Sportmonks Player Ratings: A Game-Changing Feature in Football Analytics

How Sportmonks player ratings work

Our renewed player ratings are calculated using 51 individual statistics that cover all positions on the pitch. This includes metrics such as:

• Goals scored
• Shots on target
• Passes and successful passes
• Duels won
• Key defensive actions like blocked shots

Each player in the starting eleven, starts with a baseline score of 6.5, which adjusts dynamically based on their performance. Ratings are updated every minute, ensuring real-time accuracy.

The Rating Scale:

• Minimum value: 3
• Maximum value: 10
• Starting value: 6.5

Statistical Highlights:

• Average rating: 6.72
• Most common rating: 6.45
• Rarest ratings: 3.17, 3.41, and 3.75 – each given only once.
• Minimum score (3): Awarded 182 times.
• Maximum score (10): Achieved 139 times.

This level of detail ensures that our ratings not only reflect the highs and lows of player performances but also add a layer of intrigue with rare outcomes.

Important: a substitute only receives a rating after five minutes of playing time, unless the player has a prominent role/statistic (“GOALS”, “ASSISTS”, “BIG_CHANCES_CREATED”, “BIG_CHANCES_MISSED”, “CLEARANCE_OFFLINE”, “ERROR_LEAD_TO_GOAL”, “PENALTIES_COMMITTED”, “REDCARDS”, “YELLOWCARDS”, “KEY_PASSES”, and “PENALTIES_MISSES”).

Some practical examples:

1. A player comes on the field in the 53rd minute and doesn’t have one of the prominent statistics in his first 5 minutes. He will receive his first rating in the 58th minute.
2. A player comes on the filed in the 89th minute. He only plays 1 minute, in this minute he didn’t get one of the prominent statistics. The player won’t receive any rating for this match.
3. A player comes on the field in the 89th minute. He scores a goal right away (or gets any of the other prominent statistics). The player will receive a rating after this statistic took place (goal in this case).

What sets Sportmonks player ratings apart?

Our Player Ratings stand out for several reasons:

• Comprehensive data: With 51 metrics analysed, the depth of insights is unparalleled.
• Real-time updates: The minute-by-minute adjustments make these ratings incredibly dynamic and relevant.
• Rare outcomes: Unique ratings like 3.17, 3.41, and 3.75 add an element of fascination to our system.

Whether you’re a coach, scout, fantasy football enthusiast, or simply a passionate fan, these ratings bring unparalleled depth and precision to player analysis.

How you can use Sportmonks player ratings

For coaches and scouts
Identify top-performing players or uncover hidden gems based on data-driven insights. Combine the ratings with all kinds of other sports data (player statistics, xG, and more) to make the maximum impact with sports data.

For fantasy football players
Leverage real-time ratings to make informed decisions when drafting teams or making transfers. The player ratings will help you understand what the stats are actually trying to tell you. Sportmonks makes the calculations, so you can do your thing with the outcomes.

For fans and media
Objective performance metrics enhance match analysis and storytelling. The ratings are calculated based on the player’s statistics, and no human interaction is needed to create them. Thus, you can be sure the ratings are accurately calculated without personal opinion.

Ratings as interesting insights

Player ratings can give you interesting insights. For example, the highest-rated player on average for Manchester City in the Premier League is Kevin De Bruyne, with a 7.80. Josko Gvardiol (7.63) and Sávio (7.53) are completing the top three. Erling Haaland scored 12 goals in 16 matches and assisted a goal once. He only scored a 7.47 on average and is fifth in the Manchester City squad (Kovacic is in front of him with a 7.48). Rodri (7.25) played only two games for Manchester City before he got injured. İlkay Gündoğan is not in the top 10 performers of Manchester City, with a 7.21 on average.

Premier League rating

Let’s have a look at the other Premier League teams and their highest-rated player(s).

Let’s start with the Arsenal Player Ratings. Bukayo Saka is the highest-rated player from Arsenal, with an 8.16 on average. Gabriel Magalhães (7.39) and Martin ødegaard (7.38) complete the top 3 from Arsenal. Declan Rice (7.37) and Thomas Partey (7.28) complete the top 5. Interestingly enough, David Raya was just left out of the top 5 with a score of 7.25. Gabriel Martinelli only scores a 6.98 on average thus far.

