PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYER POWER RANKINGS

Soccer

Written by Aaron Cantin

Expect the unexpected in the Premier League. This weekend's results showed us exactly that.

On paper, Chelsea and Manchester City's trips to Leeds and Newcastle on Sunday looked potentially tricky fixtures, but few would have predicted Jesse Marsch's side to blow the Blues away by winning 3-0, or the Magpies taking the game to the champions to earn themselves a 3-3 draw.

Source (Background Photo): Getty Images

Then there was Monday's North-West derby between Manchester United and Liverpool. After dismal defeats against Brighton and Brentford, Erik ten Hag's team finally delivered on the pitch to pick up a tense 2-1 victory. Meanwhile, Arsenal has moved to the top of the table after cruising past Bournemouth, and their north London rivals Tottenham overcame a below-par first half showing to edge past Wolves. There were also impressive wins for Southampton, Crystal Palace,

Brighton and Fulham, plus Everton and Nottingham played out a 1-1 stalemate.

But who caught the eye from an individual perspective? Here's the latest top 10 of our Premier League Player Power Rankings.

10. Nick Pope (Goalkeeper, Newcastle) - DOWN THREE

It's rare for a goalkeeper to have a good game despite conceding three goals, yet Pope was exceptional against Pep Guardiola's men at St James' Park.

He had no chance to save any of the goals, but he kept his side in the game on more than one occasion.

9. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) - NEW ENTRY

Zaha produced an exquisite finish against Liverpool at Anfield last week, and he continued his fine form to help Palace beat Aston Villa on Saturday. The Ivorian raced on to a through ball before finishing past Emiliano Martinez in the first half to cancel out Ollie Watkins' opener for Villa.

He then had the opportunity to score his second when the Eagles were awarded a penalty after halftime. His initial effort was saved - the only blot on his copybook for the afternoon - but he followed in to tap home from close range.

8. Rodrigo (Leeds) - DOWN FIVE

Leeds was a bit of an unknown quantity heading into this season. They stayed up by the skin of their teeth last term, and then lost Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha earlier this summer. Another tough season looked to be on the cards. Yet they have started their campaign in stunning fashion, and their performance against Chelsea was particularly eye-catching.

Rodrigo has struggled in England since moving to Leeds in 2020, but he finally seems to be fulfilling his potential, and Marsch's decision to hand him the captain's armband on Sunday indicates that he is now trusted to deliver on a consistent basis by the American manager.

7. Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United) - NEW ENTRY

Martinez's first two appearances for United could not have gone much worse. He was given a torrid time by Danny Welbeck on his Old Trafford debut and was then hauled off at halftime after being dominated by Ivan Toney at Brentford the following week. Some may have wondered whether he would even start against Liverpool, but ten Hag maintained his faith in him and instead dropped Harry Maguire from the starting XI.

In came Raphael Varane to partner Martinez, and the pair gelled perfectly. Concerns have been raised about Martinez's height and whether he possesses the physicality to succeed in the Premier League, but he did not shy away from a single challenge on Monday night.

6. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - DOWN FOUR

On another day, De Bruyne could easily have got himself on the scoresheet against Newcastle, but he was denied by Pope's heroics. Pope could do nothing about the Belgian's pass for City's final goal, though. It was a pass that 99% of footballers would not even have seen, let alone attempted. He has established himself as one of the best players in England in recent years and has looked at the top of his game in the opening weeks of the season.

5. Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) - NEW ENTRY

The new Arsenal captain has gone under the radar a little in the opening weeks of the season due to the brilliance of those around him, but he took centre stage at the Vitality Stadium. Both of his goals were opportunistic finishes - the first a simple tap-in, followed by a fine strike when he nicked the ball off the toes of Gabriel Jesus.

Odegaard produced a fine all-round display on Saturday, and, as a result, his spot in the side should not be under any immediate threat.

4. Che Adams (Southampton) - NEW ENTRY

Adams entered the fray just before the hour mark on Saturday with his team 1-0 down against Leicester. The Saints looked to be on their way to another defeat, which would have left them on just one point from their opening three games. Yet Adams had other ideas. Within nine minutes of his introduction, he had pulled Southampton level, setting up a nervy finish at the King Power Stadium.

He popped up again six minutes from time, getting on the end of James Ward-Prowse's cross to scissor-kick the ball past Danny Ward. His challenge now is to find some consistency in front of the goal as he is yet to hit double figures in a Premier League campaign.

3. Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle) - NEW ENTRY

Saint-Maximin is often a source of frustration for Newcastle supporters as his end product can be found wanting. But when he gets it right, he is a joy to watch. He certainly got it right against City on Sunday. Kyle Walker is a four-time Premier League winner and seasoned international, but he was run ragged by the Frenchman.

There have been talks of Newcastle being willing to sell Saint-Maximin this summer, but if he keeps playing like this, they ought to be desperate to keep hold of him.

2. William Saliba (Arsenal) - NEW ENTRY

Saliba looked a serious talent on his Arsenal debut against Crystal Palace earlier this month, but he then scored an avoidable own goal against Leicester the week after. He was flawless against Bournemouth, though. The 21-year-old looked assured in possession and did not allow the Cherries to build up any momentum as the home side failed to register a shot in the first half.

The away fans enjoyed their day out in the sun, and by the end of the game, there was one particular song that could be heard coming from that end of the ground. It was dedicated to Saliba, and the catchy tune is likely to catch on if he keeps delivering imperious performances like this one.

1. Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal) - STAYS TOP

Jesus did not score against Bournemouth, and his assist was somewhat fortuitous as he was trying to set himself up for a shot rather than Odegaard. Yet that didn't matter - the Brazilian has made a sensational start to his Gunners career. Many fans will have known that Jesus was a high-quality player from his time at City, but did they realize he was this good? Probably not. Arsenal is purring at the moment, and with a spine that contains Jesus, Odegaard and Saliba, they are going to be difficult to stop.