Player Ratings 2022/23

21/10/22

League 1

Marcus Harness (Ipswich) 6

The former Portsmouth man started as the central No.10 and had some good moments when he got on the ball and managed to turn Derby defenders, but often lacked the final ball as he looked to push Ipswich forward. Had a shot blocked by Eiran Cashin at the start of the second period.

Eiran Cashin (Derby) 8

Caught the eye in the first half with one incredible crossfield pass and defensively he was solid too. Produced plenty of blocks and was comfortable in possession.

David McGoldrick (Derby) 5

Conceded a penalty and had a shot tipped around the post in the second half.

Conor Hourihane (Derby) 5

Didn't impact the game as much as he would have liked.

22/10/22

Premier League 

Seamus Coleman (Everton) 9

The 34-year-old Everton captain showed no signs of slowing down in his third game of the week as he rolled back the years to keep Wilfried Zaha tucked in his back pocket, including making a timely last-ditch tackle to deny the Eagles’ danger man.

Championship

CJ Hamilton (Blackpool) 9

Wasn't 100% on his selection but he caused problems throughout and offered up an outball under spells of pressure, unreal late strike.

Greg Cunningham (Preston) 6

Steady enough hour back there before being taken off due to a knock. Used the ball well and made the right decisions. Looked comfortable in his defending.

Sean Maguire (Preston) 5

Saw some of the ball in the final third and showed some nice touches but didn't cause Blackpool any huge problems. One slick move with Alan Browne.

Robbie Brady (Preston) 5

Came on with 15 to go but PNE went further behind five minutes later. Played centrally but could only send a few crosses in and pass sideways.

Alan Browne (Preston) 5

Brought on at 3-1 with ten minutes to go. Had one positive run at the defence but couldn't finish the move off with Maguire.

Scott Hogan (Birmingham) 6.5

Ran really hard throughout, setting up Chong to strike the woodwork and swapping passes with Hall only to shoot straight at Kaminski. Another good run saw Bacuna put him away early in the second period - but once again he shot at the goalkeeper. His late strike will have been little consolation.

Darragh Lenihan (Middlesbrough) 6

Solid defensively but sloppy at times playing the ball out from the back thus impacting momentum.

Dara O'Shea (West Brom) 6

O'Shea was committed in his defensive duties against his opponents, who proved to be a handful on a number of occasions. Not much he could do after his side were reduced to ten men.

Jason Molumby (West Brom) 5

Replaced Gardner-Hickman with less than 20 minutes to go. Struggled to make any real impact.

Jeff Hendrick (Reading) 7.5

Had a shot in the first half with the outside of his right foot but it was easily saved by O'Leary. Worked hard in the middle of the pitch and create some half chances in the second half.

Shane Long (Reading) 8

Given the final 25 minutes in Joao's place. Great to see him back and gave the fans a lift. Brought energy to the play and set up Carroll's goal.

Max O'Leary (Bristol City) 6

Only had one shot on target to deal with in the first half which was easily dealt with. Had no chance with either goals. A couple of nervy moments outside of his area including scuffing a clearance.

Mark Sykes (Bristol City) 6

Didn't get forward as much as we're used to seeing but won his fair share of headers at the near post. Pushed higher up the field after Reading opened the scoring and sliced a decent opportunity wide. A lot more effective in the final 30 minutes.

Georgie Kelly (Rotherham) 6

Got himself another goal.

Cyrus Christie (Hull) 8

Up and down in the first half, very solid with and without the ball. Second half was more of the same and a terrific finish put City 2-1 in front.

John Egan (Sheffield United) 5

Will have had his heart in his mouth when sub Kasey Palmer went down under his challenge in the box but ref Keith Stroud waved play on - which, in real time, looked a fortunate one for the Blades. Rose highest to make good contact with a second-half header but it went straight at Wilson in the home goal.

Will Smallbone (Stoke) 5

Straight back in after missing mid-week with a knock. Couple of neat touches but not as big a threat as needed.

Josh Cullen (Burnley) 7

Fills spaces and is very clever out of possession.

