At last FIFA 18 has arrived on our shelves, and that can only mean one thing: Ultimate Team time!

With the Premier League continuing to attract some of the best players in the world over the summer, the sheer level of quality on show in England is at its highest ever. That means there’s more top quality players to pick from when it comes to buying the very best for your Ultimate Team.

Not sure who to go for? Here’s a run down of the 30 highest rated players in the Premier League on FIFA 18…

30. Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva has been a revelation for Portugal and will hope to bring his form at Monaco to the Premier League.

89 dribbling and 91 passing will be a major threat.

29. Sadio Mane

93 pace and 85 dribbling means Mane is a defender’s nightmare. Will terrorise defenders for fun.

28. Dele Alli

England’s most exciting young talent. 80 shooting and 82 dribbling makes him a threat for defenders.

27. Ilkay Gundogan

Injury forced Gundogan out for most of last season but the German will be itching to get out there this term and show the quality he possesses.

87 dribbling and 83 passing makes him a midfielder to be reckoned with.

26. Vincent Kompany

One of the most trusted centre-backs in world football. With 84 defending and 83 physical, Kompany will get into most Premier League teams.

25. Henrikh Mkhitaryan

86 pace and 85 dribbling Mkhitaryan is a great player to have on your side.

24. Jan Vertonghen

85 defending and 81 physical makes the Belgium international very difficult to beat.

23. Cesar Azpilicueta

Mr. Reliable. The Spanish centre-back is a fine choice in defence with 86 defending.

22. Alexandre Lacazette

Pace, power and goals. Alexandre Lacazette is one of the most complete strikers in the world.

21. Petr Cech

87 handling and 83 positions makes Cech a reliable goalkeeper, even at the age of 35.

20. Diego Costa

He may be a controversial figure but who doesn’t love Deigo Costa? With 88 physical and 83 shooting, Costa will score you goals for fun.

19. David Luiz

84 defending, 91 physical and brilliant hair. David Luiz is someone you simply need at the back.

18. Toby Alderweireld

The Belgium international is a rock at the back and one of the main reasons Tottenham conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League.

17. Cesc Fabregas

Pulling the strings for Chelsea on a weekly basis, Fabregas is as classy of a footballer as they come. 88 passing and 81 dribbling is a strikers’ dream.

16. Harry Kane

One season wonder? Two season wonder? Three season wonder? Harry Kane has proved his doubters wrong and is now among Europe’s elite.

87 shooting + 83 physical = goals galore.

15. Philippe Coutinho

Coutinho is the creative spark every team needs. Luckily for Liverpool, he plays for them. His 88 dribbling dazzles opponents and with 82 pace and 83 passing, Coutinho is the real deal.

14. Romelu Lukaku

After making his big money move to Man United, Lukaku is already proving he was worth every penny.

With 84 physical, 83 pace and 85 shooting, Lukaku is one of the most lethal strikes in the league.

13. David Silva

Probably the most underrated player in the Premier League, Silva is one of the most creative midfielders in the world.

With 87 passing and 87 dribbling, Silva has the technique and skill to find that killer pass or goal out of no where.

12. Christian Eriksen

Eriksen is the heart of Tottenham and the Danish national team. His 84 dribbling and 88 passing ratings make him an assist machine.

11. Paul Pogba

Composed, agile and powerful, Pogba has everything you would want in a midfielder.

88 strength and 84 dribbling ratings mean you’re not getting the ball off him anytime soon.

10. N’Golo Kante

Clean up on aisle 4!

Kante will look after the back line and protect the midfield with his 81 defending and 84 physical stats.

His 80 dribbling will also help him go from defence to attack in seconds.

9. Mesut Ozil

Lethal in attacking areas, utilise his 87 passing with his left foot and you will unlock any defence.

8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Known for his strength and finishing, Ibrahimovic has 88 shooting – one of the highest on FIFA 18 – and 82 physical, making him a force to be reckoned with.

7. Hugo Lloris

Lloris is a cat in front of goal and one of the more impressive goalkeepers in the world thanks to his 90 reflexes, 88 diving and 86 handling. As solid as they come.

