May 27, 2026
Gradient 50: Ranking the 50 best players from the 2025/26 Premier League Season
Player Grades
Gradient 50: Ranking the 50 best players from the 2025/26 Premier League Season
May 27, 2026
At Gradient Sports, we grade every player involved in every event, both on and off the ball, with over 2,000 grades awarded per game across 25+ grading categories. After a full season of tracking every action in the Premier League, our team has ranked the 50 best players of the 2025/26 campaign.
How was the list decided?
Each member of our grading team submitted their own individual ballot for their top 50 players. From those submissions, we constructed a consensus top 70 before coming together as a group to debate, challenge and finalise the list. The process is one of the highlights of our season: a chance to reflect on a long year of grading and argue the case for players who might otherwise fly under the radar.
It is worth noting that the list is not simply the 50 highest-graded players in the league. We wanted to ensure representation across Premier League clubs and a genuine spread of positions, rather than defaulting to the starting XIs of the top five sides.
How are rankings decided?
Rankings are decided using a combination of Gradient Player Grades, supporting metrics and the eye test that comes from watching every action of every player across the season. Injuries and playing time are also factored into final ranking decisions, which is why some players who graded exceptionally when fit appear lower than their raw numbers might suggest.
If you would like to learn more about how we grade players, you can read our full explainer here.
Why are the rankings different to the Gradient FC App?
Unlike the Gradient FC App, where rankings are based on Overall Grade, Impact Score and Competition Weight alone, this list factors in all grading categories alongside enhanced event data and physical metrics such as off-ball runs. The app rankings is pure data science; this list also accounts for team and position representation.
How will this be released?
This article will be updated across five instalments, releasing ten players at a time from 50th to 1st.
If not for injury it’s a given Rodri would rank higher on this list. A hamstring injury earlier in the season meant the Spaniard only played 45% of available minutes this season. There is no denying his impact when healthy though. Rodri’s 88.6 Passing Grade ranks 1st/101 eligible CM’s, with his 11.36 line-breaking passes completed per 90 ranking 1st in the league by a considerable margin. Rodri also grades above his positional average in Ball Carrying, Tackling and Duels, resulting in a 77.1 Overall Grade (5th/101).
Tielemans was hampered by injuries throughout the season, managing just 55% of available minutes. Yet even in a disrupted campaign, it was the all-round quality of his game that stood out rather than any single attribute. He is one of just eight CMs to record a 70+ grade in six of seven key categories, and his 75.9 Overall Grade ranks 7th among CMs and 4th among Aston Villa players.
Tielemans consistently looked to break lines and progress the ball, with 14.8% of his total pass attempts resulting in a line-break, ranking him 5th among 101 eligible CMs.
Leeds United adopted a much more physical and direct style of football this season under Daniel Farke, with a league-leading 93.0% of available minutes being played by players aged 23-29 (peak age).
At 27, Gudmundsson is the archetypal new look Farke signing: experienced, physically imposing, and hitting his prime at exactly the right moment. The Swede impressed throughout his debut Premier League season, excelling in his Defending Dribbles Grade (86.9, 8th among FBs) and contributing consistently in attack, with 2.1 take-ons per 90 ranking him 5th among FBs. Physically, he ranks in the 90th+ percentile for High Speed Running Distance, Accelerations and Sprints, underlining why Farke made him central to Leeds' system.
A strong debut season that would surely have placed Ekitiké higher on this list had injuries not derailed its final stretch. He hit the ground running with the opening goal of the Premier League season and was the only Liverpool player to reach double figures in the league, the first time the club has had just one player achieve that feat since 2015/16.
His 72.8 Shooting Grade ranks 19th among 62 eligible CFs, above the positional average, and six of his 11 goals were deemed unsaveable by the goalkeeper. His 73.6 Overall Grade ranks 4th among 62 eligible CF’s. It will be interesting to see how Liverpool balance playing time next season with Alexander Isak also returning to the side.
