Best and Worst

[HangTheDJ]

Best:

Arsenal: Robin van PersieSometimes injured, sometimes temperamental and sometimes brilliant, Robin van Persie is a stranger to an uneventful life. A particularly needless dismissal at Stoke City was an indication of his, and Arsenal's, self-destructive streak, along with an unwillingness to face opponents who favour a different style of football, but some of his contributions have been simply scintillating. His brace against Chelsea and his strike versus Liverpool showed a rare talent operating near his considerable potential.Aston Villa: Martin LaursenSeveral of his team-mates have a case, but Martin Laursen has fully justified Martin O'Neill's decision to make him captain. Even at a club where four defenders were signed in the summer, with a combined cost exceeding £20 million, the Dane remains by far the most dependable. Outstanding in the air in both penalty areas, he is among the Villa players of a sufficient calibre to play for any of the four established clubs they are challenging.Blackburn Rovers: Brett EmertonIf truth be told, there are few contenders. Blackburn's has been a season of underachievers, not achievers, but Brett Emerton is an exception. While Rovers have not benefited from David Bentley's departure, their Australia international has. Restored to the right wing, he has been one constant in a much-changed midfield and in some dreadful performances - such as the 4-0 defeat to Arsenal - Emerton has been alone in acquitting himself well.Bolton Wanderers: Matthew TaylorThey rarely enjoy a majority of possession, frequently have fewer shots than their opponents but find themselves in the top half. Bolton have exceeded most expectations and Matthew Taylor is a reason why. Besides his usual role on the left, Taylor has also excelled when cutting in from the right flank. His five goals have all come in victories; a left foot that was renowned for producing spectacular strikes is now bringing regular reward. He is Bolton's joint top scorer and faring better than quite a few strikers.Chelsea: Nicolas AnelkaFew players have undergone such a rapid transformation. Nicolas Anelka ended last season seemingly a sulking outcast. Now he is by far the Premier League's leading scorer, admired for the dexterity and deftness of his finishes and playing an integral part in Chelsea's outstanding away form. Some issues - such as whether he and Didier Drogba can play together - refuse to go away, but Anelka has a strong case to be considered the first choice now.Everton: Phil JagielkaWhen, without looking, Phil Jagielka slid a back pass into the path of Ashley Young for the Aston Villa winger to score, there was considerable surprise. Quietly and unostentatiously, Jagielka had established himself as Everton's definition of consistency. When Joseph Yobo and Joleon Lescott endured an early-season loss of form, Jagielka maintained his levels of performance. It is hard to question Fabio Capello's decisions, but Jagielka can consider himself unfortunate not to be in the squad that beat Germany.Fulham: Brede HangelandWhen the four best defences in the division belong to Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Fulham, it is apparent something has changed at Craven Cottage. While Mark Schwarzer's arrival has helped, the development of Brede Hangeland into one of the most dominant central defenders in the division is a major factor. Fulham were long regarded as a soft touch on their travels, but not any more. A hat-trick of goalless draws was admirable, if not entertaining, and probably the best Texan-born Norwegian footballer in the world has been essential in their improvement.Hull City: Michael TurnerIt is hard to overlook Geovanni but, while many of the Hull squad are enjoying the finest season of their career, Michael Turner is the pick of the bunch. His central-defensive combination with Kamil Zayatte - one on loan from Young Boys of Berne, the other formerly of Brentford and neither with a Premier League appearance to his name prior to this season - has formed an unlikely basis for Hull's equally improbable progress. Turner has three goals to accompany numerous defensive headers, blocks and challenges.Liverpool: Xabi AlonsoRafa Benitez's willingness to sacrifice Xabi Alonso during his bid for Gareth Barry confounded many. That the Englishman stayed in the Midlands has benefited Aston Villa and Liverpool alike. Alonso has provided reminders of the timeless quality of his passing and, with Javier Mascherano often absent, he has been vital in the centre of midfield. And, with a deflected strike at Stamford Bridge, he may have scored the most significant goal of the title race.Manchester City: Stephen IrelandIt is odd that, while his club cultivates chaos, Stephen Ireland has acquired a reputation for reliability. But while Manchester City's tragicomedy turns stranger, Ireland has transformed himself from a figure of fun into one of the most dependable performers. Seven goals represent the best haul of his career and the statistics suggest Ireland, not a certain Brazilian, is City's most creative player. Robinho's arrival could have led to Ireland's exit; instead his improvement means others will be deemed surplus to requirements.Manchester United: Darren FletcherDowngraded and forgotten after Anderson and Owen Hargreaves arrived, Darren Fletcher appeared to be a fringe player at Old Trafford. Few thought otherwise, but this season may result in a few opinions being revised. Fletcher owed his chance to injuries, but he has taken it, establishing himself in the centre of midfield with a series of efficient, un-flashy performances. United's most consistent player was briefly their top scorer but, while he has lost that mantle, he has often kept his place in the team.Middlesbrough: Gary O'NeilConsistency and Middlesbrough rarely go hand in hand, but Gary O'Neil has been an exception. Benefitting from a move from the right flank into the centre of midfield, O'Neil belatedly opened his Boro account against Manchester City with a last-minute run that was typical of his energy. Middlesbrough's recent relapse may not be unconnected to his absence for the last month.Newcastle United: Sebastien BassongNewcastle United and defensive excellence are rarely mentioned in conjunction; nor, for that matter, are Dennis Wise and a beneficial impact upon the club. But Newcastle have three clean sheets in their last five games - one of them away at Chelsea - with a pair of Wise's recruits at the heart of their defence. Whereas Fabricio Coloccini represented a big buy, Sebastien Bassong has been a bargain. Swift and reliable, he has also appeared Newcastle's most reliable left-back, even if that isn't necessarily saying much.Portsmouth: Glen JohnsonWhile Portsmouth's ageing defence have creaked at times, their rather more youthful right-back is in better working order. Besides scoring surely Pompey's goal of the season - launched from long-range against Hull - Glen Johnson has performed both halves of his job admirably, surging forward with enthusiasm and defending diligently. It has been said before but perhaps - finally - he has matured and that may mean his future lies away from Fratton Park.Stoke City: Rory DelapIt couldn't really be anyone else. Much to the bemusement of the unassuming Delap, his huge throws - and Stoke's battery of giants - have made him headline news. The serious element is that seven goals have already come courtesy of Delap's deliveries from the touchline and some sides, such as Hull, have deliberately conceded corners when the alternative was giving him a throw. In open play, Delap contributed a winner against Tottenham and has arguably found his best form for six seasons, if not of his whole career. But no one's talking about that.Sunderland: Kieran Richardson'Captain Kieran Richardson' would have sounded strange a few months ago. Ricky Sbragia's decision to hand the armband to the often infuriating Richardson has been justified, however. More than most at Sunderland, he has acquired a consistency to complement his talent to ensure a place in the centre of midfield. A wonderful derby goal against Newcastle is a sure-fire way to bolster popularity on Wearside, but Richardson's performances should do that in any event.Tottenham Hotspur: Aaron LennonUnder Juande Ramos, it would have been difficult to nominate anyone. Under Harry Redknapp, however, there are players who have emerged from Tottenham's early-season malaise. Aaron Lennon is one such, to the detriment of several left-backs in recent weeks. Blackburn's Martin Olsson, sent off after 39 torrid minutes, was one to discover the difficulties of an opponent with such speed. An extended run of form is required, however, if Lennon is to return to the England squad.West Bromwich Albion: Jonathan GreeningWith the notable exceptions of the two penalty areas, West Brom have played well in most parts of the pitch this season. Few have played their passing game better than Jonathan Greening, the captain who has slotted in on either flank, in the middle and operated behind the lone striker. But the shortage of strikers and central defenders impressing accounts for their current position.West Ham United: Matthew UpsonThe goals have dried up for West Ham, but at both ends. Matthew Upson merits credit for their defensive solidity, playing with a reliability that has been recognised by Fabio Capello. Even in the absence of a regular central defensive partner, Upson's own displays have been excellent and, when West Ham frustrated first Liverpool and then Chelsea, he was a strong contender for the man-of-the-match award. Not for the first time, Arsenal may regret dispensing with his services.Wigan Athletic: Antonio ValenciaThe scouts at the JJB Stadium must have been overworked with Wilson Palacios and Amr Zaki competing for attention, but Antonio Valencia has certainly produced some eye-catching displays. Each of his three goals - against Hull, Manchester City and Blackburn - has been memorable and the Ecuadorian's blend of pace, skill and creativity means Wigan should treasure Valencia while they still have him.

