As gameweek 17 of the 2025-26 Premier League season, we run through the Squawka Score Team of the Week.
Manchester City have three representatives in this week’s team, with their key men at both ends of the pitch Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma scoring well alongside the in-form Rayan Cherki.
Leeds duo Jaka Bijol and Ethan Ampadu make the team after strong performances in the Whites’ thumping win over West Ham while there are also spots for players from Bournemouth, Brentford, Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool and Fulham.
The Squawka Score is our proprietary performance rating, combining multiple Opta stats into a single percentage. It benchmarks players against their positional peers, allowing quick comparisons. Learn more about how it works here: https://www.squawka.com/en/news/squawka-score-explained/
Read the Squawka Score 2025-26 Premier League Team of the Week for Gameweek 28 here.
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Man City)
- Squawka score: 75%
It was a good weekend for the men between the sticks, with no fewer than seven keepers clocking up Squawka Scores of at least 70%. Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma was the pick of the bunch for the second week running through, making four saves and enjoying a long ball accuracy of 62.5% on his way to a clean sheet against West Ham United.
Honourable mention: Bart Verbruggen (73%)
Verbruggen prevented 1.1 goals with his six saves according to Sunderland’s post-shot xG on Saturday, keeping a clean sheet in the process. He was one of four goalkeepers tied on 73% over the weekend alongside Robert Sanchez, David Raya and Caoimhin Kelleher.
RB: Alex Jimenez (Bournemouth)
- Squawka score: 72%
Less impressive scores were recorded by the full-backs this week, but Alex Jimenez put in a stand-out performance in the draw between Bournemouth and Burnley. The Cherries youngster won possession in his own third on five occasions and joined in with a handful of attacks with five passes completed into the final third and one shot on target.
Honourable mention: Joel Veltman (68%)
Joel Veltman is always a dependable option for Brighton at right full-back and although the Seagulls weren’t at their best against Sunderland this weekend, the Dutchman put in another solid display both defensively and offensively. He ended the game with four tackles won and four take-ons completed.
CB: Jaka Bijol (Leeds)
- Squawka score: 72%
Leeds were in fine fettle on Saturday night, both going forward and in defence as they kept Crystal Palace at bay thanks in no small part to the performance of Jaka Bijol. The 26 year old won six of his aerial duels, won 100% of his ground duels and even managed to earn an assist in a dominant performance the heart of the Leeds backline.
Honourable mention: Dan Ballard (70%)
Sunderland defender Dan Ballard has performed well on the Squawka Score scale this season and he put in another strong performance in Sunderland’s 0-0 draw at Brighton. With four tackles won, six clearances completed and six aerial duels won, it was another old-fashioned centre back’s display from the Black Cats big man.
CB: Nathan Collins (Brentford)
- Squawka score: 70%
Brentford barely had to get out of second gear to beat Wolves at the weekend, but defender Nathan Collins’ imperious display at the back had more than a small part to play in that comfort. Collins completed nine clearances, won two interceptions and made two blocks as the Bees ran out 0-2 winners at Molineux.
Honourable mention: Piero Hincapie (69%)
Piero Hincapie may not be Arsenal’s first-choice centre back, but he did a fine job in filling in for the injured Gabriel Magalhaes at the weekend, winning four aerial duels and helping the Arsenal defence to limit Everton to just the one shot on target as the Gunners shut out the Toffees for a vital 0-1 away win.
LB: Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Squawka score: 66%
Djed Spence won two tackles, created one big chance and had one shot on target on Saturday evening, but couldn’t help Tottenham to shut out Liverpool as Spurs lost 1-2 to the reigning champions. He consistently stands out of one of the Lilywhites’ better performing players according to the Squawka Score and did so again despite their Saturday evening defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Honourable mention: Gabriel Gudmundsson (66%)
Another of the stand-out performers for Leeds on Saturday was full-back Gabriel Gudmundsson who didn’t lose a single one of the challenges he attempted and also managed to have two shots on target while helping his side limit Crystal Palace to just three shots on target all game.
