The Premier League has adjourned for the second international break of the season, the last before the top-flight really swings into gear.
Yet, though the campaign is still in its early knockings the table is already starting to take shape. The top three are as they were last season, the order notwithstanding.
The newly-promoted sides have largely struggled and Manchester United are, well, they’re post-Ferguson Manchester United, lurching from one crisis to another, with Erik ten Hag hanging on his job for dear life.
And in the mess of fixtures that have been played thus far, a crop of stars have separated themselves from the rest and have been recognised as the outstanding roster of the season.
Statistics boffins Sofascore have collated their player ratings for every game this term and provided a definitive list of the Premier League’s outstanding performers – here, Mail Sport runs the rule over their findings.
Liverpool are the league’s early pace setters sit top of the Premier League with 18 points from seven games
Arsenal and Manchester City are just one point behind the Reds, with both clubs unbeaten
Manchester United have made their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign and are languishing in 14th place
Mads Hermansen, Leicester, 7.67
Danish stopper Mads Hermansen was brought in by the Foxes last season and helped the side earn an immediate return to the top-flight following their shocking relegation a year prior.
Like his Leicester team-mates, Hermansen’s job has become considerably harder now he’s duking it out with the Premier League’s elite but he has given a good account of himself thus far.
Unsurprisingly, the 24-year-old has made the joint-most saves in the division and his save percentage is almost 4 per cent better than Mark Flekken, who has matched his total of 33 stops this term.
Mads Hermansen put in a terrific performance against Arsenal to give the Foxes a chance stealing an unlikely point
Christian Romero has formed a strong central defensive pairing with Micky van de Ven
Christian Romero, Tottenham, 7.40
The Argentine’s faults were brutally exposed in Tottenham’s collapse against Brighton on Sunday night but that shouldn’t completely detract from his good start to the campaign.
Spurs have kept two clean sheets as he and Micky van de Ven have built a fruitful partnership. Romero has also managed to get himself on the scoresheet this term, netting in the 4-0 win over Everton.
Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool, 7.39
‘Virgil van Dijk is back to his best’, is the common claim made after Dutchman’s confident start to the campaign. But let’s be honest, he’s not. Van Dijk’s best was so extraordinary that precious few defenders in top-flight history have ever reached it.
Yet, so impressive are his talents that a post-prime Van Dijk can anchor the division’s best defence and at times still act as a one-man wall.
The 33-year-old looks to be another major beneficiary of the arrival of Arne Slot, with the Reds’ more considered approach no longer requiring him to thwart a team’s entire attacking line and a build up strategy that utilises his often underappreciated passing ability.
Virgil van Dijk has anchored Liverpool’s defence, which has conceded just two goals so far this season
Josko Gvardiol, Man City, 7.50
Gvardiol’s transformation at the Etihad has been shocking. A gifted young left-footed centre-back, who had impressed in the Champions League and the World Cup, Gvardiol was expected to slot into the middle of City’s back four.
But, as the footballing public is reminded on a semi-regular basis, there is folly in trying to predict what Pep Guardiola will do. Where the world saw solid centre-back, Guardiola saw attacking full-back.
Even now, when the 22-year-old is making underlapping runs or receiving the ball on the touchline it doesn’t feel right. But his goal at St James’ Park proves he’s got the talent to fulfill that role.
Josko Gvardiol has been a revelation in an unfamiliar left-back role since he joined man City
Mateo Kovacic, Man City, 7.50
This is shaping up to be a huge year for the former Chelsea midfielder and four time Champions League winner. It often feels like people forget that about the 30-year-old. This is a player, who has played for Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea and City and has earned 106 international caps for Croatia.
With Rodri missing for the entire campaign, Kovacic has assumed that role as City’s midfield metronome and, to his credit, he has performed an impressive interpretation of the job thus far.
Kovacic’s brace against Fulham earned City a 3-2 win and his goalscoring talents maybe required moving forward if their defence continues to leak goals.