Goalkeeper Mark Travers scored a 7.75 on average for his AFC Bournemouth. He is the highest-rated player on his team in the Premier League. He only played three games. Antoine Semenyo scored a 7.42 on average with 15 games played and came in second.

Brendford’s goalkeeper, Mark Flekken, scored the highest rating on average for his team with a 7.7.

João Pedro was rated a 7.55 on average and is the highest-rated player from Brighton & Hove Albion.

For Chelsea, the midfield scored the highest ratings. Cole Palmer comes in first with a dazzling 8.03 on average. Moisés Caicedo (7.42) and Enzo Fernández (7.37) complete the top three.

Defender Guéhi from Crystal Palace has the highest average rating for Crystal Palace, together with Ismaïla Sarr. Both scored a 7.24 on average. Interesting to see is that the top four is completed by Maxence Lacroix and Eberechi Eze, both with a 7.23 on average.

Attacker Dwight McNeil scored the highest average rating for Everton this season. Interestingly, he scored a 7.56 with only three goals and three assists.

At Fulham, Alex Iwobi is the number one. The attacker scored a rating of 7.52, while defender Antonee Robinson scored a 7.35.

He’s not the first goalkeeper scoring the highest rating for his team in the Premier League. Arijanet Murić scored a 7.33 for Ipswich Town. Cameron Burgess and Leif Davis scored a 7.23 and a 7.19 on average and are the highest-scoring players for Ipswich.

Another goalkeeper will make the list of the squad members with the highest ratings. Leicester City goalie Hermansen scored a 7.32 on average. Facundo Buonanotte scored a 7.25.

For Liverpool, it will not be surprising that Mohamed Salah is the absolute number one rated player with an 8.02 average. Virgil van Dijk (7.32) and Ryan Gravenberch (7.32) are in a shared second place. Alexander-Arnold is right behind them with a 7.31.

Amad Diallo is rated a 7.52 on average. He is the number one performer for Manchester United, with Bruno Fernandes (7.50) right behind him. Casemiro scored a 7.31 on average and completes the top three for United.

Lewis Hall is Newcastle United’s highest-rated player, with an average of 7.38. Martin Dúbravka scored a 7.34 (played only one match). The goalkeeper is just in front of Antony Gordon, who scored a 7.32. The first goalkeeper (Pope) scored a 7.25 on average.

At Nottingham Forest, Eliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White follow each other with only a 0.03 difference in their average rating. Eliot scored 7.43, while Gibbs-White scored 7.40.

The two best-performing Southampton players are Alex McCarthy and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Alex McCarthy is another goalkeeper on the list. He scored 7.14, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis has a rating of 7.11.

At Tottenham Hotspur, you can expect only one name to show up at the top. That is right; Heung-min Son is the Spurs’ highest-rated player. With a 7.78, the attacker is in front of James Maddison (7.73) and Fraser Forster (7.55, four matches played).

Jarrod Bowen is the main man at West Ham United if we are talking about average rating. He scored a 7.34 on average, while Souček is in second place with a 7.20.

Wolverhampton Wanderers has one player in front of the rest. Matheus Cunha scored an average rating of 7.68. the first player behind him has a 7.17 on average.

La Liga ratings

For La Liga, we will look at the top three clubs. Obviously, we are talking about FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

At FC Barcelona, we saw a Brazilian winger named Raphine on fire. He had an amazing average rating of 8.23. Behind him are Lamine Yamal (7.93), Robert Lewandowski (7.64), Pedri (7.51), and Dani Olmo (7.47).

Just like at FC Barcelona, there is a Brazilian winger in front of the rest of the squad. Vinícius Júnior scored an average of 7.77. Jude Bellingham (7.76) and Federico Valverde (7.70) complete the top three. Rodrygo (7.48) and Kylian Mbappé (7.44) complete the top five for Real Madrid.

For Atlético Madrid, Antoine Griezmann is performing best. He scored an average rating of 7.65. With Marcos Llorente (7.43), Pablo Barrios (7.27), and José María Giménez behind him.