DM: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United)
- Squawka score: 76%
Ethan Ampadu’s defensive abilities are vital to this Leeds side and he was able to play the role of midfield enforcer against Crystal Palace, with two tackles won, three aerial duels won and not a single challenge lost. He even managed to record the first Premier League goal of his career in his side’s 4-1 home win.
Honourable mention: Vitaly Janelt (73%)
Vitaly Janelt was again the heartbeat of the Brentford midfield this weekend as his side earned a 0-2 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was able to progress the ball well with 20 accurate forward passes and nine final third entries, resulting in one assist.
CM: Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
- Squawka score: 73%
Florian Wirtz finally got his first goal contribution in the Premier League this weekend as he assisted Alexander Isak for Liverpool’s opener in their away win at Tottenham Hotspur. The German also completed four take-ons and took just one unsuccessful touch in the entire game in what was one of his best displays for Arne Slot’s side so far.
Honourable mention: Bruno Fernandes (69%)
Bruno Fernandes is set for a spell on sidelines after picking up an injury against Aston Villa, but prior to being withdrawn he was able to complete 75% of his forward passes and make seven final third entries. His performance helped keep Manchester United in the game despite their eventual 1-2 defeat.
CM: Declan Rice (Arsenal)
- Squawka score: 77%
With three interceptions, three tackles won and three aerial duels won, it was another midfield masterclass from Declan Rice in Arsenal’s win at Everton. The England midfielder was also very dependable on the ball and managed an impressive 18 forward passes in a metronomic display for the league leaders.
Honourable mention: Elliot Anderson (64%)
There was quite a big drop-off in central midfield scores from Rice, Wirtz and Fernandes, but Elliot Anderson didn’t do too much wrong despite Nottingham Forest’s defeat at Fulham, making 10 ball recoveries and completing 14 passes into the final third.
LW: Kevin (Fulham)
- Squawka score: 76%
There was plenty of competition for the left-wing spot this week, with Kevin, Anthony Gordon, Keane Lewis-Potter and Antoine Semenyo all clocking up scores of over 70%. In the end, the Fulham man edges the race having won the penalty that settled the game for his team versus Nottingham Forest while racking up nine touches in the Forest box and completing three take-ons.
Honourable mention: Anthony Gordon (74%)
Anthony Gordon managed two shots on target, two big chances created and one assist as Newcastle raced into a 2-0 lead against Chelsea on Saturday only to be pegged back by the Blues. The England winger also completed two crosses and recovered the ball three times in a solid all-round display
RW: Rayan Cherki (Man City)
- Squawka score: 73%
Rayan Cherki is quickly establishing himself as a regular feature in the Squawka Score Team of the Week. The former Lyon man didn’t get a goal or assist in Man City’s 3-0 win over West Ham this weekend, but he did manage two take-ons, created six big chances (of which three were classified as big chances) and completed 27 passes in the final third in another eye-catching display.
Honourable mention: Pedro Neto (70%)
Neto’s off the ball contribution to Chelsea’s 2-2 away draw at Newcastle was more effective than what he was able to do on the ball. The Portuguese winger managed six ball recoveries and was only dispossessed once in a steady if unspectacular performance at St James’ Park.
ST: Erling Haaland (Man City)
- Squawka score: 81%
No prizes for guessing who tops the scores for centre forwards this week. Erling Haaland stretched his lead at the top of the Golden Boot table to eight goals from second-placed Igor Thiago as he bagged two and made another in his side’s convincing win over the Hammers and even the two big chances he missed couldn’t stop the Norwegian from clocking up a score of 81%.
Honourable mention: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (76%)
One of the players to watch in the Premier League at the moment, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is enjoying one of the best spells of form in his career so far and scored twice in Leeds’ 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday night. That brace takes his recent tally to six goals in five games.