Worst:

Arsenal: William Gallas Outstanding at times and substandard at others, Gallas has epitomised Arsenal rather better than he has led them. There are matches - the win over Manchester United included - where he has demonstrated why he remains among the Premier League's finest defenders. There are others - such as the defeats to Fulham and Hull - where he has been found wanting, especially in his set-piece marking. More consistency is required, from both Gallas and Arsenal.Aston Villa: Nicky ShoreyMentions of Aston Villa and the top four have rarely involved their quartet of left-backs. But Wilfred Bouma (injured in the Intertoto Cup), Gareth Barry (deputising ably), Luke Young (switching flanks adeptly) and Nicky Shorey have all occupied Villa's problem position. Young's station on the left is an indictment of Shorey, the supposed specialist who has been demoted. A lack of pace may be the reason for his lack of football, but more was expected.Blackburn Rovers: Christopher Samba Christopher Samba cost a mere £400,000 but during Mark Hughes' reign, he appeared a multi-million pound defender. Under Paul Ince, however, the giant Congolese proved unusually fallible as Blackburn contrived to concede more goals than anyone else. Samba, found wanting for several strikes, is one of many underachievers; for Rovers to survive, he and Ryan Nelsen need to rediscover their reliability. A clean sheet against Stoke is the right sort of start.Bolton Wanderers: Ebi SmolarekIt is not long since Gary Megson's striking signings appeared a collective failure. While Johan Elmander has discovered his scoring touch, Ebi Smolarek's wait for a goal goes on. The kindest descriptions of his displays thus far invoke such words as 'anonymous', but there are more damning verdicts and more than a few struggle to believe the Pole was among the leading scorers in Euro 2008 qualification.Chelsea: Didier Drogba Chelsea's greatest failing this season has been their unexpected inability to win home games. By common consensus, Didier Drogba would make a difference. If, that is, he was available to add a different dimension to the attack. Injuries are hardly his fault, but the suspension he incurred for returning a coin to the Burnley faithful was. The Ivorian has been absent more often than he has been present; after the destabilising effect of his antics in the past year, he owes Chelsea a few goals.Fulham: d*ckson Etuhu The exact whereabouts of the Bermuda Triangle remains unknown, but there is a theory it is somewhere in the Fulham area. How else to explain the strange disappearance of so many signings at Craven Cottage in the past couple of years? While Roy Hodgson has bought better than his predecessors and his side have acquitted themselves well, d*ckson Etuhu has been conspicuous by his absence.Everton: Leighton Baines When a small squad is compounded by serious injury problems, it could be assumed that a £6-million signing becomes an integral part of the team. Not Leighton Baines, however. The Everton defender - and the Evertonian - is still unable to force his way ahead of the reluctant left-back Joleon Lescott and David Moyes' side have belatedly remembered how to keep clean sheets in his absence.Hull City: Wayne Brown For much of the Hull squad, the Premier League has contained few perils. For Wayne Brown, however, it is a cruel environment in which he was exposed as a Championship defender. The definition of solidity alongside Michael Turner as Hull won promotion, Brown has made a solitary start in the Premier League. It was disastrous. Wigan won 5-0 with Brown glaringly culpable for one goal and partially to blame for others. His manager and namesake Phil Brown reacted by signing Kamil Zayatte.Liverpool: Andrea DossenaLeft-back has proved a problem position for Liverpool for several seasons. Andrea Dossena, who arrived for a hefty fee of £7 million, was supposed to change that. Instead the Italian has been displaced by Fabio Aurelio and, given Emiliano Insua's competent display at the Emirates Stadium, may soon end up third-choice. Several wingers have prospered against him, with Marseille's Hatem Ben Arfa utterly dominant in their duel.Middlesbrough: Afonso AlvesAfonso Alves could be excused his fluctuating form in his first few months at Middlesbrough; they were part of the process of acclimatisation. In his first full season, however, the Brazilian's inconsistency remains as does the frustration. He remains capable of high-calibre finishes but, for a man who could average a goal a game in Holland, such days are disappointingly rare and Middlesbrough have been in the unusual position of leaving a £12 million signing an unused replacement.Manchester City: Micah RichardsIt could have been Jo, the ever-dismal striker, but there is a sizeable group of below-par performers at the City of Manchester Stadium this season. The surprise is that Richard Dunne and Micah Richards, two men who were bywords for consistency, are among them. They account for an abnormally high total in the goals against column. Richards