Premier League 2025-26 Player of the Year Power Rankings: Erling Haaland and Declan Rice lead the way at Christmas

It's been a miserable season so far for Liverpool, but you can't blame Hugo Ekitike for his efforts. Of all the mega-money strikers signed by Premier League clubs over the summer, he's the one who has shone brightest.

Ekitike has risen above the noise at Anfield to make the No.9 role his own, even before £125 million Alexander Isak fractured his leg. With eight goals in 16 games and a place in the France squad under his belt, the sky seems the limit for 23-year-old.

He's even got the Thierry Henry seal of approval for favourite player this term. "I'll go with with Hugo Ekitike, because at the beginning, he had to prove that he could be at Liverpool, and he did," the Arsenal legend said. "Now the club is struggling and he's still delivering. He surprised me. I knew he had that in his locker, but I didn't know it was going to be that quick in terms of how he adapted. Of course, it's easier to adapt when a team is rolling. But he adapted, then he went on the bench, didn't say anything, came back and still scores his goals, so you have to put him up there."

After sweeping the many 2023-24 Player of the Year awards, Phil Foden put up an incredibly weak fight to retain those crowns last season. Manchester City had plenty of problems, not least trying to cope without Rodri following his ACL injury, but Foden going from the Premier League's best player to one of the least impactful for a top side was also a massive issue.

He's sought to make amends this time around. The 25-year-old isn't taking games by the scruff of the neck in the same way he did two years ago, but he's still doing his bit to help carry the attacking load, contributing seven goals and two assists in 15 league games thus far.

With added competition for his England place and City potentially adding another star attacker to their ranks during the January window, perhaps Foden is feeling the heat and performing exceptionally under pressure once again.

What a turnaround Aston Villa have enjoyed this season. They opened their Premier League campaign with two points from five games, but have won 11 and lost one of their 12 matches since.

Morgan Rogers has been symbolic of that reversal. During a Europa League tie with Bologna in September, he was ironically cheered by Villa fans whenever he completed a pass because they had grown so frustrated with his wasteful nature. Now, he's turned into a cheat code.

Every week, Rogers seems to be defying xG at a Gareth Bale 2012-13-style rate. Banger after banger, screamer after screamer. Villa have put themselves in a position to challenge for the title, and if their star attacker, currently on seven league goals, can keep up his end of the bargain, then they're going to stay in that race.

Unai Emery has urged Rogers to remain 'angry' in his search for goals. "Always he plays well. He does his task and he is versatile across different positions," he said following the forward's brace at Leeds.

"Maybe today he showed that he is angry to score. Being angry, he scored two goals, focusing on how he could get numbers. He did it, helping the team and for our victory today. He is a player who can get numbers. Last year he got double numbers for goals and assists. This year I think he will get this again.

"He was playing fantastic before this match, not getting numbers, but helping the team. With those goals today, it’s more brilliant. I think Morgan is very important when he is scoring and when he is not scoring. He is working tactically, being versatile, and performing very consistently.

"Hungry and angry to score. Both. It is in this direction."

The Chelsea-led campaign for Moises Caicedo to get more recognition in the race for the Player of the Year award has quietened over the last few weeks. There's no doubting the Ecuadorian's quality or that he was indeed one of the Premier League's best performers during the first few months of 2025-26, but his red card against Arsenal put a dent in his and the Blues' progress.

Even when all the publicity regarding Caicedo was good publicity, he remained humble and determined to improve. When asked by the Daily Mail last month if he's the best defensive midfielder in the world, the 24-year-old replied: "No. So many [players are better than me]. I don't want to say to the world that I'm the best because there’s no truth to that. In my mind, I'm the best version of myself, if you know what I mean? It's different when you say you are the best in the world to the world. 

"There are so many good players in my position. I'm doing my best. But I need to show more because I feel like I can do more. With goals, with assists, I can feel it. I know I play in a position where I help the centre-backs, but I can do more."

The list of centre-backs to have won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award (the one that actually matters to the masses, not the Premier League and FWA equivalents) is incredibly short. Since its inception in 1973, only Norman Hunter, Colin Todd, Gary Pallister, Paul McGrath, John Terry and Virgil van Dijk have taken that prize home having played in the middle of defence. As you can see, it's even more uncommon in the modern era.

Gabriel Magalhaes, through the first third of the season, felt like a worthy candidate to add his name to that exclusive list. His presence at either end of the pitch is a unique threat.

"If you ask me what I want from my centre-back, I want somebody who dominates both boxes and masters that. Gabriel can do that," Arteta said earlier in the campaign. "He defends like a world-class defender, and he attacks like a world-class attacker. When you look at his presence, the way he leads the team, the way he talks to people, his body language, there’s a lot to like. It’s no coincidence that he has evolved into one of the best centre-backs in the world."

Alas, Gabriel has sadly taken a tumble down these rankings after suffering an injury during the November international break. Once he's fully fit again in 2026, he'll likely rise back up the charts.

