Premier League's Biggest Fallers: Salah and Saka Lead the Charge Downwards

The Premier League has witnessed a procession of once-thriving talents hitting the skids during the 2025/26 campaign, and few have fallen quite as spectacularly as Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka.

Last season's record-breaker Salah sits atop the pile of underperformers. The Liverpool forward's 29-goal, 18-assist haul powered the Reds to a title win under Arne Slot, but this term tells a starkly different story. With the supporting cast depleted following the departures of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, and the tragic loss of Diogo Jota, Salah can no longer operate as a luxury player. His reduced goal and assist tally means his off-the-ball work—or lack thereof—now faces genuine scrutiny, leading to his earlier benching. The summer exit that appeared unthinkable now feels entirely plausible.

Saka occupies second place, though his decline stems from a different source entirely. The Arsenal winger has been a shadow of himself since suffering a hamstring injury 15 months back. His early-season form was dazzling—five goals and 11 assists in 16 league matches, plus four goals and two assists in five Champions League outings. That incisiveness has evaporated. These days he looks laboured, bereft of his explosive first step and cutting edge, plainly exhausted from years of relentless football at club and international level.

Liverpool's midfield woes crystallise in Alexis Mac Allister's struggles. At 27, the Argentine appears to have mislaid his dynamism entirely, raising questions about what precisely is amiss at Anfield this season. Fellow Red Ibrahima Konate has been genuinely dreadful, his performances slipping so badly that Real Madrid's once-serious interest has cooled markedly. A period of awful form between September and December saw his stock plummet, and recent showings against Galatasaray and Brighton have confirmed his struggles persist.

Sandro Tonali's Newcastle midfield influence has diminished considerably. Acclaimed as the division's finest midfielder last April—remarkable given his 2023/24 absence through a betting scandal—his output has proved decidedly ordinary this time around. Newcastle's failure to dominate midfield battles owes much to his off-the-boil performances.

Ollie Watkins finds himself adrift at Aston Villa. His 10 goal involvements represent a catastrophic drop from 24 last season and 34 two years prior. His omission from Thomas Tuchel's 35-man England squad, despite the expansive selection, proved justified. Across eight Europa League phase matches and three domestic cup fixtures, he has registered precisely nothing.

Tottenham's Micky van de Ven has been wretched throughout 2026. Despite finally enjoying consistent availability after missing 18 league games last season, Spurs have deteriorated further. His red card against Crystal Palace—following a handball concession that gifted Palace a penalty—may prove pivotal should the unthinkable occur and Spurs tumble into the Championship.

Brighton's Carlos Baleba has visibly wilted since Manchester United's pursuit collapsed last summer. Ranked behind Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson, with Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali now viewed as superior targets, the £100million transfer cloud has poisoned his performances. Removing that spectre could restore his form entirely.

Chelsea's Cole Palmer presents a curious case. Rosenior's assertion that Palmer's best position is "on the pitch" rings hollow when examining four non-penalty goals and one assist across 20 league appearances. His goal tally matches his yellow card count—hardly the return expected from someone of his demonstrated ability. Injuries have contributed, though his confidence appears genuinely shattered.

Bournemouth's Evanilson rounds out the ten. The striker has managed six goals and two assists, yet six of those eight goal involvements arrived against the elite sides—twice against Spurs, twice against Manchester United, plus Arsenal and Liverpool. His off-the-ball contributions shine brightest when facing top opposition, though Justin Kluivert's absence has undoubtedly hampered the Brazilian's output.