League 1

Paudie O’Connor (Lincoln) 7

Solid at the back and made a crucial clearance at 1-1 to deny Bannan from having a tap-in.

Sean Roughan (Lincoln) 6

Found it tough to get into the game going forward but was defensively sound and worked hard.

Danny Mandroiu (Lincoln) 7

Appeared frustrated in the first half but bounced back incredibly well to start the second half and produced a great finish.

Mark McGuinness (Sheffield Weds) 8 - Star Man

Strong and commanding performance at the back. Dealt with most of what Lincoln's attackers threw at him. Barely put a foot wrong.

Mipo Odubeko (Port Vale) 7.5 - Star Man

Given his chance in the absence of James Wilson and Ellis Harrison – and certainly took it. Set up Massey early on and then went close with a long-range strike against the post. Work rate typified by tracking back well into his own half to stop a counter attack.

Sean Raggett (Portsmouth) 8

The goal capped another rugged and no-nonsense display in which he didn’t give Rovers strikers a sniff at goal.

Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth) 5

Not his day. Exposed defensively when tracking back and didn’t use the ball well in attacking situations.

Jack Taylor (Peterborough) 6.5

A dominant first-half display capped by a well-taken goal, celebrated in the manner of someone soon to become a father. Tired second-half and almost gave an equaliser away with a terrible pass before he was substituted.

Scottish Premiership

Liam Scales (Aberdeen) 7

Was unlucky with a run forward shortly before half time. Seems comfortable playing in the left of a back three. Solid from the on-loan Celtic defender.

22/10/22

Championship

Sinclair Armstrong (QPR) 7

Very raw – prone to giving the ball away and lacking composure in front of goal. Is also, at this stage of his career, prone to quickly running out of steam. And yet he is still a major problem for opposing defences and is so exciting to watch. His pace and, at times, his hold-up play, worried Wigan.

League 1

Finn Azaz (Plymouth) 7 

His 14th minute strike was a real goal-of-the-season contender. After a slight recent dip in form, Azaz has definitely rediscovered his attacking sparkle in recent matches.

Warren O'Hora (MK Dons) 6.5

Solid performance, didn't make mistakes and did the simple things right.

23/10/22

Premier League

Gavin Bazunu (Southampton) 7

Kept his first clean sheet as Southampton keeper on Wednesday night but could have done very little to stop Granit Xhaka from finding the net. DId excellently to deny Gabriel Jesus just before half-time, parrying the ball out of danger from close range after the Brazilian's half-volley.

Nathan Collins (Wolves) 3

Collins was marginally better than Kilman and Jonny in a thoroughly miserable outing. He joined Wolves to chase European football, but he is staring at another relegation from the Premier League at this rate.

Championship 

Michael Obafemi (Swansea) 8

Spurned a great chance midway through the first-half but worked tirelessly from the front. Stung the palms of Ryan Allsop in the second-half but needlessly booked too. Got the goal his efforts warranted to make it 2-0, to his credit.

Callum O'Dowda (Cardiff) 8 - Star Man

Was Cardiff's out ball at the start of the match and looked to be getting the better of Joel Latibeaudiere. Was Cardiff's most likely attacking outlet, even when they went down to 10. One who can hold his head high after that performance.

Callum Robinson (Cardiff) 1

Sent off in the seventh minute in a derby for throwing a ball at an opposition player. Unacceptable, idiotic and petulant. Should have known better, being such an experienced player. Ruined the match after Cardiff had started so well. No excuse.

Reads like a tweet from a disgruntled fan rather than a journalist

I mean, the commentators said pretty much the same thing, and they're not Cardiff fans. It was pretty brainless stuff in fairness.

His own manager acknowledged it was a red card offense and had "no complaints" about it.

24/10/22

Premier League

Mark Travers (Bournemouth) 6

Didn't put a foot wrong during the second half, and even denied Declan Rice's vicious half-volley with a strong palm. Unfortunate to concede the last-gasp penalty.

25/10/22

League 1 

Paudie O'Connor (Lincoln) 9 - Star Man

Was a man mountain the entire game. Headed every ball away, blocked every shot and didn’t put a foot wrong.

