Sofascore has revealed their list of the highest rated players of the Premier League season, with the top 10 featuring both standout stars from top teams and surprise inclusions from struggling mid-table sides.
After romping to a fourth consecutive Premier League title, Manchester City unsurprisingly report the highest average player rating of 7.31, though star players Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and Bernardo Silva are all conspicuously absent from the top ten.
In team averages, Aston Villa sit surprisingly low in eleventh place with an average rating of 6.94 despite finishing in the Champions League places.
They find themselves tied with Crystal Palace and Brighton, all three of whom sit behind Everton, whose average player rating of 6.95 is good enough for a surprise eighth overall, considerably outperforming their final league position of 15th.
At the bottom of the table, Sheffield United bring up the rear with an average player rating of just 6.67. Gustavo Hamer, the Blades’ best performer, finished a paltry 216th in the average rating leaderboard, with a score of 6.92. Luton Town and Burnley join United in the bottom three with an average of 6.82 and 6.80, respectively.
But who were the highest-rated players from an unforgettable season in England’s top-flight? Mail Sport looks at the top ten.
Manchester City claimed a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League title in 2023-24
Bernardo Silva (left) and Kevin De Bruyne (right) have surprisingly been omitted from the list
Despite winning the Golden Boot Erling Haaland is another player not to make the top 10
10) Pascal Gross (Brighton & Hove Albion) – 7.55
Finishing in 11th place, Brighton are the lowest ranked team to have a player feature in Sofascore’s top ten. Surrounded by a particularly young squad, Pascal Gross’ 568 career appearances have made him a leader at the Amex Community Stadium.
Playing across the midfield and dropping into defence when needed, the German international has contributed five goals and 13 assists to Brighton’s domestic and European campaigns, serving as one of the more inspiring members of a struggling squad.
Brighton’s Pascal Gross is the only player from a bottom half team to make the top 10 list
9) Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) – 7.58
In a season mired by poor results and managerial turnover, Crystal Palace often found itself relying on individual brilliance of Eberechi Eze, a mercurial attacking midfielder whose deft dribbling and pinpoint finishing makes him one of the league’s most exciting prospects.
After returning 17 goal involvements in all competitions, Crystal Palace have stuck a reported £60m price tag on his head to ward off interest from the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester City.
The England international came into his own following the appointment of Oliver Glasner, finishing the season with a perfect performance against Aston Villa, scoring twice and teeing up one of Jean-Phillipe Mateta’s three goals.
Eberechi Eze attacking ability was pivotal for Crystal Palace in their rise under Oliver Glasner
8) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 7.58
Despite critics accusing him of fading, Liverpool’s talismanic winger bid farewell to Jurgen Klopp with another strong season on Merseyside.
His 18 league goals were only good enough for seventh in the Golden Boot race, though his team-leading 10 assists proves that he is still an integral part of Liverpool’s setup.
A season-best 9.2 rating came in a 4-2 defeat of Newcastle United on New Years Day, in which the Egyptian contributed two goals and an assist on the way to a statement victory.
Amid interest from Saudi Arabia, it remains to be seen whether Salah will remain at Anfield for another year to help welcome new manager Arne Slot.
Mo Salah’s best rating of the season came in a 4-2 win over Newcastle United on January 1
7) James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur) – 7.59
One of many players to leave Leicester City during the Fox’s post-relegation flash sale, Maddison enjoyed a fast start to life in North London, scoring three of his four goals and recording five out of nine assists before Halloween.
Despite his goalscoring output tapering off, he continued to be one of Tottenham’s most consistent players, remaining a near-constant fixture in Ange Postecoglou’s starting lineup when fit.
James Maddison (right) formed a brilliant partnership with Son Heung-Min (left) during his first season at Spurs
6) Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) – 7.67
For the second season running, Martin Odegaard played a key role in Arsenal and Mikel Arteta’s title challenge, pushing the most formidable of opponents in Manchester City down to the final day.
While the Gunners failed to best their Mancunian rivals, the Norwegian played a crucial role in the side’s 89-point season, contributing eight goals and a team-best 10 assists from the number 10 position.