6. Thibaut Courtois

Known for putting Cech on the bench at Chelsea, Courtois has established himself as one of the best in the world.

91 handling and 88 reflexes stats make him one of the best shot-stoppers in the game.

5. Sergio Aguero

Strong, fast, determined and brilliant in front of goal, Aguero’s 88 shooting, 89 dribbling and 87 pace means that he’ll always be scoring goals, like he is in real life.

4. Kevin De Bruyne

If you look up well rounded in the dictionary, you’ll find Kevin De Bruyne. He creates with his 88 passing and 85 dribbling stats but can also strike a ball with the best of them thanks to his 84 shooting.

3. Alexis Sanchez

Arsenal’s hero and saviour, Sanchez uses his 89 dribbling and 86 pace to tear apart defences. His 84 shooting attribute allows him score from anywhere, too.

2. David De Gea

The Spain international’s 90 diving and 90 reflexes make him a wall in front of goal and a must have between the sticks.

1. Eden Hazard

90 pace and 92 dribbling stats mean Hazard is dazzling and technical on the wing.  Perhaps the greatest Belgian footballer ever.

If there was ever a defining moment for a Tottenham side who have now arrived as players on the world stage, this was it.

At a stadium where they’ve never really felt at home, against the reigning two-time European champions, in a game to potentially decide the top spot of a Champions League group, Spurs didn’t just turn up, they eviscerated Real Madrid.

There have been signs over the last few years that they were the real deal, but now we know for sure: it’s not just in the frenzied haze of a Premier League season where Pochettino’s side feel at home, it’s in Europe, too. This is a side who have their manager to thank for almost everything great about their recent rise, but who are also incredibly well-positioned for the future, provided they can keep their best young talent happy, and keep them at the club.

This doesn’t just have implications for Tottenham, though. Nor is it just a case of the knock-on effect for the rest of a league who now have to deal with another member of the top six cartel. This has implications to some of the other established clubs in England’s capital. And especially the one-time Invincibles Arsenal.

There’s a simple and obvious way in which that’s true. In order to win their first league title since 2004, Arsenal must now overcome a Spurs side who are now their superiors in the current Premier League hierarchy. In order to qualify for the Champions League, the Gunners, too, have to scramble their way past another team. But in order to keep their position as one of the top clubs in the country in terms of prestige and commercial position, they may also find themselves taking on their north London rivals once again.

When Mauricio Pochettino told Spanish radio at the end of last season that Tottenham was the biggest club in London, it just seemed like the sort of jibe you always get among club rivals. It was picked up, caused a small stir and then we went back to our lives thinking, “well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?” But Pochettino might have had a point.

Whilst it’s true that Tottenham have a history to be proud of, the same is true of Chelsea and Arsenal, too. But to say that Spurs were more popular perhaps sounded like a stretch, even for the manager of the club.

But it’s also true that Spurs are a club whose star has been rising for the last few years, who play a modern brand of attractive football, who have a top manager, some players who are fast becoming household names, and they are about to move into a new stadium to rival anything else English football can boast.

On the other hand, whilst local rivals Arsenal had most of that a decade ago, they don’t anymore.

They have a world class stadium, a manager who is a household name – though rapidly becoming a caricature – and a team of players who haven’t lived up to expectations. The discontent around the club is there for all to see, and the mutiny doesn’t look too far over the horizon.

But what’s so shocking about the Arsenal position is that the problems in the boardroom stem from the fact that the ownership of the club treat it as a money-making company. It’s their club, they’ll say, and they can run is as they wish, but you get the feeling that, given the rise of Spurs, this is incredibly short-sighted.

Because whilst the Gunners can wish to make money out of the prestige of being able to call themselves the biggest club in London and have some sort of evidence to back that up, they are in danger of having no evidence to back up even the claim that they’re the biggest side in their own little corner of the capital.