Sean Roughan (Lincoln) 6

Solid at the back, but wasn’t able to get forward on many occasions.

Daniel Mandroiu (Lincoln) 7

Mandroiu cannot stop scoring, and the Irishman is proving to be a clinical finisher. Took his goal fantastically but was rash in possession a few times in the second half.

Kieran Sadlier (Bolton) 6

Looked to be positive on the ball.

Warren O'Hora (MK Dons) 7.5

Offered nothing to the Charlton front line. Solid and strong on the ball.

Dawson Devoy (MK Dons) 6.5

A good return after suspension. Won the free kick which Johnson netted.

Eiran Cashin (Derby) 7

Cruised through this game without too much of a problem as Exeter found it hard to break Derby down as a result of their defensive solidity. It was the other end where there were problems.

Conor Hourihane (Derby) 5

Showed intent with some forward runs early on but it was a bit frenetic in midfield which does not suit a player of his quality. Came very close to a winner with a stunning free-kick. 

David McGoldrick (Derby) 6

The striker had one or two moments of quality and put himself about.

Jack Taylor (Peterborough) 7

He was far from foot perfect, but he played a big part in the first two Posh goals with driving runs from midfield.

Finn Azaz (Plymouth) 6 

Had to be substituted in first half stoppage time after he was hurt following a tackle on him. Slowly limped off the pitch and then to the home dressing room. Argyle will be hoping his injury is not serious.

Mipo Odubeko (Port Vale) 6

Offered a few bursts of pace.

Marcus Harness (Ipswich) 6

Had a little more physicality to the Ipswich side after coming into the game and made some good defensive interventions to help clear danger.

Richard Keogh (Ipswich) 7

On to help the defensive effort in the closing stages and made some vital headed clearances.

26/10/22

Champions League

Matt Doherty (Tottenham) 5

Got the nod at right wing-back in place of Emerson Royal but did very little of note in his time on the pitch. Went close with a low effort seconds before he made way. 

League 1

Mark McGuinness (Sheffield Wed) 7

Seamlessly moved to the right of the back three. Strong and committed with his defensive duties as Rovers got little joy down his flank. Was assured when the Owls switched to a four-man defence.

27/10/22

Europa Conference League 

Conor Coventry (West Ham) 7

There was a second start of the season in midfield for Conor Coventry in all competitions, with the midfielder's last appearance coming in this competition against the same opponents in Denmark last month. Looked really good in the centre of the park and formed a good partnership with Lanzini. Won tackles, showed a good range of passing and even came close to a first goal for Hammers, steering wide from the edge of the penalty area. Continued to do well as the game went on, and although he is quite far down the pecking order, Moyes can be pleased with his performance. 

28/10/22

Championship

Scott Hogan (Birmingham) 7

Once again ran himself into the ground on another day when things didn't drop for him in the box - one Longelo cross was just behind him just before the hour. Deserved his ovation as he was subbed.

Sinclair Armstrong (QPR) 7

A positive for Rangers. Came on for Roberts and maintained his energy levels for the whole of his time on the pitch, worrying Birmingham with his pace and power as well as some decent link-up play.

1/11/22

Championship

Sam Szmodics (Blackburn) 5

Worked hard but gave the ball away when he tried to play forward. Another performance that lacked quality. 

Cyrus Christie (Hull) 6

Not close enough to Akpom for the opener. Good ball in second half for Oscar to at least hit the target. Attacked well second half and scored a good goal.

Darragh Lenihan (Middlesbrough) 7

Some big blocks in the second half before Boro conceded from a shot cruelly deflected off him. Made up for it moments later with a big back post header that resulted in Boro's second.

Jeff Hendrick (Reading) 6

Kept things ticking over in the midfield, he showed his experience. Could have scored with a long-range strike in the second half.

Shane Long (Reading) 6

Did not play long, but could see what he brings. Held the ball well and stretched the defenders where possible.

Robbie Brady (Preston) 7

Solid display and his experience felt really valuable when Swansea got on top in the second half. Worked well off the ball and sent some teasing crosses into the Swansea box.

