Here were the top three individual performers in the Premier League on the weekend of Matchday 8 of the 2024/25 season.
Manchester United LW Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho has been one of the gems of the 2024/25 Premier League season, and even though he is a pretty well-known name on Manchester United, it still feels like more people outside of Old Trafford should be singing the 20-year-old’s praises.
In a must-win 2-1 triumph over Brentford, Garnacho was irresistible on the left-hand side of the Manchester United attack, showing a lot more incisiveness and threat in that marquee position than veteran Marcus Rashford, who ended up having a key game on the right side himself.
Garnacho has more than earned the opportunity to be a regular starter for Manchester United, whether through the middle or on the left, and he totaled five shots on target against a very game Mark Flekken.
The Argentinian international ended the afternoon with a goal for his efforts while creating a pair of chances and winning two dribbles in the liveliest individual display of the Premier League weekend by any attacker.
Right now, Garnacho has 3 goal contributions for Man United in just 500 Premier League minutes with an average of 1.4 key passes and 1.6 fouls drawn per game.
If he can get better at holding onto the football and winning one-on-ones more consistently out wide, there’s no telling the damage he can do with the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee around him.
Brighton GK Bart Verbruggen
Bart Verbruggen is currently on a 73.1 save percentage to start the 2024/25 Premier League season, and you can see why a club as prestigious as Bayern Munich have been linked to him.
The Belgian international had a decisive performance in the Seagulls’ 1-0 win over Newcastle, as Brighton dug their heels in to out-scrap Newcastle for all three points in a win that is key to proving they have what it takes to win back a European spot in 2025.
Brighton had Verbruggen to thank for not dropping any points, as he made a few massive stops, finishing the match with a total of six saves, which was his highest total of the season since Matchday 3 when he inspired Brighton to a 1-1 draw with title contenders Arsenal after saving a similar six.
Aston Villa CM Youri Tielemans
In the prime of his career at the age of 27, Youri Tielemans is quietly having one of the finest bounce-back performances in the entire Premier League this season, as the new-look Aston Villa midfield looks like one of the league’s best under the excellent guidance of manager Unai Emery.
After going down 1-0 early against Fulham, Aston Villa charged back with a convincing 3-1 win, as they continue to prove their Champions League mettle week in and week out.
Tielemans had a grand performance for the Lions, registering his third assist of the 2024/25 season to star striker Ollie Watkins from a corner. The Belgian international created four chances in total and tied countryman Amadou Onana in midfield with a team-high two tackles.
All season long, Tielemans has been providing Aston Villa with world-class chance creation, quality progression in the middle of the park, crisp passing, and plenty of hard work defensively.
He is making good on all the potential he showed years ago at Leicester City. Tielemans is averaging about two key passes per game with roughly three combined fouls drawn and dribbles completed per match.
Defensively, he’s at an average of 3.4 combined tackles and interceptions per game for Aston Villa. Right now, Tielemans is one of the best all-around midfielders in the Premier League, and he showed that quality again vs. Fulham despite receiving very little fanfare for it.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.