After a three-week international pause, the Premier League resumed with a sixth round that produced a strong spread of individual displays. Using FotMob’s player ratings, here is a rewritten look at the weekend’s top 10 performers.

Declan Rice earned an 8.3 in Arsenal’s 2-1 comeback win over Leeds United. The midfielder was central to the result, posting a match-high 89 touches, adding 10 defensive contributions and producing the kind of subtle quality that made Bruno Guimarães’s winning goal possible.

Chelsea also featured heavily. Morgan Rogers, rated 8.3, scored the Blues’ second in their 5-1 win over Bournemouth and continued to settle quickly at Stamford Bridge. His dribbling stood out, while a cross-cum-shot helped take him to four Premier League goals in six games. He also recorded a match-high 13 defensive contributions.

Crystal Palace’s 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest included strong showings from Yéremy Pino and Adam Wharton, both on 8.3. Pino got on the scoresheet and created the most chances in the match with three, while Wharton supplied an assist from a corner and combined control with discipline, winning 75% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial battles without conceding a foul.

Jérémy Doku changed Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool from the bench, yet still led the match in dribbles with five and chances created with three before finishing with a superb strike. Elliot Anderson, rated 8.5, provided relentless energy and creativity, capped by the assist for Doku’s goal.

Rayan Cherki was the top-rated City player against Liverpool at 8.6, ending the scoring with a goal that summed up his flair and confidence. João Pedro led the weekend with an 8.8 after two goals for Chelsea against Bournemouth, doing his job in the physical contest and still making a decisive attacking impact from 25 touches.

Tuttosport has finalised its 2026 Golden Boy shortlist, with 25 of Europe’s most promising young players in contention for the award that will be presented in November. Lamine Yamal, who won the prize in 2024, is age-eligible again but cannot win it twice, while last year’s winner Désiré Doué is also excluded from the list.

That leaves a wide-open race, and the shortlist includes talent spread across several of the continent’s biggest clubs. Sports Illustrated’s ordering of the 25 nominees places Joane Gadou at 25, Jon Martín at 24, Charalampos Kostoulas at 23, Franco Mastantuono at 22 and Kerim Alajbegović at 21. Rodrigo Mora follows at 20, Konstantinos Karetsas at 19, Saïd El Mala at 18, Gianluca Prestianni at 17, Finn Jeltsch at 16, Endrick at 15, Xavi Espart at 14, Estêvão at 13, Marc Bernal at 12 and Jorrel Hato at 11.

Transfermarkt has worked with the award’s organiser to produce a top 20, with five further wild cards added by an unnamed panel. None of those additions are viewed as genuine favourites, but several have cases worth noting. Xavi Espart’s progress at Barcelona this season has drawn attention, while Franco Mastantuono has had a difficult start before showing signs of recovery in Florence. Joane Gadou is still only 19 and could be better placed for future editions.

Elsewhere, Rodrigo Mora’s move to Roma has given him a platform to build on, and Charalampos Kostoulas now has time to develop at Brighton. Marc Bernal continues to look comfortable at the highest level for Barcelona, while Finn Jeltsch has already made 57 appearances for Sebastian Hoeneß’s side and is attracting interest from the La Liga leaders.

There are also strong individual cases further down the list. Lennart Karl’s 2025-26 season, which included double-digit goal contributions in just over 1,200 Bundesliga minutes and four Champions League goals, should have made him a serious top-10 candidate. Eli Junior Kroupi’s breakthrough with Bournemouth was equally striking, while Rayan’s performances for both club and country have strengthened his case. Myles Lewis-Skelly, Victor Froholdt, Luka Vušković, Warren Zaïre-Emery and Yan Diomande round out a shortlist with a wide spread of profiles and plenty of long-term potential.

A reliable defensive midfielder can reshape a Career Mode side, and EA FC 27 offers a deep pool of young options for managers building with the future in mind. This list focuses on players aged 23 or under with an in-game value below $40 million, which means some higher-priced names such as Ayyoub Bouaddi, Kobbie Mainoo, Aleksandar Pavlović and Elliot Anderson are left out.

There are still several useful alternatives beyond the top 10. Leon Avdullahu at Hoffenheim and Valentin Atangana at Al Ahli provide budget-friendly routes, while Chelsea’s Roméo Lavia is already more established but still has room to grow. Brighton’s Yasin Ayari, Borussia Dortmund’s Mussa Kaba and PSG’s Lucas Beraldo are also worth monitoring, and Abdoul Karim Traore at Al Ain stands out as another development option. Kodai Sano of PSV and Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood complete the honourable mentions.

Among the ranked players, Aleksandar Stanković offers a balanced profile with passing, long-range shooting and defensive ability, along with 85 potential. Noah Sadiki brings huge stamina and can also move into an attacking role, while Archie Gray is one of the most versatile prospects in the game, able to cover centre back, right back and central midfield.

Carlos Baleba is the most expensive player in the group, but his current level makes him ready to contribute straight away, and his 85 shot power adds a threat from distance. Jorthy Mokio brings strong long-term value thanks to a low release clause and 87 potential, while Christ Inao Oulaï combines agility, balance and pace with room to develop into a complete midfielder.

Alexis Vossah adds flexibility with a five-star weak foot, Nathan De Cat offers size and physical presence, and Marc Bernal already looks polished for his age with strength and set-piece threat. At the top of the list, Kennet Eichhorn is the most extreme project of all: only 16 years old, but with 88 potential and a low starting value that makes him a tempting long-term investment.