The WAB Brighton Power Rankings: November 2020
Another month and another ridiculously tight set of WAB Power Rankings. In October, just 0.14 points separated the top two in the scoring to decide Brighton & Hove Albion’s best player and November was equally close with 0.16 the winning margin.
Yves Bissouma was the bridesmaid last time, losing out to Solly March. With March missing the Burnley home game through injury, nobody could get in Bissouma’s way in November and he did just about enough to hold off the challenge of Ben White.
At the other end of the chart, it was a bad month for Neal Maupay and Maty Ryan. Both found themselves dropped for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur and although Ryan was solid enough on his return to the starting line up, Maupay’s month went from bad to worse.
Here are the full WAB Power Rankings for the 17 players Graham Potter used in a November which delivered five very useful Premier League points.
1) Yves Bissouma (70.38)
Bissouma has always had the talent and now he is delivering on a consistent basis, he looks like one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. His dominating performances against Aston Villa and Liverpool saw him outshine such talents as Jack Grealish and Georginio Wijnaldum and it came as no surprise to hear that both Liverpool and Arsenal are interested in signing him. £60 million would be a good starting offer…
2) Ben White (70.22)
November saw White pick up his best score in the WAB Brighton player power rankings. It was a month in which he continued to show his versatility, starting in midfield against Spurs before dropping into the back three for Burnley, Villa and Liverpool. Like Bissouma, he too is starting to attract the attentions of the big six who had taken a cursory glance following his stellar season in the Championship with The Leeds United.
3) Pascal Gross (68.79)
Before November, the German playmaker was yet to start a Premier League game in 2020-21. He was handed a surprise chance in the defeat at Spurs and there was no looking back. He ended the month with assists for Tariq Lamptey’s consolation at Spurs, March’s winner at Villa, and a goal via that confidently despatched injury time penalty which earned Brighton a deserved 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
4) Danny Welbeck (68.55)
Dat Guy Welbz had quite an impact in his first full month as an Albion player. His player rating of 8.63 for the only win of November at Villa was one of the best individual scores of the season so far and he was a real threat as Brighton outplayed Liverpool too. If he stays fit, he can make a real difference.
5) Joel Veltman (67.89)
The Dutch international has had to wait patiently for his opportunity. Suspensions to Lewis Dunk and Lamptey meant it finally arrived in November as he started three games out of four, looking a really dependable and consistent defender in all of them.
6) Adam Webster (60.39)
One of his most difficult months as a Brighton player so far, not helped by Potter’s decision to use him as the left sided defender in the back three. Struggled at home to Burnley, was rated as the Albion’s worst player at Villa and was only saved from being bottom of the scores again against Liverpool by Maupay’s meltdown.
7) Tariq Lamptey (57.66)
Another excellent month for the young right back, who scored his first Premier League goal at Spurs. His lowest player rating of November was the 7.46 he posted against Burnley, pointing to the fact that he would have been a shoe-in to top the power rankings had he not missed the Liverpool game through suspension.
8) Solly March (56.04)
Like Lamptey, he would have placed much higher up the rankings were it not for an enforced absence, in his case from the draw with Burnley through injury. His curling winner with his weaker right foot at Villa was named as Premier League Goal of the Month whilst he also won the even more prestigious WAB November Player of the Month with over 50% of the vote.
9) Adam Lallana (53.54)
When he is on the pitch, he is superb. Ran the show against Burnley and played a brilliant pass to release Welbeck for the opening goal at Villa. Injury meant he was only fit enough to start on the bench when his former club Liverpool came to the Amex. When he did eventually enter proceedings, he exited almost immediately by running down the tunnel like a man who had forgotten to pay for his car parking.
10) Maty Ryan (49.76)
Dropped for the first time in his Brighton career for the trip to Spurs. He made some vital interventions against Liverpool to pick up his best player rating of the season but not even that could push him above the 50 point mark in November, despite the fact he did not do much wrong in the month. We suspect that is because the boo boys have crowned their new king in place of the departed Dale Stephens.
11) Neal Maupay (39.15)
A month to forget for the French striker. He was omitted from the squad at Spurs because of an altercation with a teammate and for getting a little too big for his boots. Missed a couple of sitters on his return against Burnley before that astonishing turn of events when Liverpool came to town and he missed a penalty and substituted himself off seconds later with a ‘hamstring injury’. Whilst nobody at WAB would claim to be a medical expert, it looked more like a bruised ego.
12) Lewis Dunk (33.39)
Sat out Spurs and Burnley as he completed his three-game ban. Even though his return coincided with an excellent return of four points from Liverpool and Villa, he did not managed to post a player rating above 7 in either game, indicating that a lot of Brighton fans still think he is playing below his best.
13) Dan Burn (29.04)
Showed his versatility by starting as part of the back three at Spurs and deputising for March at left wing back against Burnley. Did a solid enough job in both matches, but looks very much a squad player this season rather than the regular he was in 2019-20.
14) Leandro Trossard (28.33)
Was given the thankless task of playing out-of-position as a lone striker at Spurs. That and an untimely injury sucked all the momentum from what had been a promising start to the season from the Belgian. Needs to rediscover some form in December if the inevitable comparisons to Paul Brooker as a tricky winger who is good in summer but hibernates in winter are to be avoided.
15) Robert Sanchez (16.67)
Potter’s treatment of the young goalkeeper has been baffling. Third choice goalkeeper in October; leapfrogged Ryan and Jason Steele to start at Spurs where he played well; dropped back to third choice and cannot even get on the bench again.
16) Alireza Jahanbakhsh (15.63)
Just the one appearance off the bench for Prince Ali in the number 10 role against Liverpool. It was a lively enough cameo to suggest that he could offer something in a more central role.
17) Bernardo (12.50)
Bernardo has gone from looking like one of the best talents Brighton had under Chris Hughton in 2018-19 to being a player who struggles to even make the bench in November 2020. Made one substitute appearance at Spurs, scoring 5.00 in a pretty forgettable effort.
The WAB Power Rankings are formulated through our matchday player scores. To play your part, make sure to follow us on Twitter and leave your post game player ratings in the relevant thread.
