Arsenal skipper Odegaard among the Premier League's in-form stars as action returns
The Premier League returns on Boxing Day following the World Cup break. There were a number of in-form players ahead of the domestic hiatus who'll be looking to quickly get back into the swing of things. Will they be able to pick up where they left of? Or did the break come at just the wrong time?
Here, we run through our 10 in-form players from before Premier League action paused for a month.
10. Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal) - 7.42
Unfortunately for Arsenal, Gabriel Jesus will spend the next couple of months on the sidelines due to a knee injury sustained during the World Cup. It's a huge blow for the Gunners, who return to action at the top of the Premier League table, especially as Jesus was in good form before jetting off to Qatar with Brazil. The 25-year-old hasn't scored since the North London Derby, yet has been solid on the Gunners frontline, as evidenced by an average WhoScored rating of 7.42 across recent league outings.
9. Danny Ward (Leicester) - 7.43
Few would have foreseen Danny Ward being one of the more in-form players in the Premier League earlier in the season, yet as Leicester's form has improved, so too has the Welshman's. Indeed, Ward has conceded just one goal in his last six league outings, and it means only Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale (both 7) have kept more clean sheets than the 29-year-old (6) in the Premier League this season. As such, he has risen to ninth in the WhoScored form rankings. Supporters are hoping he can maintain that solidity for the coming weeks and months.
Another goalkeeper to make the top 10, Liverpool have been nowhere near as solid as they were last season, yet it would have been much worse without an inspired Alisson between the sticks. The 30-year-old has been in good form in recent gameweeks, even taking into account surprise back-to-back defeats to Nottingham Forest and Leeds. He played his part in a clean sheet home win over West Ham, saving a Jarrod Bowen penalty, and is credited with the assist for Mohamed Salah's winner over Manchester City.
7. James Maddison (Leicester) - 7.48
Another Foxes star to make the cut, James Maddison's form before the World Cup saw him earn a spot in Gareth Southgate's England squad for Qatar 2022. While Maddison didn't play a single minute on their way to a quarter-final exit, the attacking star justified his spot in the Three Lions setup having had a direct hand in four goals across his last six league outings, scoring twice. A rating of 7.48 is a drop, with a man of the match performance against Nottingham Forest taken out of the reckoning, but the 26-year-old will be confident of getting back to form, starting with Leicester's welcome of Newcastle on Boxing Day.
6. Miguel Almiron (Newcastle) - 7.54
One of the success stories of 2022/23, Miguel Almiron has scored eight times already this season, that the sixth best return in England's top tier this term. That being said, while Almiron has been in rampant form, he has fallen down the rankings due to recent excellent showings against Fulham and Brentford both dropping out of contention for his form rating, but with a 7.54 rating across his last six outings, the Newcastle star is still one of the Premier League's form players.
5. Marcus Tavernier (Bournemouth) - 7.56
Bournemouth ended a four-game losing streak prior to the World Cup break as they beat Everton 3-0 last month, but even with the Cherries in poor form, Marcus Tavernier has been excellent of late. The summer arrival has been directly involved in just six league goals this season, scoring twice, yet all six of those have come in his last three outings to have helped boost his form rating to 7.56.
4. Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham) - 7.62
Of the four league goals Rodrigo Bentancur has scored this season, three have come in his last three outings, including a vital brace in Tottenham's 4-3 win over Leeds last month. Spurs are unfortunate to have lost the Uruguayan to injury during the World Cup and it's likely he won't return to action until the New Year, which is a blow for the north London side considering his form before Qatar 2022, as noted by a rating of 7.62 across his last handful of league appearances.
3. Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) - 7.63
Crossing the north London divide, Martin Odegaard was excellent ahead of the World Cup break having directly contributed to five goals in his previous six outings, including a vital brace in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Wolves ahead of Qatar 2022. Odegaard is one of a number of players that headed into the hiatus in flying form and with no World Cup action, should be raring to go as the Premier League returns on Boxing Day.
2. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 7.67
Kevin De Bruyne will look to put a disappointing World Cup behind him when Manchester City resume their title defence next week. Belgium were knocked out in the group stages despite a wealth of talent in their squad, and De Bruyne will hope to rediscover his best league form when Manchester City's Premier League campaign gets back underway at Leeds. The 31-year-old saw his form rating dip before the World Cup break, yet he remains the second most in-form player in the division.
1. Kieran Trippier (Newcastle) - 7.93
The Premier League's form player as we gear up for the league to resume, Kieran Trippier has enjoyed a wonderful campaign to date, with the England international's WhoScored rating of 7.93 across his last six outings better than any other player. Two of Trippier's three league assists have come in his last three appearances, while he's remained defensively sound in that time to remain top of the leaderboard.