Spurs’ victory over Real Madrid calls to mind the Gunners’ own victory in 2006, when a Thierry Henry inspired side knocked Los Blancos out of the Champions League and made it all the way to the final in Paris. But that is now over a decade ago, and whatever announcement that Wenger’s Arsenal made to Europe that night, they have failed to live up to it, and now its their rivals who are in the same position as the Gunners were back then, whilst they are now known as the cup team whose spineless but attractive style of football can’t quite cut it in the league.

As prescient as Pochettino’s comments may look, though, this is only on the back of one result. They are, much like Arsenal were, a team who need to capitalise on that and build even further.

Just as Tottenham’s rise may be a warning to Arsenal that their past success is no guarantee of future prestige, Spurs should also take their north London rivals as a warning sign, too. Just weeks after Arsenal lost the Champions League final, they moved into a new stadium, found themselves in a precarious financial position and didn’t win another trophy for nearly a decade.

Wednesday night was another milestone moment for Pochettino’s Tottenham who are well on the path to becoming a truly big team, known to and respected by football fans worldwide. But if Pochettino’s comments about being the biggest in London are to be true, they need to kick on in a way that Arsenal didn’t. There are warning signs everywhere this week in north London.

According to reports in The Sun, Arsenal are ready to pay £35m for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha as they look for a replacement for Alexis Sanchez, and Gunners fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.

The Sun says that the Eagles are determined to keep the 25-year-old at Selhurst Park, but they are braced for interest in their Ivory Coast international from their London rivals, with Sanchez expected to leave either in January or next summer when his contract expires.

Even though Palace have made a disappointing start to the campaign the wide man’s return from injury has coincided with him scoring the winner against Chelsea, as well as the last-gasp equaliser against West Ham United.

Arsenal supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and while one said he is “much better than Sanchez”, another disagreed and simply said “he’s garbage”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Everton and West Ham will feel they have something to gain but much more to lose when they meet in the Premier League on Wednesday.

While a victory may alleviate the pressure until the next fixture comes around, defeat will almost certainly confirm either club as genuine relegation candidates this season. Usually, such must-not-lose encounters end in stalemates where both sides accept a point apiece.

So are we in store for a midweek draw, or is there evidence to suggest one side will be left bitterly disappointed? Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 8pm kickoff…

What History Tells Us

Look away now, West Ham fans. From their 42 Premier League encounters to date, the Hammers have beaten the Toffees on just seven occasions. That includes an incredibly concerning run of just one victory since 2007, which came during Slaven Bilic’s first season in charge.

Furthermore, only three of those wins were at Goodison Park, where Wednesday’s visitors have produced a miserly 16 goals in their last 21 top flight outings. Accordingly, the Irons average less than one goal per game against Everton in the Premier League, have suffered three times the number of red cards and have kept just five clean sheets.

The Toffees will take huge confidence from their 62% win rate against West Ham on their own patch.

Referee Influence – Michael Oliver

Michael Oliver’s presence on Wednesday night should probably concern West Ham more than the home side. Everton have produced more tackles and committed more fouls than the Hammers this season but Oliver has shown relative leniency on both fronts, ranking in the bottom half of the Premier League’s 18 referees for fouls per tackle and fouls per game.

Poor discipline, on the other hand, has already cost West Ham dearly at times this season – they’ve picked up the most yellow cards and second-most red cards of any Premier League side – and Oliver is one of the Premier League’s quickest to book those he deems as perpetrators. Clearly, the Irons will need to clean up their act or Oliver could prove to be a decisive factor in the match.

If there’s one positive for the visitors though, it’s that just 27% of the matches Oliver’s officiated this season have ended in home victories.

Expected Starting XIs

Facing an ever-expanding injury list and and a whole host of big names hopelessly out of form, David Unsworth will feel his hands are somewhat tied heading into Wednesday’s game.

Inevitably, the much-maligned Cuco Martina will likely be called upon to fill in for Leighton Baines after the left-back suffered an injury against Southampton, while Ashley Williams could start with Michael Keane also a doubt.

