Tottenham forward Heung-Min Son wins 2021/22 Premier League Power Rankings; All 5,290 players from 10 European leagues ranked for form; Premier League, Championship, Scottish Premiership, Women's Super League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Eredivisie and Primeira Liga ranked
Wednesday 25 May 2022 09:35, UK
Which players shone brightest in the Premier League, Championship, Scottish Premiership, WSL, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Eredivisie and Primeira Liga this season? Here's what the Sky Sports Power Rankings say...
We've ranked each of the 5,290 players who stepped onto a pitch during 2021/22 across the 10 leagues, based on 35 matchday metrics. So, who's top of the stats?
This season's race for the stats-based player of the year was closer than any other and involved no fewer than five genuine candidates: Mohamed Salah, Heung-Min Son, Kevin De Bruyne, Joao Cancelo and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Incredibly, De Bruyne had surged towards the summit during the final weeks after a slow start to the campaign and ended the season in third place.
Salah had led the season chart for almost the entire campaign, but Son secured the summit with his final-day double in the 5-0 win over Norwich to become the seventh Power Rankings champion and join the statistical giants in our hall of fame.
Son and Salah shared the Golden Boot, but the South Korean was involved in a league-high 23 non-penalty goals and scored seven goals more than expected, according to xG data.
There was no battle atop the Championship chart with Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic finishing his title-winning season on 110,611 points - more than 32,000 points clear of runner-up Bournemouth counterpart Dominic Solanke.
The Serbia international netted a record-breaking 43 goals during the campaign to help the Cottagers secure a return to the top-flight under Marco Silva after dropping into the second tier last term.
North of the border, Rangers may have lost their crown to Old Firm rivals Celtic, but Gers right-back James Tavernier retained his place atop the season form chart, having also won the prize last term.
The 30-year-old notched nine goals - with six of those coming from the penalty spot - and produced league-topping numbers with 13 assists, 111 chances created and 397 attempted crosses.
Despite the staggering attacking returns, the Englishman also clocked impressive numbers defensively, ranking eighth in the division with 66 tackles and fifth for winning possession in the defensive third 125 times.
Tavernier was also among the elite across passing metrics, ranking fifth for passes completed, third for passes completed in the final third and second for touches - revealing his extensive participation throughout the campaign.
Chelsea's Sam Kerr and Arsenal's Vivianne Miedema dominated the Women's Super League rankings this term.
However, Kerr pulled away in the final rounds and her stunning double in the title-sealing 4-2 win over Manchester United on the final day was a fitting finish for the Football Writers' Association Women's Footballer of the Year.
The Australia international netted 20 goals during the 22-game campaign from just 39 shots on target - meaning half of her accurate attempts found the back of the net - including three from outside the box.
The 28-year-old is also a towering menace in the box, producing league-topping numbers with seven headed goals and 42 aerials won across the pitch, while also ranking fifth for recoveries in the final third.
Romelu Lukaku topped the Serie A chart with Inter Milan last season, but Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic secured this season's award - despite his side only managing to shore up fifth spot in the standings.
The Serbia international scored 11 goals and registered 11 assists - despite creating only 52 chances for team-mates during the season.
Considerable aerial power contributed to his league-topping points haul, ranking fifth with four headed goals and sixth from 102 aerials won across the pitch.
The 27-year-old also registered in the top six for passes completed and touches, while providing ample midfield mettle from recoveries in the final third.
The battle for top spot in Spain proved closer than many might have expected, with Real Madrid's Champions League heroes Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior tussling for the statistical crown.
In the end, the young apprentice pipped the veteran by the finest of margins. The results are slightly head-scratching, given Benzema clocked considerably more goal involvements - with 27 scored and 12 assists, compared with Vinicius' 17 goals and 10, respectively.
However, Vinicius' chart-topping status was derived mostly from broader aspects of his game - with league-topping numbers for dribbles and winning an impressive 205 duels during the campaign.
Guess who? Yes, Robert Lewandowski scoops the Bundesliga award - again - in what could be his final season in the league, amid rumours suggesting the 33-year-old could be on the move this summer.
To summarise, 35 goals from 81 shots on target would be enough to top almost any chart across the top leagues.
As is the case in Germany, the Ligue 1 chart springs no surprises with Paris Saint-Germain and global sensation Kylian Mbappe leading the way.
The 23-year-old appeared set to leave the club when his contract expired in July, but signed a new three-year deal last week.
The France international produced league-high numbers with 28 goals, 17 assists, 204 dribbles and also ranked second for passes in the final third and fifth for reclaiming possession in advanced areas.
Ajax and former Southampton forward Dusan Tadic leads the way in the Eredivisie ahead of 22-year-old Feyenoord winger Luis Sinisterra.
Tadic registered league-topping numbers with 19 assists, 141 chances created and 294 crosses - having also netted 13 goals - to help Erik ten Hag secure top spot for a fourth successive season before taking charge at Manchester United.
Five players representing four different clubs were vying for the summit over in Portugal down to the wire: Benfica striker Darwin Nunez - who has been linked with a move to the Premier League - Samuel Lino (Gil Vicente), Mehdi Taremi, Otavio (both Porto) and Ricardo Horta (Braga).
Braga midfielder Horta landed top spot on the final day scoring in the opening minute in a 3-2 defeat at Famalicao, extending his goal tally to 19, having also notched five assists and a league-topping 92 chances created.
Nunez topped the Primeira Liga scoring chart with 23 goals from just 1,941 minutes and would have been on course for a table-topping finish in the Power Rankings if he had clocked more game time.
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 10 and closes at 11pm on September 1.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
