Who was the best left-back in the Premier League during 2025-26?
Some of football’s most talented full-backs have graced the Premier League, from Denis Irwin to Ashley Cole to Leighton Baines and everyone in between.
We’ve used our Squawka Score to pick out the top five of the season. Our rating system factors in a variety of statistical categories, both defensive and attacking.
With the 2025-26 season done, Piero Hincapie sits top as the best left-back in the Premier League. He finished ahead of Marc Cucurella, who was the only other left-back with a Score of 70%+.
- Piero Hincapie (Arsenal) – 73%
- Marc Cucurella (Chelsea) – 70%
- Nico O’Reilly (Man City) – 69%
- Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) – 65%
- Ferdi Kadioglu (Brighton) – 64%
- Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham) – 62%
- Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth) – 62%
- Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest) – 62%
- Milos Kerkez (Liverpool) – 61%
- Luke Shaw (Man Utd) – 61%
Read on for more detail on the players who complete the top five in our left-back rankings.
NB: Only players to have played for at least 1,710 minutes (50%) across the season are considered.
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5. Ferdi Kadioglu
- Team: Brighton
- Squawka Score: 64%
Ferdi Kadioglu had a good campaign for Brighton and Hove Albion to help them secure European football. He was decent at both ends of the pitch, averaging completed passes into the final third per 90 minutes, while also being part of a defence to concede 1.18 goals per 90. Kadioglu ranked in the 80-95th percentile among full-backs for his 0.37 shots on target per 90.
4. Tyrick Mitchell
- Team: Crystal Palace
- Squawka Score: 65%
Tyrick Mitchell performed well for Crystal Palace across the season, despite their underwhelming Premier League campaign. The wing-back sits in the 80-95th percentile for his 60.25% ground duel success rate and 1.74 tackles won. Mitchell was tough to beat, also ranking well for a lack of challenges lost.
3. Nico O’Reilly
- Team: Man City
- Squawka Score: 69%
Nico O’Reilly really announced himself as a key part of Manchester City’s defence. Even if he was pushed further forward at times. It felt as though he was one of the first names on Pep Guardiola’s team sheet. He ranks well for non-penalty Expected Goals among full-backs (0.22 per 90) as well as touches in the opposition box (3.5). Both metrics saw him in the 95th percentile and above. At the other end of the pitch, O’Reilly was part of a defence that ranked well for xG conceded. He also doesn’t rank too badly for tackles won and clearances completed, either.
2. Marc Cucurella
- Team: Chelsea
- Squawka Score: 70%
Marc Cucurella remains one of the best left-backs in the Premer League. He ranked well for his 2.79 touches in the opposition box, sitting in the 80-95th percentile among full-backs. The Spaniard also has very low numbers for challenges lost and dispossessions in his own half per 90.
1. Piero Hincapie
- Team: Arsenal
- Squawka Score: 73%
It may be a surprise to see Piero Hincapie top of the pile. But he was excellent as a replacement for Riccardo Calafiori at left-back. The Bayer Leverkusen loanee sits in the 80-95th percentile for ground duel success rate (62.39%) and interceptions per 90 (1.31). Hincapie does rank in the 95th percentile and above for his 4.42 clearances per 90, while also performing well in other defensive metrics.
How do Squawka player ratings work?
Squawka’s player rating system is completely stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.
Using extensive research and our expertise, we tailored each score to the players’ respective positions. For example, forwards are rated on metrics like shots on target, touches in the opposition box and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes and so on.