Hazard stays top as hotshot teenager moves second in European form rankings

With this week representing the final involvement of all of Europe’s top five leagues in our player form rankings following the culmination of the English top-flight season, it’s fitting that three Premier League stars make up this week’s top five.

Indeed, it’s Eden Hazard that just about clings on to top spot following a cameo display against Leicester - completing four dribbles in 21 minutes - and the Belgian is the only non-mover this time around.

There is one new qualifier - having now started six of his side’s last eight league matches - with Valencia’s Santi Mina making an appearance in seventh after a significant upturn in form.

Prior to said six matches the Spaniard had just two goals and one assist to his name but the 23-year-old has found form when Los Che have needed him most as they push for a top four finish. The forward scored his fifth goal in his last six appearances in victory over Alaves and has registered a further three assists in that time.

RISES

The most significant climber this week - moving all the way up to second and only just shy of Hazard - is Leverkusen wondered Kai Havertz. The 19-year-old - who has played in midfield for much of the campaign - took his Bundesliga tally to 16 at the weekend, the last six of which have come in his last six matches since shifting to the right wing.

Fellow youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold is up to third, meanwhile, having ended the season in remarkable form for Liverpool. The right-back doubled his league haul for assists with six in his final six appearances of the season, meaning his overall total of 12 is a new record for a defender in a single Premier League season.

Elsewhere teammate Sadio Mane moves onto the leaderboard (12th) having earned a share of the Premier League Golden Boot with a last day double, and there are risers elsewhere from the Premier League in the form of Wilfried Zaha (ninth) and Ricardo Pereira (14th).

The Bundesliga is also home to multiple players on the ascent this week, with Thiago Alcantara up to fifth and Mainz’s Jean-Paul Boetius climbing to sixth despite a slight drop in rating. Havertz’ B04 clubmate Julian Brandt is another who is up this time around (11th) in spite of a drop in score following a 1-1 draw with Schalke.

Nantes midfielder Valentin Rongier takes a spot in the top ten (eighth) having played an instrumental role in a run of 16 points from the last 18 available, while Jose Campana (13th) and Borja Iglesias (18th) have climbed from La Liga.

The only two Serie A representatives are both from Bologna, meanwhile, with defensive midfielder Erick Pulgar (19th) and hot prospect Riccardo Orsolini (17th) playing big roles in steering the side clear of the drop. The latter has scored in three of his last four appearances and added an assist in a man of the match display against Parma on Monday.

FALLS

There are only five players to have fallen down the rankings this week but kept a place in the top 20 regardless, with Mohamed Salah chief among them in fourth. Down just two places, below the aforementioned, Alexander-Arnold, the Egyptian missed the chance to claim the Golden Boot as his own, instead sharing the spoils following a blank against Wolves.

Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich is down to tenth after Niko Kovac’s men failed to avoid a title deciding final day in the Bundesliga with a draw against RB Leipzig, while Leverkusen forward Kevin Volland plummets from third to 15th.

Elsewhere Nantes forward Kalifa Coulibaly (16th) couldn’t live up to his recent standards at Nice, while Kerem Demirbay (20th) clings onto a place on the leaderboard having ranked fifth last time having been withdrawn as Hoffenheim’s European aspirations were dashed by Werder Bremen.

Qualifying Rules
 
Only ratings from each player’s last six league matches are considered, weighted chronologically, with the most recent match carrying greater importance and so on. To qualify each player must have featured in their side’s last league match and started at least six of the last eight available.