With the 2026/27 Premier League season set to get underway, LiveScore has unveiled a new data-led positional ranking system designed to identify the standout performer in every role on the pitch.
Rather than judging every player against the same criteria, LiveScore’s new rankings assess footballers according to the specific demands of their position. The system covers eight specialist roles: goalkeeper, centre-back, full-back, No. 6, No. 8, No. 10, winger and striker.
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The rankings have also been used to look back at the 2025/26 Premier League season, revealing which players topped each category.
How LiveScore’s Positional Rankings Work
The new LiveScore system uses data from Opta and Twenty3, with more than 40 individual metrics incorporated into each positional model.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all rating, the metrics are selected and weighted according to the responsibilities of each position. This means a winger can be rewarded for dribbling and chance creation, while a defensive midfielder can benefit more from tackles, ball recoveries and retention.
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The system also takes into account minutes played, possession-adjusted statistics and different playing styles. Players can feature in more than one midfield category when their role overlaps across positions.
The resulting scores are converted into a LiveScore rating out of 10.
The positional rankings will also contribute towards LiveScore’s upcoming Team of the Season and Player of the Season awards.
Best Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma – 8.1
| Player | Team | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | Manchester City | 8.1 |
| David Raya | Arsenal | 7.5 |
| Jordan Pickford | Everton | 7.2 |
| Bart Verbruggen | Brighton | 6.9 |
| Senne Lammens | Manchester United | 6.5 |
Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma came out on top among Premier League goalkeepers, despite City missing out on the league title.
The Italian recorded 15 clean sheets, ranking second in the division, while his 72.9% save success rate was the best in the Premier League.
Explore Donnarumma’s LiveScore statistics.
Best Centre-Back: Gabriel Magalhaes – 8.3
| Player | Team | Rating |
| Gabriel Magalhaes | Arsenal | 8.3 |
| William Saliba | Arsenal | 7.8 |
| Marc Guehi | Crystal Palace / Manchester City | 7.6 |
| Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | 7.5 |
| Jan Paul van Hecke | Brighton | 6.9 |
Arsenal claimed the top two spots among centre-backs, with Gabriel Magalhaes narrowly beating William Saliba.
The Brazilian played a key role in Arsenal’s defensive record as the Gunners conceded just 27 goals, fewer than any other team. Gabriel also contributed three goals and four assists, while his 182 clearances placed him among the Premier League’s top 20 players for the statistic.
See Gabriel Magalhaes’ LiveScore statistics.
Best Full-Back: Matheus Nunes – 8.8
| Player | Team | Rating |
| Matheus Nunes | Manchester City | 8.8 |
| Jurrien Timber | Arsenal | 7.3 |
| Nico O’Reilly | Manchester City | 7.2 |
| Pedro Porro | Tottenham | 7.1 |
| Marc Cucurella | Chelsea | 6.9 |
One of the biggest surprises comes at full-back, where Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes topped the rankings with an impressive 8.8 rating.
Primarily a central midfielder, Nunes has increasingly featured at right-back for City and proved highly effective in the role during the 2025/26 campaign.
His 8.8 rating was the highest score across all eight positional categories, making Nunes LiveScore’s standout positional player of the season.
Best Defensive Midfielder / No. 6: Declan Rice – 8.0
| Player | Team | Rating |
| Declan Rice | Arsenal | 8.0 |
| Elliot Anderson | Nottingham Forest | 7.8 |
| Granit Xhaka | Sunderland | 7.1 |
| Moises Caicedo | Chelsea | 7.0 |
| Ryan Gravenberch | Liverpool | 6.8 |
Declan Rice topped the defensive midfield rankings with an 8.0 rating.
The Arsenal midfielder was instrumental in the Gunners’ successful campaign, while Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson finished just 0.2 points behind him.
Anderson’s performances earned him a summer move to Manchester City, with his 7.8 rating highlighting the impact he made in the previous campaign.
Best Central Midfielder / No. 8: Declan Rice – 7.8
| Player | Team | Rating |
| Declan Rice | Arsenal | 7.8 |
| Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United | 7.7 |
| Elliot Anderson | Nottingham Forest | 7.6 |
| Dominik Szoboszlai | Liverpool | 7.2 |
| Bruno Guimaraes | Newcastle | 7.1 |
Rice also topped the No. 8 rankings, demonstrating his versatility across midfield.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes finished second, just 0.1 behind Rice, while Anderson again featured inside the top three.
The results underline how players capable of operating across multiple midfield roles can perform strongly in different positional models.
Check out Declan Rice’s LiveScore statistics.
Best Attacking Midfielder / No. 10: Bruno Fernandes – 8.3
| Player | Team | Rating |
| Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United | 8.3 |
| Phil Foden | Manchester City | 7.3 |
| Florian Wirtz | Liverpool | 6.6 |
| Enzo Fernandez | Chelsea | 6.4 |
| Mikkel Damsgaard | Brentford | 5.8 |
Bruno Fernandes was the clear leader among attacking midfielders.
The Manchester United captain created 136 chances during the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, including 33 big chances, while registering 21 assists.
His 8.3 LiveScore rating placed him a full point ahead of Manchester City’s Phil Foden in second.
View Bruno Fernandes’ LiveScore statistics.
Best Winger: Antoine Semenyo – 8.0
| Player | Team | Rating |
| Antoine Semenyo | Bournemouth / Manchester City | 8.0 |
| Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | 7.8 |
| Harry Wilson | Fulham | 7.0 |
| Matheus Cunha | Manchester United | 6.8 |
| Bryan Mbeumo | Brentford | 6.1 |
Antoine Semenyo topped the winger rankings after an impressive campaign split between Bournemouth and Manchester City.
The Ghana international finished the season with 17 goals, carrying his attacking form from Bournemouth to the Etihad.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka followed in second with a 7.8 rating, with LiveScore’s model taking into account wider attacking involvement alongside traditional goals and assists.
Explore Antoine Semenyo’s LiveScore statistics.
Best Striker: Erling Haaland – 8.0
| Player | Team | Rating |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 8.0 |
| Joao Pedro | Chelsea | 7.4 |
| Igor Thiago | Brentford | 6.7 |
| Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa | 6.2 |
| Viktor Gyokeres | Arsenal | 6.2 |
There was little surprise at the top of the striker rankings, with Erling Haaland claiming the inaugural crown with an 8.0 rating.
The Manchester City forward finished the campaign as the Premier League’s top scorer after finding the net 27 times, while also contributing eight assists.
Chelsea’s Joao Pedro was Haaland’s closest challenger with a 7.4 rating.
See Haaland’s LiveScore statistics.
LiveScore Rankings Will Track the 2026/27 Premier League Season
The positional rankings aren’t designed as a one-off retrospective. LiveScore will update them throughout the 2026/27 Premier League season, allowing fans to track how players perform week by week.
The rankings will highlight who is leading each position, which players are rising or falling and whether early-season performances can be sustained over the course of the campaign.
By separating players according to their specific roles, LiveScore aims to provide a more detailed picture of Premier League performances than a traditional overall player rating.
Download the LiveScore app for real-time updates. Go to livescore.com for more information.
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