The WAB Brighton Player Power Rankings: December 2020
Tony Bloom, if you are reading then please feel free to use our WAB Power Rankings for December 2020 to justifying adding several more million to Yves Bissouma’s price tag after the midfielder topped the Brighton best player chart for the second month in succession.
The form of Bissouma and Solly March constituted two of the only bright spots in what was otherwise a desolate December. Brighton failed to win a game, despite a friendly fixture list offering up matches against fellow relegation candidates Fulham, Sheffield United and Arsenal.
With six games crammed in, Graham Potter made full use of his squad which means that 22 players have been ranked for their efforts. Here is how they scored in the fourth set of WAB Power Rankings of the season.
1) Yves Bissouma (69.91)
Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid have all been linked with a January move for Bissouma and it is not hard to see why. A stunning December saw him top the WAB Player Ratings for Southampton at home, Leicester City away, West Ham United away and Arsenal at home, proving that he is very much the real deal.
2) Solly March (61.14)
A quieter month when compared to the high standards he has set himself so far in 2020-21. His case was not helped by Potter abandoning 3-4-1-2 for the trip to Leicester, meaning that March was not used in the left wing back berth in which he was has excelled. Found himself rested for the Arsenal game and his chances of making an impact were dented as by the time he entered proceedings as a second half substitute, Bernardo was being used as a central midfielder.
3) Lewis Dunk (57.98)
Having been below his best so far in the current campaign, last season’s Brighton Player of the Year showed a welcome return to form as December 2020 dragged on. Scored the Albion’s second in the draw with West Ham and he was back to being a one-man blocking machine in the defeat to Arsenal.
4) Danny Welbeck (47.19)
Four starts and one substitute appearance for Dat Guy yielded an assist against Southampton and a goal against Sheffield United. His 84th minute equaliser against the Blades spared Brighton from the considerable embarrassment of losing to opponents who had picked up one point from 13 matches to set a record for the worst ever start to an English top flight season. Little wonder he topped the player ratings that day despite being on the pitch for just 24 minutes.
5) Ben White (46.62)
Played in more positions throughout December than Katie Price has had husbands. Needless to say, his best game came when he was used as an actual centre back when he helped earn a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw with Fulham and his worst when he was played as a right wing back away at West Ham.
6) Adam Webster (46.53)
Dropped for the first time in his Albion career for the trip to Leicester following a poor run of form as the left sided centre back in Potter’s back three. He was instantly restored to the team after Brighton shipped three times in 14 first half minutes at the King Power Stadium, with Potter deciding to use him more regularly on the right. Needless to say, his form has improved dramatically back on his natural side.
7) Robert Sanchez (44.79)
Took over in goal from Maty Ryan for Fulham away and there has been no looking back. Potter said after the draw against the Cottagers that Sanchez was now his number one and he made a string of excellent saves during his four December appearances. What we have seen so far has been promising – but a poor game at West Ham when he was ranked as Brighton’s second worst player was a reminder that he is still young and learning.
8) Neal Maupay (43.17)
Struggled to make much headway throughout December, failing to score anything above a 5 in his first three appearances of the month. A well taken goal against West Ham was his first for three months and will do wonders for his confidence going forward, making it all the stranger that Potter then rested him to the bench for the following game against an Arsenal side who he has an excellent record against.
9) Joel Veltman (35.87)
Like White, another defender who was messed around position-wise throughout the month. Tariq Lamptey’s absence through injury has seen him used with increasing frequency as a right wing back, where he has done a solid-if-unspectacular job filling in. No doubting that he is better as a central defender however, with his best rating of the month coming as part of the back three in the defeat to Southampton.
10) Adam Lallana (30.91)
Six games crammed into four weeks were always likely to test the fitness of a man whose body is made from straw. He made three starts, pulling the strings against Fulham where he was denied a first Albion goal by VAR and controlling the midfield at West Ham before injury ended his afternoon at half time. In a sign of how good he can be, Brighton went from being totally dominant with him on the pitch against the Hammers to doing well to scrape a draw once he had departed the action.
