22-year-old Maddison immediately became a staple in the Foxes’ midfield, and the sky became the limit. He scored seven goals and assists in his first year with Leicester and was the only player in the Premier League to create 100 goal-scoring opportunities.Like the rest of the youth coming up in the Premier League, Maddison’s growth will be watched closely in 2019, especially if he can build on his seven-goal performance from last season. He’s reached double-digits once in his career, in 2017-19 with Norwich City in the Championship, netting 14, and given the opportunity, could reach double digits for the first time in his Premier League career next year.
31. Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur
Alli’s value was proven to the Spurs when he wasn’t on the pitch. Leg injuries kept him out for long spurts throughout the season, forcing him to miss five of his first 10 matches of the campaign; he then missed seven of 10 matches between the end of January and April with a thigh strain and subsequently a fractured hand. However, he still managed to produce when he was playing last year, tallying five goals with three assists. Those aren’t anywhere near his normal numbers, and it’s reasonable to assume he’ll be putting up big numbers once more when healthy. Is 2019 Alli’s comeback season? We’ll see.
30. David de Gea, Manchester United
Let’s be real: the 28-year-old Spaniard is still one of the best goalkeepers in the world, even if it wasn’t on display last year. Normally, De Gea would be much higher on this list with his ability to make match-saving saves when needed most and for his consistency. But his low total of seven clean sheets compared to the 54 goals he conceded last season is the worst since he arrived in Manchester in 2011. Expect him and United to bounce back in 2019-20, and expect him to prove himself as one of the world’s best goalkeepers.
29. Declan Rice, West Ham
Rice had himself quite the year out of West Ham’s academy last season, and at just 20, he has a lot of room to get even better. In less than a season, the midfielder became a staple in the Hammers’ starting XI with his solid distribution, and earned his first cap for England in the process. Rice can continue to raise his stock through the world.
28. David Luiz, Chelsea
Chelsea’s David Luiz is still one of the top center-backs in the Premier League, ranking second amongst his position in key passes and fifth in successful dribbles. He also earned himself three goals and a pair of assists in a strong season for the Blues in 2018-19 and should continue his consistent play in 2019.
27. Raul Jimenez, Wolves
After a breakout season on loan from Benfica, Wolverhampton made sure to keep Jimenez. The 27-year-old Mexican forward doubled his goal tally from Primeira Liga a year ago, scoring 13 goals with eight assists in his first season in England’s top flight in 2018-19. It was his first double-digit scoring season in his career, doing it in the world’s top league. There’s no reason he can’t repeat, or even outdo his 2018 performance this year.
26. Marcus Rashford, Manchester United
The 21-year-old forward continues to grow as a threat in United’s attacking front and became Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s top No. 9 option, forcing Romelu Lukaku to the bench. However, his play fell off a bit toward the end of the season; after scoring 10 goals and tallying seven assists early on, Rashford scored just once in the last 11 matches. Still, next season projects to hold more improvement for the young forward.
25. Martin Dubravka, Newcastle United
Rafa Benitez did a fantastic job turning dirt into diamonds during his time in Newcastle, and Dubravka is a shining example of it. He started in all 38 matches for the Magpies last season, racking 11 clean sheets while conceding just 48 goals. He was the bright spot for a side that struggled heavily to find the back of the net to start the season, scoring just four times in the first six matches. Without Dubravka, Newcastle goes back to the Championship division easily. The question for Dubravka and the Magpies in 2019, so far, is who is managing the club?
24. Lukasz Fabianski, West Ham United
Fabianski suffered from a terrible backline in the 2018-19 campaign, but with him, they “only” conceded the seventh-most goals during the season, and the numbers would have been much worse with someone else in net. He allowed 55 goals while recording seven clean sheets in his first season in West Ham. He’s still regarded as one of the Prem’s best goalkeepers since 2014, ranking top five in total saves in each of the last five years. He should do better with better defensive play from his backline in 2019, but regardless, he’s proven he can hold his own and, barring injury, that shouldn’t change next season.
23. Toby Alderweireld, Tottenham Hotspur
Alderweireld played a huge part as a staple center-back in a Spurs backline that fought their way to the UCL Final, and a fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season. The Spurs were just one of four teams to allow less than 40 goals last year, tying Chelsea with 39 goals conceded.
22. Jan Vertonghen, Tottenham Hotspur
The other half of Tottenham’s dynamic center-back pairing, Vertonghen was once again one of the Spurs’ most reliable players. His ability to stop opposing attacks and spark the Spurs counter with his elite passing and ability to bring the ball up from the center-back position was invaluable for Tottenham and should continue next year.
