The algorithm has been incredibly generous to Manchester United, who somehow only have one player in the Premier League’s worst XI of the weekend.
As always, the team is based on WhoScored ratings.
GK: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton) – 4.54
Both goalkeepers in Chelsea v Brighton had an afternoon to forget, with Verbruggen’s dismal 4.54 just outdoing Robert Sanchez’s 4.86 at Stamford Bridge.
Incredibly, Sanchez made a mistake for both of Brighton’s goals but conceding four to the Spaniard’s two and having an error leading to a goal himself is Verbruggen’s downfall.
On an afternoon with six goals, there were four errors leading to a goal, with both teams doing their best to make it a spectacle for the fans in attendance and those watching on an illegal stream.
RB: Nelson Semedo (Wolves) – 6.04
The first of two Wolves players in this team, Semedo continued his poor start to the season with another below-par performance against Liverpool.
Semedo conceded a penalty immediately after Rayan Ait-Nouri’s equaliser, which ultimately led Wolves to their fifth league defeat of the season, leaving them bottom of the Premier League with one point. After signing a new contract in the summer, Gary O’Neil is in a spot of bother.
CB: Adam Webster (Brighton) – 5.39
It was Webster with the other error in Chelsea’s superb win over Brighton, forgetting how to pass a football to put Nicolas Jackson through on goal. The Blues striker squared it to Cole Palmer for his first of four.
Palmer’s other three came from the penalty spot, a 30-yard free-kick and a Verbruggen error.
CB: Jacob Greaves (Ipswich) – 5.52
Yeah, errors leading to a goal does not stand you in good stead, believe it or not. Greaves had one of those bad boys in the Archbishop Desmond against Aston Villa on Sunday.
In an attempt to clear danger from his own box, Greaves found Morgan Rogers with a very poor launch and seconds later it was 1-1. At least Ipswich got something out of the game.
LB: Alex Moreno (Nottingham Forest) – 5.72
Forest lost for the first time in the Premier League this season at home to Fulham. Raul Jimenez scored the only goal from the penalty spot after Murillo’s foul on his fellow Brazilian, Andreas Pereira. Murillo will be disappointed, but at least he wasn’t as bad as Moreno.
The Spanish left-back had a bit of a stinker, winning zero tackles and being dribbled past five times. Playing against Adama Traore can be torture at times. Moreno also failed to complete any dribbles himself and mad zero clearances.
CM: Harry Winks (Leicester) – 5.84
Like Brighton, Leicester were beaten 4-2 in London. Their afternoons were very different, though. Chelsea and Brighton were 4-2 at half time, while the Foxes were 2-0 down. They fought back and were minutes from an incredible 2-2 draw. Two goals deep into injury time earned Arsenal all three points and James Justin’s brace was all for nothing.
Former Tottenham midfielder Winks started in midfield next to another one in Oliver Skipp and they both found it very difficult. Arsenal bloody battered Leicester, who had goalkeeper Mads Hermansen to thank for keeping them in the game.
Winks didn’t make a single interception or tackle, two statistics you’d hope to see your central midfielder record.
CM: Oliver Skipp (Leicester) – 5.94
Skipp and Winks were in the Leicester midfield together and are in the worst XI of the weekend together. The algorithm tells us that Winks had a worse time of it at the Emirates, though it’s a case of the shiniest of two turds unfortunately.
Like Winks, Skipp didn’t make any tackles or interceptions on an afternoon in which Bukayo Saka got a 9.63 match rating without a goal contribution.
CM: Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton) – 5.49
It was a tough 90 minutes for 19-year-old Hinshelwood, who lost possession 11 times, lost four of his five duels, misplaced eight passes and had one error leading to a shot.
Hinshelwood has played a lot of his senior minutes at full-back but was in a midfield three with Carlos Baleba and Mats Wieffer against Enzo Maresca’s men, with Ferdi Kadioglu starting his first Premier League match. He should continue to get minutes with Matt O’Riley injured and he needs to quickly forget about Saturday’s performance.
AM: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) – 5.12
The only Man Utd player in this team is the man who was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on James Maddison. A first-half sending off is always going to give you a one-way ticket to our worst XI and we are stunned that Fernandes is the only Red Devil in here.
Man Utd were really, really bad against Spurs. There have been some dark times since Erik ten Hag’s arrival and Sunday’s match might have been the worst of the lot.
Remarkably, Fernandes is not just the only Man Utd player in here, but the only starter whose rating is below a 6.0. Ten Hag sack? Nah, mate. Wolves, Leicester, Nottingham Forest and Brighton all have more players in this team.
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ST: Jorgen Larsen (Wolves) – 6.06
Larsen was unable to register a shot on goal or take-on against Liverpool’s defensive pair of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. There is no shame in that.
It was difficult for the Dane to get involved. He made 12 of his 17 passes, lost five out of his six duels, lost possession six times and didn’t win it once, and committed two fouls. Not ideal.
ST: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) – 6.04
It has been a great start to the season for Forest and Wood, but Saturday brought an end to their unbeaten start and was the first time in 2024/25 that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side failed to score.
In a weekend in which Mohammed Kudus was the only forward with a rating below 6.0, and was saved by the formation, Wood only attempted nine passes, lost five duels out of eight and did absolutely nothing in the final third. A day to forget for the big man.
👉 READ MORE: Arsenal and Liverpool have three players each in Premier League XI of the season so far