11) Leandro Trossard (28.08)
What has happened to Leandro Trossard? He was the best Brighton player in the September 2020 Power Rankings but with the onset of winter, seems to have gone into hibernation again throughout November and December. Injuries have not helped, but he failed to score a player rating higher than 5.81 for his three starts.
12) Pascal Gross (26.84)
The German playmaker was the third best Brighton player in November’s rankings and his successful penalty against Southampton made it two goals and two assists in his past five appearances as a number 10 at the start of December 2020. Potter rewarded him for that form by moving him into a holding midfield role at Leicester, where he unsurprisingly struggled. Potter then subsequently dropped him for the next four matches, despite the positional change instigated by the manager being solely responsible for his poor performance against the Foxes. Bizarre management.
13) Steve Alzate (26.23)
Rarely seen since September, the Colombian was given three chances to impress in December. Had a decent game against Fulham but his substitute appearances at Leicester and West Ham gave an indication of why Potter has been reluctant to use him in recent months as he struggled. Ended the month ruled out with illness as his difficult season showed no sign of letting up.
14) Dan Burn (23.26)
Managed to put the lowest player rating of 2020-21 on the board so far when scoring 2.60 after being torn apart at left back by Leicester’s pacy attack. He did well to bounce back from that with a good performance at West Ham when restored to his natural centre half position, including playing an important role in Maupay’s opener with a typically energetic run forward.
15) Alireza Jahanbakhsh (21.57)
Made his first two Premier League starts of the season in December, never really grasping the opportunities – although he was not helped by being asked to play as a central striker in Brighton 0-1 Arsenal when Potter named no recognised centre forward in his starting line up. Should have scored a winner against Sheffield United but put a free header from three yards out against the bar.
16) Aaron Connolly (21.31)
Jahanbakhsh’s miss against the Blades may have been bad, but it was nothing compared to Aaron Connolly who put a free header of his own high and wide from two yards out when stood front and centre of an open goal. His running asked a few questions of the Southampton defence in his only other start of December but after scoring just two goals in the whole of 2020, he looks like a player who might be best suited by a spell away from Brighton on loan in the Championship to rediscover form and confidence.
17) Tariq Lamptey (21.08)
Brighton discovered the downside of having one of the quickest players in English football – injury problems. Lamptey is not the first and he will not be the last speed merchant to suffer with muscular issues because of how fast he is. The challenge the Albion now face is managing him correctly and building up his body to be able to cope with it as he managed just two starts in December, which goes a long way to explaining why the Seagulls were so poor.
18) Alexis Mac Allister (14.44)
Given a rare appearance off the bench at Leicester and his first Premier League start of the season at home to Arsenal. He never looked suited to playing as a centre forward against the Gunners. He did at least seem willing to take on a shot whenever he got a sight of goal, making a refreshing change from the sideways pass followed by sideways pass followed by sideways pass which has characterised Brighton’s build up play in recent months.
19) Maty Ryan (13.58)
His dip in form has been well documented and there is little doubt that he needed a break from first team action. For Potter to demote him from first choice to third behind Sanchez and Jason Steele and then tell him to find a new club in January was hugely disrespectful to a player who has done more than most to help keep Brighton in the top flight over the past three seasons. Let us hope that actively disregarding a proven Premier League performer does not come to haunt Brighton in the second half of the season.
20) Davy Propper (10.83)
Handsome Davy Propper finally made his first league start of the season against Arsenal. It was his only appearance of December and he used it to remind everyone of what a classy operator he can be in central midfield, racking up the third highest player rating of the night after Bissouma and Sanchez.
21) Bernardo (10.83)
Like Propper, Bernardo was handed his first start of the campaign as the Gunners came to the Amex. He appeared to have gone back to December 2018 in a time machine and returned to 2020 with his lost footballing ability as this was his best performance in a Brighton shirt since that promising debut campaign. Surely has to be considered a better option than Burn at left wing back now.
22) Andi Zeqiri (8.23)
The £3.5 million signing from the Swiss second tier was given his debut from the bench as Brighton desperately sought an equaliser against Sheffield United. Hard to tell what he can offer as he was the victim of more Potter managerial madness, a 6’1 target man centre forward being introduced as a left winger.
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.
