As the final firework of 2025 faded into memory, leaving behind a sky painted with the faint scent of sulfur and triumph, a year of Premier League theatre drew its curtain. It was a symphony of the unpredictable, a ballet of the bonkers, where narratives twisted like vines and legends were etched not just in silverware, but in the cold, statistical poetry compiled by the watchful eyes at WhoScored. From Liverpool's fading crown to Arsenal's persistent shadow, the stage was set for individuals to become brushstrokes on a grand, chaotic masterpiece. Let us wander through this gallery of the year's highest-rated performers, where metal and myth intertwine.

The Sentinel and His Keepers of Chaos

Between the sticks, a figure of formidable presence stands guard. Emiliano Martinez, the Argentine World Cup winner, commands his area at Aston Villa with the theatrical flair of a seasoned conductor. With a rating of 6.85, he is the last line of a defiant poem, a man whose summer whispers of a move to Old Trafford only added to his enigmatic aura. He’s the guy you’d want in a penalty shootout, no question about it.

Before him, a defensive quartet tells its own story. On the right, a whirlwind in the form of Crystal Palace's Daniel Munoz. Since helping Oliver Glasner's side to FA Cup glory, the Colombian has been a force of nature, patrolling the flank like it was his own personal runway—up and down, all game long. On the opposite side, the cool, calculated elegance of Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol provides a stark contrast. In the heart of the defense, two pillars rise. Virgil van Dijk (7.05), inevitable as the tide, was the calm center of Liverpool's title-winning storm in 2024/25, a monument around which attacks shattered. Beside him, from the other half of Merseyside, stands the unyielding James Tarkowski of Everton. With a rating of 7.18, the highest of any defender, he is the bedrock under David Moyes, a twice-capped Englishman who simply gets the job done, week in, week out. Funny how the quiet ones often have the biggest ratings.

The Engine Room: Where Heartbeats Sync

Moving into midfield, the pulse of the team quickens. Here, Arsenal's influence finally makes its mark, not with a defender, but with its beating heart: Declan Rice. Since his 2023 move, he has been nothing short of an insane box-to-box phenomenon for Mikel Arteta. A technician with the engine of a locomotive, his driving runs and defensive intelligence make him the archetype of the modern midfielder—a player so complete, he seems to be in two places at once.

His partners in this central symphony are a study in contrasting brilliance. From Manchester United, the question of Amad's best position lingers like a pleasant mystery under Ruben Amorim. Wing-back? Number 10? Wherever the Ivorian has been deployed, he hasn't missed a beat, securing a stellar 7.20 rating that leaves established names like Caicedo and Mac Allister in the reserves. And then, there is the maestro himself, Bruno Fernandes (7.39). Where would United be without his creative fury? The Portuguese skipper, with his unfathomable chance creation and a goalscorer's instinct that belies his midfield station, is the chaotic genius the Old Trafford faithful dread to live without. He dots around the engine room, a spark in search of kindling.

Midfield Maestro	Club	2025 Rating	Key Trait
Declan Rice	Arsenal	7.30+	Box-to-box dominance
Amad	Manchester United	7.20	Versatile excellence
Bruno Fernandes	Manchester United	7.39	Chance creation wizardry

The Vanguard: Painters of the Final Stroke

And so, we arrive at the artists, the ones tasked with signing the canvas with goals. On the left wing, Jeremy Doku (7.29) dances. In Pep Guardiola's robotic symphony, the Belgian is the jazz improvisation—a blur of intent whose very desire to run at defenders and create chaos is a weapon in itself. Sure, the final ball might sometimes go wandering, but my goodness, is he exciting to watch.

On the opposite flank, a story of ascent unfolds with Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo. Capable across the front line and set for a likely January 2026 move to Manchester City, the Ghanaian has been phenomenal. With 8 goals and 3 assists in 16 matches since the start of 2025/26, his defensive work rate completes the picture of a modern winger who simply does it all.

But through the middle, there is only one king. Erling Haaland. The Norwegian colossus didn't just have the highest rating of 2025; he used the year to become the fastest player in Premier League history to 100 goals, a milestone reached in a mere 111 matches. If 2024/25 saw him momentarily human, 2025/26 has been a return to the celestial. He is back to firing on all cylinders, a perpetual record-breaker for whom the net seems to widen. He is the exclamation mark at the end of every attacking sentence, the final, thunderous chord in the year's symphony.

And so the XI stands, a fossil record of 2025:

• Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) - 6.85

• Defenders: Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), James Tarkowski (Everton), Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City)

• Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Amad (Manchester United), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

• Forwards: Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City)

This is the team, painted not by nostalgia, but by the relentless, objective brush of performance. They are the characters who defined the drama, the notes that composed the year's unforgettable song. As 2026 unfolds its own blank page, one can only wonder whose story will be written next.