Messi back on top while Spain starlet soars up player form rankings

It’s all change atop the player form rankings this week, although a familiar face returns to reclaim pole position having missed out in recent weeks through injury.

Lionel Messi lit up the Derbi Barceloni with Espanyol with trademark free-kicks in either half and qualifiers for our leaderboard once more having started six of Barcelona’s last eight outings. Over said appearances the Argentine has six goals and four assists for a weighted rating of 8.96.

It’s a long way back to second place, but Nimes midfield general Teji Savanier keeps his spot having earned the man of the match award in a 2-1 win at Caen in midweek. The 26-year-old registered a fourth assist of the season, creating six chances in all as the Ligue 1 newcomers continued their climb up the table.

Taking the final spot on the podium this week is Celta starlet Brais Mendez, who stole the show as Celta secured victory over Villarreal. The young winger had a direct hand in all three goals, scoring the first and assisting strikes from Okay Yokuslu and Maxi Gomez after the break. The 21-year-old, who will no doubt be attracting interest ahead of the winter transfer window, has now had a direct hand in nine goals in his last six league appearances.

Teammate Iago Aspas is up to fourth, meanwhile, having laid on Mendez’s strike in the same game, while Thorgan Hazard clings onto his place in the top five. The Belgian registered an assist as Gladbach comfortably saw off Stuttgart having created the most chances in single Bundesliga game thus far (seven).

The remaining five players in the top ten are all Premier League stars, headlined by hat-trick hero Mohamed Salah is the highest climber from the previous week, meanwhile, up 36 places into sixth following his dismantling of the Bournemouth backline. Raheem Sterling drops one place to seventh, followed closely by Virgil van Dijk and teammate Leroy Sane.

The likes of Sebastien Haller, Wahbi Khazri, Daniel Caligiuri and Marco Reus have all dropped places but remain in the top 20, while Walter Benitez deserves an honourable mention. The Nice keeper edges onto the leaderboard having kept a sixth consecutive clean sheet last week against Angers.

QUALIFYING RULES

Only ratings taken from each player’s last six league matches are considered, weighted chronologically, with the most recent match highest 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.