has been shunted out to the flanks at times and shown himself to be an unconvincing left-back. Two recent examples of slack marking have resulted in the loss of two points in as many weeks; both Tim Cahill and Roman Bednar headed winners when Richards was supposed to be shadowing them.Manchester United: Dimitar BerbatovHis by-line pirouette against West Ham was arguably the finest individual piece of skill thus far this season, but Dimitar Berbatov has illuminated games more than he has determined them. Some performances have bordered on the magnificent, but others have been mediocre. That would not be sufficient to condemn some, but price tags produce expectations and Berbatov's goals thus far have come in comfortable wins, not title-deciding encounters. A strike in one of the season's flagship contests would help replay that £30.75 million fee.Newcastle United: XiscoA relegation battle cannot be the sole fault of a man only deemed worthy of three starts, but Newcastle's managers have clearly deemed that Xisco must do better. He may be a victim of Newcastle's peculiar approach to transfers, but Kevin Keegan did not sign him and Joe Kinnear rarely selects him. Despite a debut goal, the Spaniard has not figured since the end of October and he appears to be - at best - fifth in the pecking order of the strikers.Portsmouth: John UtakaWith an explosion of pace and an eye for goal, John Utaka created a fine impression in his initial outings for Portsmouth. They are little over a year ago, but seem distant now. Following an underwhelming second half of last season, his contribution to the current campaign has been negligible. Just two starts, albeit in an injury-affected campaign, suggest both Harry Redknapp and Tony Adams consider him a fringe player in a squad that has been depleted by the sales of midfielders.Stoke City: Dave KitsonIt normally bodes badly when the club record signing underperforms. Stoke have surpassed many expectations by forcing their way into the mid-table pack, but Dave Kitson has not. The £5.5-million striker's wait for his first goal continues and he has been supplanted by the Potters' Championship pairing in attack. Lacking Mamady Sidibe's aerial power and Ricardo Fuller's flair, he may be confined to the bench for the second half of the campaign.Sunderland: El-Hadji DioufDebuts can be deceptive. El-Hadji Diouf was a strong contender for the Man of the Match award on his Sunderland bow, the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool. Since then, however, the spiky Senegalese fell foul of Roy Keane and is yet to be restored to the team by his temporary replacement, Ricky Sbragia. A lack of goals has long been a criticism levelled at Diouf, and he is yet to score in red and white. With Djibril Cisse and Kenwyne Jones appearing the preferred partnership in attack and Andy Reid excelling against West Brom on the left of midfield, regaining his place may prove difficult.Tottenham Hotspur: Heurelho GomesHeurelho Gomes' introduction to English football certainly hasn't been uneventful. Capable of being the outstanding individual on the pitch - as he arguably was against West Ham and Manchester United - or the most error-prone, as he was in the matches with Fulham and Aston Villa matches, he is eminently watchable, but unfortunately unreliable. His recent improved form offers optimism for the rest of the campaign, but the fact remains that with a safer pair of hands, Tottenham would be higher up the table and Andrew Johnson and Ashley Young owe their goal bonuses to his faulty handling.West Bromwich Albion: Ryan DonkWest Bromwich Albion's defensive disasters cannot all be attributed to one man, but it is significant that Ryan Donk has not been seen since the defeat to Chelsea. He was more fallible than most in a fragile rearguard. It is easily forgotten that Albion kept clean sheets on Donk's first two appearances, especially as they conceded 17 goals in his subsequent six games. The defining image of his time in the Midlands, thus far, is the needless tug on Blackburn's Jason Roberts to concede a penalty.West Ham United: Luis Boa MorteThe more time passes, the more Fulham should be grateful to Chris Coleman for recognising Luis Boa Morte was a declining force and accepting West Ham's £5 million offer. Two years on, the question remains: what does he actually do? Boa Morte has scored a solitary goal for West Ham and created few more. He doesn't even get booked as often as he once did. The Portuguese is one of the few Hammers who seems immune to injury, but that is scarcely a blessing.Wigan Athletic: Daniel de RidderSteve Bruce's signings from Birmingham City have been a mixed bag. The coaching staff who followed him north have helped transform Wigan, while Wilson Palacios has been a revelation in the midfield. But Olivier Kapo has been rather overshadowed by Antonio Valencia on the opposite flank and Daniel de Ridder has never threatened the Ecuadorian's place in the team. Much, much more is needed from him if he is to establish himself in the side.

