Man United and Aston Villa stars named brutal in worst Premier League XI of the season so far
We’ve crunched the numbers to find statistically the worst XI possible comprised of Premier League players so far this season
We’re over a quarter of the way through the 2026/27 Premier League season, and it’s been an enthralling campaign so far with twists and turns galore in the title race, scrap for European places and relegation battle. As things stand, Arsenal are six points clear at the top of the table, trailed by Manchester City who have Brighton & Hove Albion close behind them.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s dreadful start to the start of the new campaign sees them lying 18th in the Premier League table - just one point off the very bottom. It’s similarly grim times for both Sunderland and Crystal Palace, who are the other two clubs currently residing in the dreaded bottom three places.
In terms of individual achievements, Erling Haaland is perhaps unsurprisingly, top of the scoring charts with nine goals from the first ten games of the season, followed by Liverpool’s Alexander Isak on seven, with Everton’s Thierno Barry and Aston Villa summer signing Nicolas Jackson tied on six each.
As we pause once again for an international break, we’ve crunched the numbers with WhoScored to determine the worst Premier League XI of the new season so far, based on their average match ratings. Only players who’ve made more than seven starts out of the ten have been eligible for inclusion. Aston Villa’s Pau Torres will therefore no doubt be breathing a sigh of relief, given his dire 5.97 score from six starts.
The Premier League’s worst XI of 2026/27 season so far: goalkeepers and defenders
Starting between the sticks, Coventry City’s Carl Rushworth is statistically the worst Premier League goalkeeper so far this season, with a poor 6.09 rating. He’s conceded close to two goals per game, including five to Brighton in one match. On top of that, his save percentage is pretty dire at just 53%, while his passing accuracy hasn’t been much to shout about either.
At right-back, Hull City’s Lewis Coyle takes the unwanted spot with a 6.33 score. He’s done nothing in terms of attacking output this season, while his lack of defensive contributions also saw his score hit hard. His passes have been fairly accurate, but he doesn’t make enough of them to boost his overall average rating.
Aston Villa’s Victor Lindelof passing is highly accurate, but because it usually only goes sideways and backwards, he doesn’t rack up the points awarded to more progressive defenders. Unai Emery’s side have been shambolic this season too, conceding 17 goals in ten games. Lindelof, who scores 6.34, also hasn’t helped his cause with a distinct lack of tackles and interceptions.
Pairing up with Lindelof, it’s Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez, who has a truly woeful 6.13 average rating. His score isn’t a surprise, given how poor the Red Devils have been this season. His defensive errors, disciplinary issues and lack of aerial duels won all combine for his distinctly below average score.
On the left flank, Hull City’s Ryan Giles completes the back four of doom. While he puts in a serious amount of defensive work, his lack of tackles attempted and aerial duels won have seen him score an unimpressive 6.41. Like his teammate Coyle, Giles’ lack of attacking threat also ensures his score stays well below the 7.0 mark.
Coventry City duo make up Premier League’s worst midfield
It’s bad news for Coventry City, with two of their midfielders - Caleb Yirenkyi and Matt Grimes - coming in as statistically the worst in the Premier League so far this season. The former has a lowly 6.26 score, with the latter sitting at 6.27. Yirenkyi’s worst offence was his lack of attacking effort and safe passing game. For Grimes, it was his general lack of involvement compared to players from elite sides that saw his score dwindle.
On the right side of our 4-2-3-1 formation is Ipswich Town’s Abdul Fatawu, who scores 6.50 on the nose. WhoScored marked him down for poor discipline, lack of goals and assists, and general absence of attacking intent. His low passing success was also frowned upon, and saw him heavily penalised.
In the middle, Nottingham Forest’s Dan Ndoye - who netted twice for Switzerland during the 2026 World Cup - has not brought his international form back to the Premier League this season, with a rather grim 6.28 average. Being substituted early consistently has done him here, along with the two goals he has scored being outweighed by no assists contributed.
Sunderland’s Nilson Angulo takes up the unwanted position on the left wing, due to a 6.46 score. He’s been struggling to complete his dribbles, with just 44% of them not ending up with the ball going to the opposition. On top of that, he hasn’t scored yet this season and has made only one assist, while he’s been taking less than one shot per game on average.
The Premier League worst XI so far this season’s line is led by Fulham’s Gonzalo Garcia, who joined from Real Madrid last summer. Despite scoring on his debut, he’s missed a large number of big chance and struggled with link-up play while playing as a central striker, which has consistently damaged his overall scores, which ends up at just 6.55.