Alan Browne (Preston) 7

Used the ball well in the first half, making quick and incisive decisions. Had a couple of efforts in the first half - a volley at Benda and a header over the crossbar, just before the break. His cross led to the opening goal and the skipper ran the hard yards that were required in the second.

Sean Maguire (Preston) 6

Added some freshness at the top end of the pitch and looked after the ball responsibly a few times.

Ryan Manning (Swansea) 6

Bold enough to try and make things happen but didn't get much joy on the left wing in the first 45. Was everywhere in the second half and had a golden chance to nick a point at the death, only to be denied by Woodman.

Armstrong Oko-Flex (Swansea) 7

Gave the Swans the spark they needed in the final third and put Preston on the back foot. Really pushing for a starting place. 

Michael Obafemi (Swansea) 6

Didn't get a sniff in terms of chances but played a part in keeping Swansea on the front foot. 

Max O'Leary (Bristol City) 7

Very little to do in the first half with the visitors mustering just one tame effort on target. Not afraid to come out of his area to play from the back which led to one or two heart-in-mouth moments. Had little chance with the goal.

Mark Sykes (Bristol City) 6

Was rarely tested from a defensive perspective in the first half and a searching pass forward to find Weimann when his effort clipped the bar. Almost had a cross turned in by Wells after United's goal before coming off in place of Antoine Semenyo as Pearson looked for a different dimension in attack.

John Egan (Sheffield United) 7

Marshalled the defence well in the second half when United were under pressure and hanging on to a lead. Some crucial headers under pressure once again.

Enda Stevens (Sheffield United) 6

Came on for Fleck and looked solid down the left.

Dara O'Shea (West Brom) 6

Caught out and subsequently booked when fouling Hamilton on the run. Got Townsend out of bother against the same player when the winger looked to sneak in behind.

CJ Hamilton (Blackpool) 5

Ineffective on the whole in attacking positions, defensively worked hard.

League 1

Paudie O’Connor (Lincoln) 6

Solid at the back once again.

Eiran Cashin (Derby) 6

Morecambe's major threat either came from counter-attacks or long balls which he stood up well to where the latter was concerned. Took a booking for the team in the second half. 

David McGoldrick (Derby) 6

Couple of nice touches in a game that was played at a frenetic tempo with Morecambe trying to shut down Derby at every opportunity. Had a penalty saved when you would have backed a player of his quality to score. 

James Collins (Derby) 6

Would have put your house on him scoring from the spot, but unfortunately denied by a good save from Connor Ripley. Seemed to make it a one-man mission to get Derby back into the game at times as he volleyed over and won the second penalty. 

2/11/22

Championship

Scott Hogan (Birmingham) 6

Another selfless effort and another match without much to go at in front of goal. Worked hard, his movement was good but no real opportunities to score.

Callum O'Dowda (Cardiff) 6

Didn't see as much of him as we have come to expect in recent months. Brought off as Mark Hudson tried to freshen things up.

3/11/22

Europa Conference League

Conor Coventry (West Ham) 6

A really good performance from Conor Coventry. Allowed the rest of midfield to attack as he held a nice base behind them. Did show off his range of passing at times and generally just really, really composed on the ball. Another pleasing display in this competition for him.

4/11/22

Championship

Jeff Hendrick (Reading) 4.5

Another game which seemed to pass the Irishman by. Had a couple of good moments but generally failed to step up and control the midfield.

Shane Long (Reading) 4

Pressed hard but couldn't make any real impact on the match.

Alan Browne (Preston) 7

Showed intent on and off the ball in the first half but North End weren't quite at the races as a team. Put himself about and was key in PNE starting the second half well.

Robbie Brady (Preston) 6

His crossing caused real problems for Reading, with a brilliant assist for Evans' opener. Saw a shot saved before half-time and looked dangerous when he pushed higher up. Took a booking in the first half and was penalised for the penalty, even though it looked soft.

Sean Maguire (Preston) 7 

Held the ball up well and was clever in his centre-forward play - drawing fouls and retaining possession in the Reading half.