21. Georginio Wijnaldum, Liverpool
Wijnaldum didn’t light it up on the stat sheet last season, tallying just three goals during league play, but the highlight of his season was his brace against Barcelona in Liverpool’s historic comeback in the Champions League knockouts. However, his stats in domestic play don’t tell his whole story. He’s become a staple in Liverpool’s midfield since arriving at Anfield in 2016, staying cool under pressure and keeping control of the ball when things get frantic. He has become the fulcrum between Liverpool’s defense and attacking front and looks to continue to be the leader in the midfield going forward.
20. Ryan Fraser, Bournemouth
The Scottish winger played in every match for Bournemouth last season and started the year like he was shot out of a cannon, netting three goals and tallying two assists in the first five matches of the campaign. He slowed down dramatically afterwards, going scoreless in nine of his remaining matches following his hot start. Overall, his career-high seven goals and 14 assists kept Bournemouth away from the bottom of the EPL table and relegation and his meteoric rise toward the top of everyone’s ranking is worth noting entering next season. How he continues it will have to be seen, especially if he plays another full 38-game schedule in 2019.
19. Roberto Firmino, Liverpool
When healthy, Roberto Firmino is one of the Premier League’s best strikers. Firmino posted 16 goals in all competitions last season (12 in league, four in Champions League) despite missing some time toward the end of the year due to injuries; he missed the last three matches of the Premier League season and the historic second-leg comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League semis. If he is fully healthy for the 2019 campaign, Firmino is easily top-10 after the season is over.
18. Alisson, Liverpool
Alisson is one of the top goalkeepers in the world, Liverpool paid him as such last summer, and he proved it this season. He played a crucial role in building Liverpool’s top defense, along with center-back Virgil van Dijk, racking 21 clean sheets while conceding just 22 total goals during the regular season. Alisson’s performance helped Liverpool supporters get over the nightmare of Loris Karius’ UCL final disaster last year, helping guide the Reds to the UCL trophy this season. It’ll be interesting to see if he can build on a career-year with Liverpool in 2019.
17. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold is pretty much starting his career as one of the best full-backs in the world, at just 20. In his first full season with the first team, he tallied 12 assists, including grabbing at last one assist in five of the final six matches of the EPL season. Look for him to continue his dominance and growth as Liverpool goes after the Premier League trophy while defending their Champions League title next year.
16. Joao Moutinho, Wolves
The £5 million Wolverhampton spent on Moutinho last summer is definitely money well spent. Where several other Wolves had standout seasons, Moutinho was the mastermind behind it all, setting the tone for guys like Ruben Neves and Raul Jiminez to grab their highlight goals. He found the net just once and six of his eight total assists came in a six-match span during the winter. But his ability to handle things in front of the Wolves back three should continue to set the tone this coming season.
15. Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal
He may not be as prolific a scorer as he was thought to be coming from Lyon. However, Lacazette has become a more complete striker with Arsenal. He scored only 13 goals in Premier League play last year but also added 10 assists to his totals, the first time he’s reached double digits in that area. Where his attacking partner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, adds the electricity to the Gunners’ attack, Lacazette adds the tactical awareness and high work rate.
14. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal
Aubameyang has adapted to the Prem and to Unai Emery’s system in his first full season with Arsenal, doubling his goal-tally after he arrived during the January transfer window in 2018. Last season, he netted 31 total goals for Arsenal in all competitions, matching his total from his 2017-18 campaign with both German side Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal. Arsenal has a dangerous attacking pair between him and Lacazette if Emery can perfect their attacking tactics together entering the 2019 campaign.
13. Leroy Sane, Manchester City
The German speedster can easily get overshadowed in City’s attacking front with guys like Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling, but Sane is just as dangerous and important in City’s success as just about anyone who puts on that City blue shirt. He’d be a regular in the biggest matches if he just followed Pep’s directions. But his quality cannot be questioned. He scored 10 goals and tallied 11 assists even though 10 of his 31 appearances came off the bench; three of those second-half appearances came at the end of the season where he netted an important insurance goal against Manchester United in April.
12. Paul Pogba, Manchester United
Paul Pogba is still one of the best midfielders in the world, and he proved it once again after Jose Mourinho left and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stepped in. He thrived in the midfield once Solskjaer gave him more freedom and during the winter alone he netted nine of his total 13 goals and tallied six assists in 10 EPL matches from Christmas through February. He totaled a career-high 13 goals with nine assists during the EPL season and should continue to play like one of the world’s best mids next year.
