The Wonderkid Power Rankings: Chelsea and Liverpool kids rated among Premier League's best starlets

Once again, it’s time to run our weekly rule over the brightest young talents in the Premier League and produce a top ten of the finest and most in-form under-21s in the English top flight.

Last week, Cole Palmer reclaimed top spot and put in a strong showing for Chelsea against Newcastle United to stake his claim to another week at the summit, but can he hold off the challenge of the rest of the young guns who scored, set others up or simply worked their backsides off this week?

Two players drop out this time around – Levi Colwill, whose toe injury will see him sidelined for an unknown length of time, and Illia Zabarnyi, who goes back to hovering just outside our rankings due in part to Pape Matar Sarr’s return to fitness and form. Bournemouth fans can rest assured that we haven’t forgotten about him. For the rest of you? Let’s crack on with the countdown…

10. Kobbie Mainoo - Manchester United (⬇️ 1)

Mainoo narrowly hangs on to his place in our list ahead of Zabarnyi and Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah. The young defenders probably outperformed Mainoo this week but the United midfielder’s impressive form in recent weeks keeps his head above water, for now at least.

Mainoo didn’t anything drastically wrong in the rather flattering 2-0 win over Everton and was typically dogged in defence, but he was oddly becalmed when United were in possession and rarely got the ball down to show us what he can do – he managed just 35 touches but still lost the ball nine times. Not his best or most influential day, but probably nothing to panic about, either.

9. Adam Wharton – Crystal Palace (re-entry)

Wharton tiptoes back into the top ten thanks to another solid showing in the 1-1 draw against Luton Town, in which he used the ball extremely well, notching up a 100% pass completion rate including a couple of very dangerous balls.

He was also typically resilient and determined out of possession, winning a couple of turnovers and making two important clearances over the course of his 80 minutes on the field of play. Not a standout performance, but another very solid game from the 20-year-old.

8. Conor Bradley – Liverpool (⬇️ 1)

Bradley had a bit of a nightmare in the Europa League last week, coming on at half-time and contriving to ping the ball into the back of his own net a little over a minute later as he tried – and failed – to deal with a cross. It was the worst mistake he made in a fairly difficult 45 minutes but not the last, and his trip to Prague is probably not one he’ll want to remember.

He put that behind him in impressive fashion in the crucial game against Manchester City, however, where he rediscovered his poise at the back and chipped in with a total of six tackles and interceptions and an important blocked shot. His work in the final third still requires some refinement and he didn’t manage to create any meaningful chances at Anfield, but he shrugged off any big game nerves very well indeed and did his defensive duties very effectively.

7. Pape Matar Sarr – Tottenham Hotspur (RE)

Sarr lost his place in our top ten after a slightly iffy showing against Palace last weekend, but earns it back with an improved performance in the 4-0 thrashing of Aston Villa, where he took full advantage of the space Spurs were afforded in midfield to turn in another composed and economical performance.

The cherry on top was his sublime cross from the right wing for James Maddison’s opening goal, a ball which couldn’t have been placed or weighted any better. A lovely piece of work from a hugely talented young man.

6. Destiny Udogie – Tottenham Hotspur (⬆️ 2)

One thing we’ve noticed about the Italian from tracking his performances this season is that he tends to have games where he either offers a boatload going forward but looks suspect defensively, or he’s solid as a rock at the back and doesn’t show up much in the final third. In the 4-0 win over Villa, it was the latter.

Perhaps being kicked into the stands by John McGinn dissuaded him from trying too many more darting runs up the park but he was much more visible in his own half, especially off the ball where he anticipated opposing attacks extremely well and made no fewer than five interceptions, which is excellent. When he had the ball he tended to keep it neat and tidy rather than attempting anything expansive, but he did it all rather well and didn’t put a foot wrong in a key game for his club.

5. Alejandro Garnacho – Manchester United (⬆️ 1)

Much better from the Argentine after a pretty disappointing outing in the Manchester Derby. His quick feet caused Everton’s defenders all manner of headaches and he won both of United’s penalties by simple dint of being too fast and too sharp for the players charged with tackling him.

He could still stand to be more efficient in the final third, and he once again took on shots when he should have passed once or twice, but he was lively, involved and dangerous throughout, as he has been for much of 2024.

4. Jarrad Branthwaite – Everton (⬇️ 1)

It would be a harsh judge who laid any of the blame for Everton’s defeat at Old Trafford at Branthwaite’s feet, but this was not the centre-half at his most dominant. For a player who usually racks up clearances, tackles and blocks in huge volume, he was a little quiet and didn’t really manage to impose himself on the United attack at any point - perhaps not an ideal audition given the rumours that United may well try to buy him this summer.

In fairness, he didn’t make any dreadful mistakes and he was composed and tidy enough when called upon, but he’s capable of more on his day – and off the back of perhaps his worst performance of the season against West Ham United last week, a former number one slides slightly further down our table.

3. Malo Gusto – Chelsea (⬆️ 1)

The French wing-back has been consistently good of late, even as Chelsea’s form vacillates rapidly between the excellent and the awful, and he was in fine fettle against Newcastle on Monday evening in the Blues’ 3-2 win, even if he was a little quieter going forward than usual.

He put up a massive four tackles and four interceptions to keep his flank on lockdown for long periods, and the only strike against his performance was the fact that he completed just one of his five attempted crosses. Still a very good game from an increasingly assured presence in Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

2. Harvey Elliott – Liverpool (-)

Elliott remains our runner-up despite racking up no fewer than three assists in the 5-1 demolition of Sparta on Thursday evening – although, in fairness, two were simple lay-offs and the third, for Dominik Szoboszlai, a speculative pass that should never have reached its target.

None of which should diminish the excellence of his performance, but he was a little less exceptional against City on Sunday, when he kept things tidy and passed the ball around well without providing any big breakthroughs for his side. He’s still on superb form and seems to have nailed his place in Jürgen Klopp’s starting eleven for the first time this season, even if the slew of injuries Liverpool have endured has played its part in that.

1. Cole Palmer – Chelsea (-)

There was no chance that we were going to drop Palmer from top spot after he inspired Chelsea to an important win over Newcastle with a goal, an assist and an outstanding all-round performance filled with creativity, verve and threat in the final third.

Twice his ingenuity and willingness to take chances gave Chelsea the lead, the first time when his 20-yard drive was flicked in by Nicolas Jackson and the second when he swivelled swiftly on the ball and fired home at the near post after the break. Whenever Chelsea play well, Palmer is at the heart of everything they do. A brilliant player, and surely heading to the European Championships with England this summer.