Salah surges up European form rankings but can't catch Premier League leader

To say that it’s a curious week for the player form rankings across Europe’s top five leagues would be an understatement, with only two of the top 12 players on the leaderboard having improved on their ratings from last time out.

Six of the top ten, meanwhile, have seen their weighted rating drop, though five of those have moved up the rankings due to last week’s top two not featuring from kick-off over the weekend.

While Lionel Messi came on to score the winning goal against Levante and secure the title in Spain, the Argentine has now started three of the last five league matches on the bench and as such does not qualify this time around. Nor too does Karim Benzema, who was rested as Real Madrid fell to defeat against Rayo Vallecano and also drops out as a result.

RISES

The leader this week, then, is Eden Hazard. The Belgian’s rating fell slightly from the score that saw him occupy fourth spot last week but he’s up to first following a decent showing at Old Trafford.

While the Chelsea star was unable to pick the lock he completed another six dribbles to take his tally over the last six league games to 36, with a direct hand in five goals in that time.

Hoffenheim’s Ishak Belfodil is up to second, meanwhile, despite drawing a blank against Wolfsburg, with the Algerian having scored seven times in his previous four appearances.

The most significant and indeed worthy climber, however, is Mohamed Salah, who sails onto the leaderboard straight up into third following two goals and an assist against Huddersfield. That’s four goals in the Egyptian’s last four league games to restore him to the top of the Premier League scoring charts.

The only other player in the top ten whose rating increased this week is Nicolas Pepe, who is up five places into fourth having taken his league goal tally for the season to 20 with a goal in Lille’s 5-0 rout over Nimes. The highly sought after winger now has three goals and three assists in his last five league appearances.

Credit where it is due to Bologna youngster Riccardo Orsolini too, with the 22-year-old climbing into the top ten (seventh) having scored for the third game in his last five appearances, as well as completing 18 dribbles in that time.

Among the other players whose weighted rating was on the rise in this week’s leaderboard are Premier League pair Jamie Vardy (13th) and Sadio Mane (14th) having both bagged braces against Arsenal and Huddersfield respectively. Meanwhile Antoine Greizmann (17th), Wolfsburg full-back William (18th) and Jadon Sancho (19th) move into the top 20.

NEW QUALIFIERS

There are two new qualifiers to this week’s rankings, with Iago Aspas and Bernardo Silva now having started the minimum of six of their side’s last eight league matches in order to be considered.

The return from injury of the former looks to have saved Celta Vigo’s season as they fell perilously close to the drop, with the former Liverpool forward scoring six times and assisting a further four goals in six matches since his comeback.

Silva, meanwhile, makes the grade due to his tireless work rate on and off the ball having had five shots, created five chances, won three tackles and even four aerial duels as Manchester City were forced to battle for the three points at Burnley.

FALLS

Only two players in this week’s top 20 have fallen down the rankings from last week, with Thiago Alcantara retaining a place in the top ten having dropped two places to eighth. The Spaniard was unable to help Bayern make the most of Borussia Dortmund’s defeat in the Revierderby as the Bundesliga leaders could only manage a 1-1 draw in Nuernberg.

Ayoze Perez, meanwhile, is unfortunate to descend from 17th to 20th having scored for a third game running - netting five in total in that time - only to be forced off in the first half of Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Brighton.

QUALIFYING RULES

Only ratings taken 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 game and started at least six of the last eight available.