Mateo Kovacic bagged a brace to help Manchester City get past Fulham over the weekend
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal, 8.23
Saka just keeps on performing at an elite level, he has now for the past three season. What’s different about this campaign is that he’s turned provider. In the absence of Martin Odegaard and with Kai Havertz uber-confident infront of goal, Saka is racking up the assists.
He’s got seven from the first seven games and two goals to give him nine goal contributions already. Saka’s average rating of 8.23 makes him the highest-rated player so far this season.
The Gunners are showing that they can do it without their skipper when it was assumed he was the most important part of Mikel Arteta’s machine – perhaps it was Saka all along.
Bukayo Saka has seven assists from his first seven appearances for Arsenal this season
Cole Palmer, Chelsea, 8.14
What more can be said about Cole Palmer? Six goals and five assists in just seven Premier League outings. The 22-year-old is making a serious case to wear the lineal ‘best player in the world’ belt after his astonishing start to the campaign.
Four goals in one half against Brighton, a hat-trick of assists against Wolves. Palmer ended last term with 33 goal contributions in 34 Premier League appearances. Those numbers look like his baseline now.
For all the good vibes coming out of Stamford Bridge after their solid start under Enzo Maresca, he is the most important factor. Keep him fit and firing and Chelsea could return to their former glories in no time at all.
Cole Palmer became the first player in Premier League history to score four goals in one half
James Maddison has four goal contributions for Tottenham despite playing in a deeper role
James Maddison, Tottenham, 7.64
The former Leicester City star has returned from his Euro 2024 disappointment with a point a prove.
Fielded in a deeper midfield position, Maddison has been able to dictate the tempo and orchestrate the temp for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
When it works it’s a thing of beauty. Maddison already has two goals and two assists from his seven Premier League outings this term.
Son Heung-min, Tottenham, 7.88
The South Korean’s absence has been keenly felt. Yes, even in Tottenham’s 3-0 win over Manchester United. Swap out Timo Werner for Son in that game and Spurs’ margin of victory could easily have doubled.
Son has two goals and two assists from his five Premier League appearances and looks reborn back out on the wing with Dominic Solanke occupying the central defenders in the middle.
Postecoglou will be desperate for the forward to be back in his matchday squad as soon as possible.
Son Heung-min has been a huge miss for Tottenham in the last two games. He has netted twice in his five appearances
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, 7.79
Salah, a second member of Liverpool’s out-of-contract trio in his list, are you watching Richard Hughes? The Egyptian has been workmanlike in his play this term. Four assists, four goals, efficient, direct, Salah. Slot has benefitted from the 32-year-old’s freakish standards and his continued output proves that, despite his advancing years, he still has much to give.
Salah kept his cool to score the winner from the penalty spot in Liverpool’s win against Wolves last month which took him to within one goal of Jermaine Defoe’s Premier League tally and within two of Robbie Fowler’s.
You wouldn’t put it past Salah to leapfrog the pair of them in the Reds’ next game after the international break.
Mohamed Salah (left) is just one goal behind Jermaine Defoe’s Premier League tally and only two behind Robbie Fowler
Erling Haaland has scored 10 goals in only seven games this seasons, including one in City’s feisty 2-2 draw with Arsenal last month
Sofascore’s player ratings show the Premier League’s best performers through the first seven matchdays of the campaign
Erling Haaland, Man City, 8.06
No goals in the last two games. I repeat, no goals in the last two Premier League games. Erling Haaland has lost his goalscoring touch. That’s the tiny voice that goes off in the back of the minds of every football fan when the Norwegian doesn’t find the net. And it’s his fault.
When you have a goal-a-game record, the viewing public expect you to score a goal-a-game. That’s the thing about Haaland though, he’ll be back scoring and when he does it probably won’t be just ones and twos.
The 24-year-old has 10 Premier League goals in seven games, despite taking the last outings off to make the Golden Boot race interesting. But there’s no need, we already know how this movie ends.