The Wonderkid Power Rankings - Man City starlet wrestles Man Utd youngster from top ten as Bellingham blanks

This week has been a watershed moment for this season’s Wonderkid Power Rankings – Jude Bellingham, who has hogged top spot from week one, finally went a week without scoring. Or even assisting. Will he finally be deposed after such a drastic, one-match drop in form? Did any of the chasing pack do enough to overhaul him? We’ll find out soon…

To be honest, it’s been a quiet week in general for the world’s top young talent – although we must doff our cap in the direction of two teenagers who put their name up in lights. First, Marc Guiu, who scored the winning goal against Athletic Bilbao with his first touch as a Barcelona player and got to live every schoolboy’s dream. Secondly, Lamine Camara, the 19-year-old Metz midfielder who pinged a frankly obscene goal in from well inside his own half against AS Monaco. He may have just won himself a Puskas nomination…

Unfortunately, it takes more than one flash of inspiration to land yourself a spot in our countdown of the ten best and most in-form youngsters in the world, but both have at least put themselves on the radar for future weeks. For now, though, let’s see who’s made our latest list of the most exciting talents in football.

10. Xavi Simons – RB Leipzig (⬇️ from 9)

Simons got his season off to an absolute flyer but is hanging on to the top ten by his fingertips at this point – and honestly, had another player on our radar put their hand up in convincing fashion, he probably would have fallen out entirely.

We don’t place all the blame for his downturn solely at Simons’ own feet – Leipzig manager Marco Rose has started shuffling Simons out to the wing, where he has been far less effective than he was as a number ten and has struggled to get himself quiet as involved. A pass completion rate of 72% in Leipzig’s 3-1 win over Darmstadt 98, way below his usual standards, underlines his discomfort in the wider areas.

9. Sávio – Girona (new entry)

One of the leading lights in Girona’s unlikely title challenge, the gifted Brazilian attacker was back in the goals in a hugely entertaining 5-2 win against Almería, racing down the right channel at high speed before squeezing a strike in beneath the unfortunate goalkeeper Fernando.

You can either praise Sávio’s speed, skill and audacity to try a shot from such a narrow angle or just raise your eyebrow at the goalkeeper allowing it to squirm under him, but whichever you choose, the alleged Manchester City target looks right back in form after a scintillating start to the La Liga season. He’s a brilliant dribbler, lightning quick and seems to be able to score from just about anywhere – and he’s an awful lot of fun to watch.

8. Jérémy Doku – Manchester City (re-entry)

Doku was excellent against Brighton & Hove Albion, his excellent off-ball movement, silky dribbling and sharp passing all on display in an all-action performance which he capped with another assist for Julián Álvarez.

A quick change of pace to beat his man and get to the byline, an intelligent cut-back when so many players would have flashed it across goal, and Manchester City took the lead – and while it was the Argentine who got his name on the scoresheet, it was the 21-year-old Brazilian whose work made it happen. He’s taken Jack Grealish’s place in the side over recent weeks and is beginning to make it his own. His re-entry into the top ten comes at the expense of Man Utd’s Rasmus Højlund, who’s banished after just one week in the rankings.

7. Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen (⬇️ from 4)

Far be it from us to question Xabi Alonso’s methods, but the Spanish manager mysteriously dropped Wirtz for the game at VfL Wolfsburg and while it didn’t cost them – they won 2-1 – the 30 minutes he did spend on the field was perhaps the only time that the Bundesliga leaders felt like they were in full control of the match.

Wirtz managed to get heavily involved in his brief spell in the game, managing 40 touches and two shots in that time, and probably reminded Alonso that if anyone should be undroppable, it’s him. Still, a cameo in which he didn’t score or set one up means he drops a few places.

6. Kendry Páez – Independiente del Valle (⬆️ from 7)

The Ecuadorian übertalent was in the goals again, this time for his club against Guayaquil City, a club who curiously changed name from River Ecuador and started wearing pale blue a few years ago despite not actually being taken over by the City Group. Imitation is, we suppose, the sincerest form of flattery.

The goal was magnificent, too, a 25-yard screamer curled ferociously into the top left corner, which came not long after he clipped the crossbar with a free-kick. Even aside from that, there were several flashes of his wizardly dribbling and creative vision, even if there were a few times that he needlessly gave the ball away. Still, he’s only 16. He’s allowed a few mistakes.

5. Alejandro Balde – Barcelona (non-mover)

The Barcelona full-back is usually hugely effective at both ends of the field, but for once wasn’t able to make much of a dent in the final third against a disciplined Athletic side during the 1-0 win at Lluis Companys.

He was still excellent in defence, making a couple of crucial interceptions, winning all of his one-on-one battles with opposing attacker and giving precious little up to the opposing attack. A lot of Balde’s highlight reel is made up of his crosses and sharp passing down the left channels, but this was a timely reminder that he’s a rock solid presence at the back as well.

4. Joško Gvardiol – Manchester City (⬆️ from 6)

The Croatian was in fine fettle once more against Brighton, and the stats lines he put up against the Seagulls are pretty remarkable – four interceptions, two tackles, 100% of ground duels won, 90% pass completion and he only lost possession nine times, which is a very impressively low figure.

He looks like the perfect Pep Guardiola defender, comfortable with the ball at his feet and a strong passer, but also blessed with superb reading of the game and the tackling and aerial ability to deal with threatening attacks from all angles. One of City’s most consistent performers of the season, and with plenty of room to get even better.

3. Gavi – Barcelona (non-mover)

Gavi had yet another very tidy game against Athletic, keeping things tight in midfield and down the channels on the right – but for once he wasn’t able to make a massive impact in the final third as he found himself dealing with a persistent and energetic opposing team who didn’t offer up in the way of freedom.

It’s unusual for Gavi not to get any shots in and he managed just one key pass in attack, but still forced a few important turnovers and managed a solid 86% pass completion rate as he kept things ticking over before the even younger Guiu scored the winner. Not a performance he’ll remember in years to come, but a very solid one nonetheless.

2. Jamal Musiala – Bayern Munich (non-mover)

Rumours that the Anglo-German forward has been getting frustrated over a lack of starts under Thomas Tuchel has led to some speculation over his future – and may well have led to his being put in the starting line-up for the 3-1 win over Mainz at the weekend.

And he repaid that decision handily – first with a delicious lofted cross to the back post which was knocked back into the path of Harry Kane for Bayern’s second, and later robbing a Mainz defender of possession on the edge of the area before squaring for Leon Goretzka to seal the win. Musiala was heavily involved throughout and at the heart of an awful lot of what Bayern did well both and off the ball. Probably won’t be on the bench again next week, at any rate.

1. Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid (non-mover)

We probably could have used this as an excuse to knock Bellingham off top for a change – but the blank he drew in the 1-1 draw against Sevilla was only the third time he’s failed to register a goal or assist for Real and marks the first seven-day period since he joined in which he hasn’t notched up a goal contribution, so it would have been needlessly harsh. Besides, he still played really very well.

He was heavily involved throughout, played a couple of superb long passes, and was effective off the ball as well, winning eight out of his ten one-on-one duels, as well as drawing seven fouls from the opposition. Really, the comparatively paltry combined xG and xA of 0.13 is the only thing you can criticise him for – but maybe if he has another barren week and one of the other contenders rattles a few goals in, we can finally give Bellingham a break from being crowned the best young player in the world. Not this week, though.