He played a crucial role in his side’s 5-0 dismantling of Chelsea and Burnley, not to mention the 6-0 drubbing away to Sheffield United.
Donning the captain’s armband throughout the season, Odegaard is primed to lead the Gunners to another title charge in the new campaign.
Martin Odegaard and Arsenal came up short in the title race but will go again next season
5) Cole Palmer (Chelsea) – 7.70
Palmer was the breakout sensation of the Premier League season, giving Chelsea supporters something to smile about in a year where very little went their way.
After tiring of his lack of starting opportunities at Man City, Palmer jumped ship to West London for a paltry £40m, going on to score or assist over 40 per cent of Chelsea’s league goals in his first full season of Premier League football.
His unyielding composure, ability to create chances seemingly out of nothing, and signature celebration saw him become a sensation at Stamford Bridge.
To score a perfect 10 is a rare phenomenon, but Palmer made headlines in April after producing flawless performances three times in four matches, for his four-goal display against Everton, hat trick and late winner to complete Chelsea’s comeback victory against Manchester United, and for his brace in a 2-2 home draw against Burnley.
For much of the season, Palmer seemed to be the sole source of creativity and excitement in a badly underperforming Chelsea team and should look forward to playing a part in the Euros with England this summer.
Cole Palmer scored a perfect 10 on three occasions during April, including against Man United
4) Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – 7.72
The Arsenal academy product proved his worth again this season, hitting a career-high tally of 16 goals in the Premier League as well as nine assists, combining to comfortably separate him as the club’s most productive forward.
Alongside Odegaard, he was integral to the Gunners’ title charge as, for a second season in a row, the club pushed Manchester City’s title celebrations to the campaign’s late stages.
Saka’s performances throughout the year were remarkably consistent, never dipping lower than a 6.8 rating and peaking at 9.7 as he bagged a brace in a comprehensive 6-0 victory at West Ham.
Bukayo Saka’s peak score was the 9.7 he notched up in Arsenal’s 6-0 thrashing of West Ham
3) Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) – 7.75
Much like Palmer at Chelsea, Fernandes was one of few positives in a bleak season at Old Trafford, and supporters would shudder to think where the team might be without him.
In a season complete with a struggling manager, an often-unhappy squad, and a misfiring big-money striker in Rasmus Hojlund, Fernandes put the team on his back, captaining Manchester United in 33 league matches and leading the side in both goals (10) and assists (8).
He also teed up Kobbie Mainoo for the goal which clinched the Red Devils’ FA Cup final victory. Despite facing criticism for having a bad attitude, Fernandes has made a habit of dragging United out of the mud to inspire important results.
Bruno Fernandes was a shining light in Manchester United’s worst-ever Premier League season
2) Phil Foden (Manchester City) – 7.79
The 2023-24 Premier League Player of the Season, and for good reason.
Having joined Manchester City at just nine years old, Foden has risen through the ranks to become a mainstay of Pep Guardiola’s star-studded team.
He contributed 19 goals and eight assists on the way to City’s fourth straight title, a goal contribution tally bettered only by Erling Haaland.
Faced with a must-win match at home to West Ham on the final day of the season, Foden showed his class, waiting just two minutes to net his first goal of the game, firing home into the top corner from 20 yards.
Still just 24 years old, Foden truly has the world at his feet.
Phil Foden won Premier League Player of the Season for his remarkable performances
1) Rodri (Manchester City) – 8.01
The only player in the league to crack an average rating of more than eight, Rodri dominated the Premier League throughout the campaign, acting as a true box-to-box midfielder and covering the pitch in a way few others can.
Despite sitting deeper in Guardiola’s system, the Spaniard still managed to record eight goals and nine assists in the Premier League while remaining a key element of both City’s defensive and transitional play.
Playing more minutes than any other Manchester City player, the side did not lose a league match in which he started throughout the season.
At 27 years old, we are arguably yet to see Rodri in his prime, a frightening prospect for anyone unlucky enough to have to play against him.
Rodri featured 34 times in the Premier League in 2023-24 and did not lose a single game