5/11/22

Premier League

Mark Travers (Bournemouth) 4

Sent the wrong way for Rodrigo's early penalty and failed to make a save of note. Ultimately, he was left to pick efforts from Sam Greenwood, Liam Cooper and Crysencio Summerville out from the back of his net after the interval. His record of simply conceding too many goals this season continues.

Nathan Collins (Wolves) 5

Collins was skinned by Mitoma in the build-up to Brighton’s winning goal, but the Irishman wasn’t the only one guilty of making a mistake in Wolves’ back-line. The impending arrival of Lopetegui will no doubt help the talented defender.

Seamus Coleman (Everton) 6

Up against it with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s twinkling toes running at him, he rode the storm of a difficult start to put in a solid display before making way for the more youthful Patterson as Everton chased the game.

Championship

John Egan (Sheffield United) 7

Solid at the back and his header was turned home by Robinson. Another good display.

Enda Stevens (Sheffield United) 5

Struggled up against the pace and trickery of Benson. Left-footed winger playing on the right and allowed to cut in on to his left on far too many occasions. Booked midway through first half for deliberate foul, which summed up his troubles against him. Much better after the break.

Josh Cullen (Burnley) 4

Back in the side but couldn't provide the security the defence needed.

Sam Szmodics (Blackburn) 6 

Worked relentlessly off the ball and had a goal disallowed for offside. Moved up front in a change of shape which didn't do him any real favours.

CJ Hamilton (Blackpool) 5

Quiet and limited quality when he got hold of the ball.

Darragh Lenihan (Middlesbrough) 7

Commanding at the back. Will be disappointed to lose Weimann with the opener but, overall, a decent game.

Max O'Leary (Bristol City) 8 - Star Man

Made a sensational double save moments before City went up the other end to score the opener. Bailed Vyner out to deny Forss in the first half. Kept City in it with a string of fine saves before finally being beaten.

Cyrus Christie (Hull) 8 

Used his experience throughout, particularly in the second half with City needing to be resilient against numerous crosses. 

Sean McLoughlin (Hull) 6 

Did what he had to do when he came on in the closing stages, headed and kicked away.

Dara O'Shea (West Brom) 6

Caught napping as Dykes freed himself of O'Shea's attentions and made room to have a shot which Palmer saved. Brave in the aerial battle generally against the bulky QPR striker and had to be on his guard against the trickery of Chair and Willock.

Jayson Molumby (West Brom) 6

Created indirectly the first big chance, for Diangana, when he burst into the box with the ball and had a shot from a tight angle - it was a decent effort considering. Plays at full pelt and sometimes plays too quickly.

Will Smallbone (Stoke) 5

Straight back in after missing mid-week with a knock. Couple of neat touches but not as big a threat as needed.

Scott Hogan (Birmingham) 7

Rewarded for weeks of pressing energetically when he was on the spot to seize on Jagielka's error and unusually coolly slot past Joe Bursik. Never let his energy levels drop.

Callum O'Dowda (Cardiff) 7

Was a key component of Cardiff's excellent press from the front in the first hour. Was always an outlet for the defence and goalkeeper, too.

Armstrong Oko-flex (Swansea) 6

On his first start since joining on loan from West Ham, Oko-Flex caused plenty of problems with his pace and was his side's brightest spark in attack in the first half. Fired just wide early on but always had the visitors on the back foot. Withdrawn at half-time.

Ryan Manning (Swansea) 7

Always a willing runner on the left and took his goal brilliantly to get Swansea back into it. Made so many key defensive interventions to keep Swansea on the ball.

Michael Obafemi (Swansea) 5

Had nothing in front of goal in truth and was unable to influence proceedings from what was a rather lonely position. 

6/11/22

Premier League

Gavin Bazunu (Southampton) 4

Called into action a few times during the first half and dealt with the shots he faced relatively well but let himself down with his distribution, which was chaotic at times. Beaten for all four goals by low finishes into the corner.

Matt Doherty (Tottenham) 7

Helped to make the goal with the pre-assist for Kulusevski, and added quality from the right in the final 25 minutes.