Further up the pitch, meanwhile, we’re predicting an entirely different front three from last time out, with Wayne Rooney, Sandro Ramirez and Nikola Vlasic starting ahead of Gylfi Sigurdsson in the No.10 role.

West Ham, meanwhile, aren’t expected to make too many changes from last time out when they pulled off a respectable draw against Leicester City.

With James Collins and Jose Fonte still out and Arthur Masuaku proving his deadliness further forward against the Foxes, David Moyes doesn’t have much to play with in regards to his backline.

Likewise, Andy Carroll remains the standout strike option in the absence of the injured Javier Hernandez, so the only expected change is Andre Ayew, who has grabbed the joint-most Premier League assists of any Irons player this season, taking the place of Marko Arnautovic who is a doubt for this one.

Newcastle United had a miserable Saturday afternoon as they were stunned by Watford at St James’ Park.

Rafael Benitez’s side were beaten 3-0 by the Hornets, with Will Hughes and Andre Gray getting on the scoresheet.

The visitors’ second was an own goal from DeAndre Yedlin on what was the club’s fourth defeat on the bounce.

Plenty of the Newcastle players, as well as the manager, were hit with criticism from fans after the final whistle.

There was one man, though, who received praise from the Magpies’ following, and that was Jacob Murphy.

The 22-year-old forward put in a 77th-minute shift, but he was unable to change the course of the game.

Murphy has struggled for regular game time this season having featured nine times in all competitions, and only three of those outings have been Premier League starts.

Judging from the reaction of the Newcastle fans, they will be hoping that Murphy is given more opportunities.

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According to The Sun, a number of Championship clubs – including Leeds United – want to sign Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay on loan next month.

What’s the story?

McTominay has made five first-team appearances for United during a breakthrough 2017-18 campaign, and he recently signed a new long-term contract with the Red Devils.

There is no question that the 21-year-old is highly regarded by United boss Jose Mourinho, but he has not played any Premier League football this season, which has led to suggestions of a loan move when the January transfer window opens for business.

According to The Sun, a host of Championship teams are interested in the tall midfielder, and Leeds are strongly considering a move at the start of 2018.

The report claims that Mourinho will insist that McTominay is given regular Championship football as part of the agreement, and it does appear that the midfielder could be on the move when the winter window opens.

Would he be a good fit for Leeds?

It would be fair to say that McTominay has benefited from a number of injuries to United midfielders this season, with Paul Pogba, Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini among those to miss a chunk of the campaign thus far.

The 21-year-old has earned his spot in the team, however, with a string of impressive performances.

He has looked at home in each of his three Champions League appearances, and the opportunity to sign a player with that level of experience would be a major boost for promotion hopefuls Leeds next month.

Preston North End and Bolton Wanderers are also believed to be in the hunt, but Leeds would fancy their chances of winning that three-way battle.

The former Champions League semi-finalists are expected to be active next month as they continue their pursuit of the playoff positions, and the arrival of McTominay would send out a strong message.

England’s increasingly promising World Cup adventure delved into a new chapter on Saturday, as Gareth Southgate’s young side took on perhaps the least fancied team still involved in the competition at this stage – a big, burly, awkward and organised Sweden team.

The Three Lions only went and won, and with a dominant display too. Leicester’s Harry Maguire and Spurs’ Dele Alli popped up with the goals that saw Southgate’s men into the country’s first World Cup semi-final since 1990.

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Everyone in red put in an exceptional performance, but the man between the sticks deserves special recognition. Jordan Pickford made three terrific second half saves to keep his first clean sheet of the tournament.

So, England fans, which players impressed you the most – or the least – in the victory over Sweden? Let us know by taking part in the poll below and giving each of those involved a performance rating out of ten…

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Arsenal are in talks with Lorient to sign young midfielder Matteo Guendouzi according to Sky Sports.

What’s the story?

The 19-year-old made 18 appearances for Ligue 2 side Lorient where he has been since 2014 after playing schoolboy football at PSG.

The rangy midfielder was reportedly a target for north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in January but now it appears Arsenal have won the race to his signature for a fee in the region of £7million.