Something to read if you're having an uneventful Christmas Day.

[Dat Boy B]

I would argue that Bossy & Mikel have had better seasons so far then Niko.Drogbas been injured and banned

[Kaiser]

Agree with the liverpool gang

[HangTheDJ]

Valencia and O'Neill are the most baffling "best" IMO.Valencia from what I seen has been a bit stop start and had been struggling infront of goal.And Gary O'Neills improved but best player? Tuncay has smacked it, Aliadiere has had a decent season, Downing has done well last few weeks and digards done well too.

[Kaiser]

Nah he scored 3 goals and has 5 assiststhats a good start to the seasondeffo the best at Wigan

[FANTA]

Berbs will prove to be a costly mistake.

[Capricious Beats]

So Zaki hasnt had good season?

[Agony]

LOL @ the Man United ones

[Avon Barksdale]

Id say Carrick been our most important player so far

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

Flethcer??LMAO LMAO LMAOBerba worst yeh??LMAO LMAO LMAOSwear down man how do these people get paid to write this sh*t. smh

[Sinister]

I would argue that Bossy & Mikel have had better seasons so far then Niko.Drogbas been injured and banned

As soon as I saw Drogba it had to get a plainface.Has been a problem only off the pitch IMO.

[yadunknojz09]

Michael Carrick has been amazing for United this season, Berba needs to up his game, or Tevez should just come back in and shank the goals in.

[Necksta]

Xisco.. our worse? wtf.Nicky ButtCacapaCarrollEdgarThere's 4, at the top of my head.Agree with Bassong though, quality player.