An exciting young player who thrived under Andoni Iraola’s intense physical style of football, highlighted by his 8.83km of Sprinting Distance covered (2nd/101 CM’s). Scott’s 84.5 Dribbling Grade ranks 2nd among his position group, with his 80.6 50/50 Duel Grade (8th/101) showcasing his comfort in both attack and defense.
It’s safe to say Scott is destined for a move to a truly elite side soon.
Matheus Cunha had already graded well in his final two seasons with Wolverhampton, ending both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons with a mid-70s Overall Grade (76.4 and 75.3 respectively). This placed him firmly among the 50 best-graded Premier League players in each of those seasons.
This year was more of the same from the Pessoense, albeit in a slightly larger setting at Old Trafford. Another Overall Grade in the mid-70s (74.2), anchored by the best Dominant Foot Shooting Grade (83.7) and Pressured Shooting Grade (85.1) of any winger in the league, with both ranking 1st among 109 eligible players, showed he was ready for the pressure and scrutiny that comes with playing for Manchester United. Champions League football awaits next season.
It’s back-to-back entries in the top 50 for Matz Sels, a testament to the consistency he has shown since joining Nottingham Forest from RC Strasbourg for just £5 million in 2024.
From 400+ shots faced this season, our analysts deemed Sels to have made a mistake on just three occasions. That error rate of 2.3% ranks 6th among all eligible goalkeepers, and speaks to a goalkeeper who is as reliable under pressure as any in the league. His 79.8 Shot-Stopping Grade, which accounts for positioning, saving and parrying, also ranks 6th among 39 eligible goalkeepers.
What separates Sels from a number of his peers, however, is the contribution he makes beyond shot-stopping. His 70.8 Passing Grade ranks 5th among 38 eligible GKs, and his 79.0 Ball Control Grade ranks 4th among 39. Combined, those grades produce an Overall Grade of 81.6, placing him 3rd among all Premier League goalkeepers this season.
Matheus Nunes is arguably the most improved player in the Premier League this season. Originally a central midfielder, he was deployed at right back by Pep Guardiola and struggled to adapt during his first season in the role, but has taken to it with conviction this time around.
The defensive improvement is stark. His Dribbles Faced win rate climbed from 25.0% in 2024/25 to 65.2% this season, ranking 2nd among full-backs and wing-backs, while the execution of his defensive actions was equally impressive, with his 93.1 Defending Dribbles Grade ranking 3rd among 90 eligible FBs.
Nunes has been just as effective going forward. His 3.62 line-breaking passes completed per 90 ranks 6th among FBs, and his 83.0 Tackle Resistance Grade ranks 2nd among FBs, highlighting how difficult he is to dispossess when driving into space. Combined, those contributions produce a 77.0 Overall Grade, ranking 3rd among all full-backs in the Premier League this season.
Adam Wharton is a player who passes both the eye test and the grading system. His 90.9 Pressured Passing Grade ranks 1st among all players in the Premier League this season, with his 83.5 One Touch Passing Grade ranking 1st among CMs, reflecting a player who consistently looks to progress the ball rather than recycle it.
Wharton's 20.8% line-breaking pass rate is not only the highest in the Premier League, but the highest of any player across Europe's top five leagues, making the most of his 31 completed passes per 90.
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Eze’s season started with a key choice this summer; Arsenal or Spurs? With both vying for his signature, he picked Arsenal & is now a Premier League champion with a Champions League final & World Cup with England to come.
It’s not just a case of better surroundings, Eze excelled individually. His Overall Grade of 78.3 ranked 3rd among all Attacking Midfielders, behind only PL POTS winner Bruno Fernandes & Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai (both of whom will make an appearance much later on this list). In particular, he was excellent with the ball at his feet, his On-Ball Attacking Grade (a composite covering Dribbling, Ball-Carrying & Tackle Resistance) ranked 1st among AMs (82.2) & Top 5 among all midfielders.