Guendouzi is valued at £2.25million on Transfermarkt and he would be Unai Emery’s fourth signing of the summer since joining Arsenal.

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Tipped for the top

Although Guendouzi has been plying his trade in the relatively poor French Ligue 2, he has excelled and shown that he belongs in the top flight.

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The youngster plays either as a central midfielder or as a defensive midfielder and his style is similar to that of other Arsenal target Adrien Rabiot, composed on the ball and effective at breaking up play.

However, with Rabiot valued at £45million on Transfermarkt, Arsenal could save themselves a lot of money by buying Guendouzi.

He may not be the biggest name linked with Arsenal this summer but he could be a very important one for years to come.

One of the factors that fed into the idea that Mesut Ozil was misunderstood in England was the constant faith that a hugely successful Germany manager in Joachim Low had in him as part of his hugely successful German team.

Despite his struggles and criticism at Arsenal, 5ft 11in Ozil had been a near constant in the world champions’ side throughout but this summer changed all that.

As the Germans crashed out of the World Cup in the group stages, Low lost faith in Ozil, dropping him from the side after a 1-0 opening day defeat to Mexico.

That creates a major conundrum for new Arsenal manager Unai Emery; if Low, who knows Ozil so well and surrounds him with compatriots around whom he feels at his most comfortable, lost faith in him, how does he go about getting the most out of him?

We put the question to you and the solution is clear – the signing of a proper defensive midfield player in Lucas Torreira to create a proper platform behind Ozil is the answer, as you can see from the results below…

According a recent report from Mundo Deportivo, Liverpool have made a move for Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen. The 29-year-old has struggled for first team football ever since moving to the Nou Camp back in 2016, with the Netherlands international appearing just twice in La Liga and 21 times overall for Ernesto Valverde’s men in the last two years.

Yet Jurgen Klopp’s men are reportedly keen on luring the £18 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) to Anfield this summer, and while he is likely to be an upgrade on Loris Karius, it’s unlikely that his addition would help the Reds bridge the gap to champions Manchester City.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Citizens were cut above every side in the Premier League last season in eventually finishing the campaign with 100 points from their 38 league games, ending up 19 points clear of nearest rivals Manchester United, and 25 clear of Klopp’s Liverpool.

Thus, it will take something pretty special from their challengers to bridge the gap to Pep Guardiola’s side this season, although Liverpool would surely do just that with the addition of a top-quality goalkeeper.

Clearly, the goalkeeping ranks have been something of a problem area at Liverpool for a few years now giving the misfortunes of Karius and indeed Simon Mignolet, with neither doing enough to convince of their capabilities between the sticks.

Arguably, it was Karius who cost the Reds the Champions League title given his shocking performance in the final against Real Madrid back in May, while between Karius and Mignolet, they probably cost the Merseyside giants some points during the Premier League season as well.

And while Cillessen’s arrival would be a sensible choice as an upgrade on Karius, it wouldn’t be a big enough upgrade to bridge the hefty 25-point gap to Guardiola’s City, who are sure to continuing improving heading into the 2018/19 season after making their intentions clear with an outstanding season last time round.

Clearly, there will be question marks over the 29-year-old given he has been the number one choice in just three of his last seven seasons as a professional, to the point that he has managed only 21 appearances for Barca in the last two years.

Thus, that is a remarkably little amount of football for someone Klopp will hope can produce the goods in over 50 games for Liverpool this season, but significantly the Dutchman simply hasn’t shown the same level of performance as the world class keepers currently in the Premier League.

The likes of Thibaut Courtois, David De Gea, and Ederson have all produced the goods regularly during their respective spells in English football to underline their status’ as some of the best goalkeepers on the planet, from which they have certainly won their team points and indeed matches during the spells at Chelsea, Manchester United, and City respectively.

Yet there has been very little to suggest that Cillessen is indeed of that same standard, so while he is likely to an upgrade on current number one Karius, he probably won’t be that world class goalkeeper Liverpool are in need of in their quest to reel City in this season.

Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!