Usually level headed and true to his rules, Bleacher Report EPL writer Sam Tighe has completely lost the plot in his post-matchday 28 player power rankings. He’s outwaited his own rules to service the top-6 as plenty of inform midtable players, including some Hammers, inexplicable drop.
The Bleacher Report weekly ranking, EPL100 can be seen here. It ranks the best players by positions after each week, taking into consideration their performances from the week that was, and the form they have strung together over the past few matches.
Let’s get into the Irons’ rankings:
Goalkeepers: Lukasz Fabianski – 2nd
Previous – 1st
Sam, this is pretty sad. Fabianski has recorded 11 saves in his past two games, with just two goals against. This includes against Manchester City who are as dominant in attack as they were last season. The justification for replacing Fabianski with Liverpool’s Alisson Becker is insanely weak too.
"Lukasz Fabianski can consider himself unfortunate to be vacating top spot this week, but Alisson Becker’s last two performances have been rock-solid. That one-on-one save against Jesse Lingard on Sunday was incredible."
Did he not see the save Fabianski made against Ryan Babel, who was in alone just 40 seconds into the game? Probably not, as a top-6 team was likely playing at the same time. The justification frustrates me just as much as the demotion itself. It’s lazy, inaccurate, and discrediting to the undisputed best keeper in the Premier League this season.
Right-backs: Pablo Zabaleta – 9th
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Previous – 9th (stay)
More evidence that there may be something distracting the author here. Pablo Zabaleta has started 1 out of West Ham’s last four matches and was subbed at half. He was atrocious against Fulham, giving up a breakaway 40 seconds in, and also contributed to the goal against a few minutes later.
Zabaleta was unbelievably terrific for West Ham up until the end of January and earned his spot on the Hammers XI and this list. Has there really not been a player who can pass a non-starting player? The answer is that there probably is, but the bottom seven of the top-ten rankings are all the same as last week. Looks like some lazy rankings.
Centre-backs: Issa Diop – 19th
Previous – 20th
You read that correctly, there is a person who thinks that there are 18 better centre-backs in the Premier League this season. Some names ranked above Diop currently are: Kurt Zouma, Jan Bednarek (played most games as a fullback), and Federico Fernandez. Sure he got a +1 ranking, but for a player like Bednarek to DEBUT at 12th is absolutely insane.
No credit for Diop’s goal, while Schar of Newcastle sits 8th(!) in this list, no recognition to the relegation battle and goals against as Bednarek jumps up this high, and no real thought put into the centre-back rankings list. The top-6 is well represented and aptly so in some spots, but why are Chelsea’s defenders ranked so high?
Defensive/Central Midfielders: Declan Rice – 7th
Previous – 8th
It’s almost not worth the typing, but if you watch Rice you see why there aren’t 6 better defensive/central midfielders in the league than him. He’s brilliant under pressure, passes with ease, brings physicality and pressure, and has settled into West Ham’s midfield, directing the team towards European football.
Highway robbery.
Attacking Midfielders/Wingers: Felipe Anderson – 16th, Michail Antonio – 20th
Previous: 12th and 20th
I’m not here to argue about Felipe Anderson dropping. He’s been a little stagnant in the past few weeks but has still played well for West Ham off the score sheet. What I am here to argue about is the justification behind Gylfi Sigurdsson to pass him after going eight games with one goal contribution.
Sigurdsson had a terrific game this week, but to Tighe’s own rules, the rankings are based on the accumulation of previous games and sustained levels of play. The previous eight games for Sigurdsson saw him score one goal and contribute no assists. Where’s the steady level of play, Sam?
Michail Antonio being passed by newcomers as he is labeled a ‘stay’ is also a vast undervaluing of his form. 2019 Antonio has been reminiscent if not equal to the 2015/16 Antonio. He’s assisted, he’s scored, and he’s played incredibly well but he’s given a stay, and passed by players who were previously unranked. What?