He was no slouch in distribution either, with both his passing & shooting grades in the top 25% of all players; 72.0 & 77.0 respectively. In reality Eze could’ve appeared higher on this list with more game time, playing only 56% of available minutes. It will be interesting to watch next season whether he is entrusted with more by Mikel Arteta, especially if Arsenal look to evolve their game to be less set-piece reliant & more threatening in open play.
"The football has left him" claimed Jamie Carragher a couple of years ago, but Casemiro has proved that statement to be a touch premature. At 34, he produced arguably his best season in a Manchester United shirt.
Despite being known as more of a disruptive presence in midfield, he chipped in with nine league goals this season, eight of which came via headers. That aerial prowess is reflected in his 93.7 Headed Shooting Grade, which ranks 1st among all Premier League players.
He also posted a 79.5 Passing Grade, ranking 14th among CMs. The underlying numbers are equally impressive: an 81.8% completion rate and 231 line-breaking passes completed, ranking 5th overall and 2nd among CMs.
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Van Dijk may not have reached the stellar heights he has previously set, struggling with his positioning and blocking at times in an out-of-sorts Liverpool side, but he remains one of the most dominant duelling centre-backs in the world.
His 95.4 Duels Grade and 97.2 Aerial Duels Grade both ranked 1st among all Premier League players, showcasing the authority he still brings defensively. Those grades are reflected in the underlying numbers: he won 77.5% of aerial duels from opposition passes and 73.5% from opposition crosses. His 83.1 Tackling Grade ranked 6th among CBs.
That aerial dominance was just as evident at the other end of the pitch. His 85.4 Headed Shooting Grade ranked 2nd overall and helped him net six league goals, his highest ever return.
Marc Cucurella had a solid season as Chelsea floundered to a disappointing 10th-placed finish. Despite the upheaval of working under three different managers, he was the first choice at left-back for all of them, only missing a handful of games through injury.
Of the nine grading facets he qualified for, he performed above the positional average in seven and ranked in the 75th percentile or above for Passing, Tackling, Clearances and Defending Dribbles. His 74.2 Passing Grade ranked 9th among FBs and his 83.1 Defending Dribbles Grade ranked 13th among FBs.
Through no fault of his own, Mateus Fernandes has found himself suffering a second consecutive relegation. After starring for a struggling Southampton side in 2024/25, he moved to East London, only to suffer the same fate with West Ham. Arguably the best player at both clubs across those two seasons, his grades tell the story of a player operating well above his surroundings.
The Sporting CP academy graduate adapted quickly to life in East London, finishing the season as the top-ranked CM in One Touch Passing Grade (83.7) and placing in the top ten across several other grading categories. His 83.4 Passing Grade ranked 6th among 102 eligible CMs, his 81.0 Dribbling Grade ranked 4th, and his 80.8 Tackling Grade ranked 8th, showcasing the all-round quality that already placed him among the league's most exciting central midfielders in 2024/25.
Despite West Ham's struggles, Fernandes has likely attracted interest elsewhere and appears set for another move this summer, hopefully avoiding Roger Johnson's unwanted record of three consecutive relegations.
Another smart addition from Matthew Benham's data-driven setup at Brentford, Michael Kayode has rapidly developed into one of the most dynamic right-backs in the Premier League.
After joining on loan in January 2025 and signing permanently in the summer, the former Fiorentina prospect has adapted exceptionally well. The young Italian is not just a long throw specialist — his passing quality is among the best in the league at his position. He finished the season as the top full-back for Unpressured Passing Grade (82.2) and led all players in One Touch Passing Grade (87.7).
His defensive contributions are equally impressive. Kayode ranked 1st in the Premier League for Dribbles Defended Grade, posting a remarkable 98.3. Still only 21, his future looks exceptionally bright.
When Marc Guehi departed in January, there were legitimate questions about whether Crystal Palace could maintain their defensive shape and level. Oliver Glasner answered those questions by placing his trust in Maxence Lacroix, a player he had worked with at VfL Wolfsburg, to lead the defence and mentor 19-year-old Jaydee Canvot alongside him.