What a strange career arc Xhaka has had. A prospect at Borussia Monchengladbach, a liability and complete opposite of a fan favourite to start at Arsenal, adored by the supporters by the time he left, the engine of an invincible Bayer Leverkusen side, and now the elder statesman for a Sunderland team exciting the world.

The Black Cats trailed 1-0 to Sheffield United in May's Championship play-off final, but a stunning second-half comeback has completely turned their 2025 on its head. Xhaka was the cherry on top of a fantastic summer window that primed them to survive relegation, and those on Wearside are starting to dream of Europe.

Wayne Rooney and we at GOAL have something in common - we believe Xhaka is the best Premier League signing so far this season. "Coming back to the Premier League you wonder if he can do it. Obviously with a promoted team as well coming up, what impact could he have? But he's probably been the signing of the season. He has been brilliant," Rooney said.

"When he had the situation with Arsenal, when he fell out with the fans it showed his character to go and play for Arsenal again. To get through that and then go and perform for Arsenal, and then at Leverkusen to be part of a team to beat Bayern Munich to the title for the first time in over 10 years has shown what a good player he is.

"Sunderland have got a very young squad as well. He'd almost be like a father figure and he'll be a big help for the coach as well to be the in-between man as captain. And they made a lot of signings in the summer, he'll be a massive help for the manager and with them players, for sure, using his experience."

Bournemouth could have easily folded this season. The losses of star defenders Dean Huijsen, Iliya Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, respectively would have buried them in another life. Andoni Iraola and the Cherries' recruitment team have worked miracles to make the team somehow even better, and at the heart of those efforts has been eight-goal Antoine Semenyo.

The Ghanaian winger is said to have been the subject of summer interest from Manchester United and Tottenham, but decided to stay at the Vitality Stadium. He was right to hedge those bets as he is in line to get an even better move in the coming days and weeks.

It has been widely reported that Semenyo's preference is to join title-challenging Manchester City during the January transfer window, which would allow him to form a formidable attack alongside Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland. Watch out, Arsenal...

It was hard for Manchester United to sink any lower this season, but they gave it a bloody good go for a few weeks. A slow start to the Premier League campaign, coupled with a humiliating exit to League Two side Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup, followed a year that saw them finish 15th (FIFTEENTH) and lose the Europa League final to Tottenham (TOTTENHAM).

Ruben Amorim hasn't totally 'turned the Reds around' quite yet, but there are reasons to be positive. The signings of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha seem inspired, while Bruno Fernandes is orchestrating everything in the heart of midfield. His creative numbers remain as superb as ever, as he leads the Premier League in assists (seven) and only Erling Haaland (23) has more goals and assists combined (12).

Despite these positives, there is gloom on the horizon for Fernandes and United. After a bombshell interview in which he claimed the club tried to sell him over the summer, Fernandes will now miss the next month or so through injury, putting to the test just how reliant the team are on him.

Such has been the success of Declan Rice at Arsenal that nobody even bothers to debate whether the Gunners were right to break the nine-figure mark to sign him from West Ham. "We got him half price," Gunners supporters gleefully sing from the terraces.

In the absence of Gabriel, Rice has stepped up his game to continue motoring Arsenal's title challenge forward. He's providing the midfield steel that protects their dominant backline and is as important an offensive weapon - a huge part of their arsenal, if you will - as anyone else in their squad, terrorising opponents with his wicked corners and free-kicks.

Rice's new midfield partner, Martin Zubimendi, has been particularly impressed with the Gunners' No.41. "Once I came here one of the things that motivated me the most was playing with a player like Declan," the Spain international said. "I think he's been a good player until this year, but I think this year, from what I see and how happy I see him, I think he's taking a leap forward so I'm very happy to be able to help him in that regard. And he helps me too. We all know how Declan is.

"A very complete player, physically, technically, set pieces. And his personality is something that has surprised me. He wants to be a protagonist in the dressing room. And on the pitch for a team-mate like me in midfield, I think it’s vital having someone who wants to be the protagonist who wants the ball, who helps you. It's the perfect complement."

We're running out of ways to describe one Erling Braut Haaland, if we're being honest. How many times can you say someone is a machine, or they're inevitable, or they're unstoppable? He's rendering the terms meaningless, and that is reason enough to top this list.

Haaland is the main reason City are making a fist of the Premier League title race. The team as a collective doesn't have the same solidity as others under Guardiola, but they have the best scorer in world football at the peak of his powers. Nineteen goals, only one of which came from the penalty spot.

The records are continuing to tumble for Haaland, who is already a member of the Premier League 100 Club, with his record of 104 goals in 114 matches the best ratio among his legendary peers. Guardiola has come out insisting this a calibre of forward on par with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, even if the Norwegian himself doesn't agree.

"This is what it's like if you play with Messi or Ronaldo, his influence is so big," Guardiola said. "You see the numbers of that guy? Of course he's that level. Messi and Ronaldo have done it for 15 years, but this is the level. The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, it's like 'I am going to score'. He has that hunger. It's top. I said how incredibly coachable and manageable he is."