Is Salah still the best player in England right now?

[Red Builder]

This one feels less obvious than people make out.

Past results only tell part of the story at this level.

I am not after the textbook answer - more interested in what people would actually do in practice.

Has anyone here actually tried it?

[Jan79]

Not bad at all. The best deals are usually the ones that do not get advertised loudly.

Cheers for sharing that

[StuckOnDestiny]

That is the part most people skip over. There is usually something in the structure that tells you more than the surface does.

Really good thread this

[QueueDay]

This one feels less obvious than people make out. Past results only tell part of the story at this level. I am not after the textbook answer

I am always wary when something sounds amazing at first glance. I will keep an eye on it.

[DecentBloke]

Fair point, that is a better way of looking at it. That helps a lot actually

[Cole75]

That is genuinely helpful, cheers. It is one of those topics where you realise the introductory explanation leaves out all the nuance.

Worth reading more about this.

[DecentBloke]

That is genuinely helpful, cheers. It is one of those topics where you realise the introductory explanation leaves out all the nuance. Worth

That is pretty much it. Cheers.

[Kane]

technically no longer in England. (neither is Kane or Bellingham)

So who is the best player in English Premier League now then?

[Leopard10]

Salah is a funny one because people talk about him like he suddenly became average. The numbers he put up in the Premier League are ridiculous and the consistency over so many seasons is rare.

Whether he is still the best depends on what you value. For pure match-winning output, he is still right up there. If you are looking at overall ability and age profile, players like Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer have a strong case too.

[HarleyQuinn32]

The "best player in England" question has changed a bit because so many elite players have left the league. Salah, Kane, De Bruyne and others were part of an incredible era, but the Premier League has moved on.

Right now I would probably put Cole Palmer in the conversation. The confidence, creativity and ability to decide games is impressive for his age.

Still, Salah's longevity is something the younger players have to prove. Doing it for one or two seasons is different from doing it for nearly a decade.

[Katie8]

Salah deserves respect but I would not automatically give him the crown anymore. The league has players like Saka who are becoming complete forwards rather than just goalscorers.

Saka creates, scores, tracks back and handles huge pressure every week. Arsenal rely on him massively.

That said, writing Salah off has been a mistake many times before. Every time people think he is finished he seems to score another 25 goals just to annoy everyone

[ScarletWrench]

For me it is still Salah until someone clearly takes it from him. The man has been the standard for attacking players in England for years.

People sometimes move on too quickly when a player gets older. A slightly slower Salah is still a nightmare for defenders because his movement and decision making are elite.

Palmer and Saka are probably the future of that debate though.

[ECWAlex98]

Interesting point about players no longer being in England. It really shows how much the conversation has changed after losing some of the biggest names.

At the moment I would argue for either Palmer or Saka. Palmer has that unpredictable quality where you feel something can happen every time he gets the ball.

Salah has the stronger Premier League legacy, but the question is about right now, not the last ten years.

[Delulu66]

The answer might depend on position. If you need a winger to carry an attack, Saka and Salah are obvious choices. If you want a midfielder controlling games, there are other names like Rodri when available.

There is also Erling Haaland. People seem to forget him because his standards are so ridiculous that a normal great season gets treated like a failure.

A player scoring at that rate will always be in the argument

[Anthony_51]

Salah is still one of the first names I would pick in a big game. There are players with more flair, but his understanding of space and timing is world class.

The interesting thing is that younger players are starting to match his influence. Palmer especially has gone from promising talent to someone teams fear.

The next few years will probably decide who takes over that title.

[Maxximus]

Nobody mentions Virgil van Dijk enough in these discussions. If we are talking best player in England rather than best attacker, defenders deserve a seat at the table.

A fully fit Van Dijk has been one of the most dominant centre backs the league has seen.

The award usually goes to attackers because goals are obvious, but controlling games defensively is just as valuable.

[CrowSting09]

The funny thing is that if Salah scores a hat trick next weekend, everyone will suddenly remember he is still elite. Football debates move at the speed of social media outrage

For a current Premier League ranking I would have Palmer, Saka, Haaland and Salah all in the conversation depending on the criteria.

There is no obvious answer, which probably means the league is in a pretty healthy place.

[Keira72]

Salah's biggest advantage is that we know the level he can maintain. Young players might reach that level, but they have not had to survive the pressure and expectation for years.

Palmer has been brilliant and Foden has shown incredible quality, but consistency over a long period is the hardest part.

The Premier League is full of great players right now, which is a nice problem to have.

[PromptEcho]

Best player is such a broad question that it almost needs categories. Best career in England? Salah has a massive claim. Best current form? Palmer has a strong argument. Most complete attacker? Saka is right there.

The days of one player completely owning the conversation are probably over.

Personally I would still rather have Salah in a must-win match than almost anyone else. Experience counts for a lot when the pressure arrives.

[R931]

I would say Saka is the closest replacement for the Salah role. He is becoming the player opponents plan around every week.

The difference is Salah has already built a legendary record, while Saka is still writing his.

Comparing them feels a bit unfair because one is at the end of a historic run and the other is still climbing.