11. Fernandinho, Manchester City
If Fernandinho didn’t prove his importance and value on the pitch before, he did in City’s title run last season. Two of City’s losses during the holidays came without him on the field and every potential heir at the No. 6 role hasn’t been able to fill his boots. He will have to be replaced one day. It’s not anytime soon.
10. Heung-Min Son, Tottenham Hotspur
There’s no player in the Premier League that has to deal with international commitments like Heung-Min Son. But regardless of the stress of playing for South Korea to pair with his UCL run with the Spurs, Son shined like no other in 2018-19, especially once he hit his stride in late November. He matched his 12-goal total from 2017-18 and tallied one more assist (7), but it’s his pace and strength in the attack that makes him just about unstoppable. When Harry Kane was out to injury, Son filled in as the chief attacker just fine.
9. Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur
Ankle injuries hampered Kane’s 2018-19 campaign, holding him to “only” 17 goals and four assists in 28 EPL matches played last season. His 17 goals fell short of his normal production (20 goals scored in every year since 2014). When healthy, he’s a lethal and near-automatic scorer, but Kane’s new ability to drop back to dictate and create the attack is something worth watching this season. Now that he’s healthy, and apparently lost weight entering training camp, he could return to his dominant play we’re used to seeing and could have more opportunities with teams keying in on Heung-Min Son more now as well.
8. Aymeric Laporte, Manchester City
City’s title run saw several center-back combos last year, but there was always one constant: Aymeric Laporte. Regardless if he was paired alongside Vincent Kompany, John Stones or even Nicolas Otamendi, he was City’s most consistent player in 2018-19 for a defensive backline that was ranked just second behind Liverpool’s near-impenetrable back-four.
7. Raheem Sterling, Manchester City
Sterling cemented himself as one of the Premier League’s, and maybe football’s, best attackers last season, and only now is he finally getting the credit he’s long deserved. He came within a goal and three assists short of his 2017-18 totals – scoring 17 goals with 12 assists in 2018-19 – and showed incredible improvement on the pitch. Expect all of this to continue under Pep in City’s title-defense 2019 season.
6. Andrew Robertson, Liverpool
Andrew Robertson established himself as one of the best left-backs in the Prem last season and perhaps the world, helping guide Liverpool’s dominant defensive play en route to guiding the Reds to a UCL title and challenging City in the EPL. He proved his value as well in the attack, contributing a career-high 11 assists. Robertson’s growth has helped Liverpool reached the heights that they’ve hit last year and should continue to make them a force in 2019.
5. Bernardo Silva, Manchester City
Silva stepped up big time in City’s run to a back-to-back EPL title this season with Kevin de Bruyne out to injury and David Silva playing a deeper role. His stats (seven goals, eight assists) don’t tell the story of his season last year. His near-infinite work rate, crazy movement, and ability to retain possession in the attack made him as valuable (if not more) than both de Bruyne and David Silva.
4. Sadio Mane, Liverpool
Sadio Mane would be THE star in Anfield if not for the likes of guys like Salah. Despite a slow start to the beginning of the campaign, Mane exploded in the goal-scoring tallies, racking a career-high 22 goals in the EPL last year, doubling his total from any of his four years in England beforehand. His two assists were a career-low, but it’s kind of a moot point when considering his ridiculous goal-scoring numbers. Along with Mo Salah in the attack and Alisson and van Dijk defending, Liverpool is simply too dangerous to expect anything less than success next season.
3. Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool
Where Alisson played a crucial role in net for Liverpool’s near-impenetrable defense last season, Virgil van Dijk ran the show. Before van Dijk’s arrival, Liverpool conceded on average just over a goal per game. After his arrival, that average was cut in half. He’s one of the world’s best defenders and has the hardware to prove it.
2. Mohammed Salah, Liverpool
Salah’s form dropped a little bit last season, but he’s been as dominant as they come since his arrival to Liverpool in 2017. He scored 32 in his Liverpool debut season in 2017 and 22 this year, and now he has the hardware to go along with all of his goals scored. By the way, as long as Salah’s in Anfield and coached by Jurgen Klopp, there will be many, many more goals to come.
1. Sergio Aguero, Manchester City
Whenever the ball is at Sergio Aguero’s feet anywhere near the 18-yard-box, he’s a threat to score and he’s shown that since his arrival to England from Spain’s La Liga in 2011. He’s tallied double-digit scoring seasons in every year, scoring 20 or more goals in six of his eight seasons in Manchester including the last five in a row. He’s just about as automatic a scorer as they come and that isn’t changing anytime in the near future.