Lacroix’s 88.7 Positioning Grade ranked 3rd among all Premier League centre-backs, and his composure in possession was reflected in a 76.9 Passing Grade. His 51 line-breaking passes intercepted ranked 1st among 93 eligible CBs, underlining how effectively he read the game in front of him.
Combined, those contributions produced a 74.1 Overall Grade, ranking 6th among 93 eligible CBs and making a strong case that Palace's defensive standards did not drop as sharply as many anticipated.
Timber was unfortunate to miss the final 12 matches of Arsenal's title run-in through injury, and his absence underlined just how important he had become to Mikel Arteta's side. Both Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera struggled to fill the void, making a compelling case that Timber is now one of the first names on the Arsenal teamsheet.
The numbers back that up. His 73.7 Overall Grade comfortably exceeds White's 62.8, but it is the detail beneath that figure that tells the full story. Timber completed 2.39 line-breaking passes per 90, making him central to Arsenal's build-up play in possession, and his 87.2 1v1 Defending Grade ranked 3rd among 90 eligible FBs, reflecting how trusted he is to defend in space.
He is also one of only four full-backs this season not to register a single ‘Unsafe Pass’, alongside Álex Jiménez, Daniel Muñoz and Nico O'Reilly. With an average of 0.92 chances created per 90, ranking 7th among full-backs when removing those with regular set-piece duties, Timber combines security in possession with genuine attacking threat.
Ezri Konsa's versatile and accurate passing range has earned him the highest Passing Grade among all Premier League central defenders this season (85.8).
Even more striking is his Pressured Passing Grade of 88.2, the third-best of any central defender across Europe's top five leagues, behind only Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck (91.2) and Lille's Aïssa Mandi (91.0).
Defensively, Konsa grades above the positional average in both Duels (76.9) and 1v1 Defending Grade (75.2), rounding out the profile of one of the most complete centre-backs in the Premier League this season.
Nico O'Reilly enjoyed a spectacular breakout campaign, cementing himself as an indispensable and versatile asset for Manchester City, culminating in a World Cup call-up despite only three senior caps to his name.
Interestingly, O'Reilly does not grade exceptionally across the board, reaching the 75th percentile or above in only two of 13 qualifying facets. This is indicative of the unique role required of him, but the data that matters for his role tells a clear story. He records 3.77 Line-Breaking Receptions per 90, the second-highest among FBs, and his 74.6 Through Ball Passing Grade ranks 6th among 90 eligible FBs, demonstrating why Guardiola trusts him to invert centrally, receive under pressure and play through tight spaces — something that has proven difficult for many, with Matheus Nunes the most recent example.
What separates O'Reilly from a typical inverted full-back is his physical profile. His 88 possessions in the penalty area are the highest of any FB, and his 74.5 Headed Shooting Grade ranks 3rd among 90 eligible FBs, an aerial threat reflected in five of his nine league goals coming from headers.
Inverted left-back? Box-to-box midfielder? Target man? Everything asked of O'Reilly this season has been met with aplomb, and he looks increasingly like a player Manchester City can build around for years to come.
A goal and assist in the Europa League final was the perfect way to encapsulate Rogers' attacking contribution for Aston Villa throughout the season.
His 10 goals and six assists in the Premier League were underpinned by some of the strongest attacking grades at his position. His 78.8 Crossing Grade ranked 3rd among AMs, his 82.3 Shooting Grade ranked 3rd among AMs, and his 147 passes into a dangerous position ranked 3rd in the Premier League, painting the picture of a player who contributes at every stage of attack.
In addition to a Europa League title and a top-four Premier League finish, Rogers' efforts this season have earned him a place in England's squad for the 2026 World Cup next month.
Stay tuned for the next instalment of players (30-21), if you are interested in discovering more about player grades and metrics, download the free GradientFC App - fc.gradientsports.com
If you're a team, media partner, or agency interested in finding out more information about our player grades and advanced metrics, please get in touch, at sales@gradientsports.com.
