The Tier Lists - Forward Edition - GDS Football

Welcome to the fourth of our positional tier lists for GDS’ Football platform. In these tier lists we’ll rank the GDS options suitable to build your lineups for the 2025/26 season. The fourth edition is on forwards.

The Forward Tier List

SUPERSTARS

This superstar tier contains seven players, which highlights the amount of options available to GDS coaches when they select their four attacking scorers. The forward line is likely to be the most crucial selection for coaches.

Alexander Isak is looking more and more likely to end up at Liverpool as transfer rumours persist. In fact, if Isak remains at Newcastle, he becomes a riskier option to play. Given Isak has been sent home from Newcastle’s pre-season tours, if he does stay, it could result in a late start to the season or time on the bench. If he is assured to start, he remains as one of the leading strikers in the Premier League. Last season, Isak was only behind Salah for goals scored as he finished 2nd with 23. His 46 shots on target also resulted in a top five finish (4th). Additionally, Isak proved he was capable of creating his own chances through his 42 successful dribbles (23rd).

Of the other out-and-out strikers, Haaland also appears in this tier. While Haaland did have an underperforming and interrupted (31 games) season, he’s capable of being the best striker in the world at one of the best teams in the world. Despite missing games, he still managed to finish third for goals (22) and second for shots on target (60). A likely resurgence from both City and Haaland should result in a much, much better season.

Another player who had their season interrupted with injury was Arsenal’s Saka. Only playing 25 games (20 starts), Saka still managed to be one of the best playmakers in the league as he finished equal fourth for assists (10), equal 22nd for key passes (46), and 15th for successful crosses (37). With an improved striker to aim for in Gyökeres, Saka’s playmaking could go to another level this season.

Marmoush arrived in the January window, on the back of outstanding form in the German Bundesliga. While he continued his dominance, to a degree, in the Premier League, his playmaking faded away as all nine of his season’s assists were in the Bundesliga. In total, between both leagues, Marmoush finished with 22 goals, 53 shots on target, 62 successful dribbles, 75 fouls drawn, and 73 successful crosses, all of which would have had him near the top in the Premier League.

Bowen and Cunha were in similar situations at their club, as they were the main man for both of their mid-to-lower tier teams. Playing between a wing and centre forward, Bowen scored 13 goals (=12th), had 37 shots on target (10th), eight assists (=10th), 44 key passes (25th), and 51 fouls drawn (=20th). Cunha’s ill-discipline resulted in 29 starts for the season, and in those games, he produced 15 goals (=8th), 44 shots (5th), 51 successful dribbles (=11th), 50 key passes (=16th), and 71 fouls drawn (=2nd).

Last of all, we’ve saved the best for last. Salah broke a number of records on his way to one of the best individual Premier League seasons ever. To understate his season with pure statistics, Salah was 1st for goals (29), shots (61), and assists (18), while also finishing ninth for successful dribbles (54). It’ll be hard to match in 2025/26; however, with a revitalised Liverpool squad around him, anything is possible.

BALLERS 

Just below the superstars are the guys who will also be making regular appearances in your forward line.

Quite a lot of this list struggled with form and/or injury at times throughout the season, as Gordon (28 starts), McNeil (15), Sarr (30), Kluivert (29), and Watkins (31) all struggled for minutes. Gordon played best when setting up his teammates through his 48 key passes (21st) and 32 crosses (22nd), while he was also the equal second most fouled player. Kluivert’s 12 goals (=14th) and 29 shots on target (=21st) proved how much of a weapon he was in his advanced attacking midfield role, while Watkins was also heavily involved in the goals (7th), assists (=10th), and shots on target (9th). Sarr demonstrated his elusiveness on his way to winning 55 fouls (13th), resulting in 29 shots on target (=21st). Impressively, having played half a season, McNeil still produced four goals, six assists, 24 successful dribbles, 31 key passes, and 40 successful crosses (12th).

The remaining three players (Rogers, Semenyo, and Iwobi) played out the majority of the season. All three players finished in the top 25 for successful dribbles, with Iwobi’s 47 (=15th), Rogers' 61 (=6th), and Semenyo’s 62 (=4th). Iwobi and Semenyo put their best foot forward at goal-scoring, as Iwobi finished equal 21st for shots on target, while Semenyo was equal 7th. The difference between the two was Semenyo’s goals, with his 11 putting him equal 17th for the season. Iwobi did manage to finish equal 11th for key passes. While Rogers wasn’t always the one scoring the goals, he was the one setting them up, as he managed to finish equal fourth for assists to go along with 51 fouls drawn (=20th).

UNIQUES

There’s another sizable pool of players in the unique tier for this position, as a broad range of attacking talent gives GDS coaches a great amount of options to choose from and, potentially, make the difference for them.

The players we’ll highlight are the standout performers amongst the group, with one surprising addition who many would probably argue should be a ‘baller’ after his heroic last season for Forest.

Chris Wood led the way as Forest pushed towards a European place, and while they eventually fell short of the Champions League places, Wood’s performances were outstanding. Wood finished the season with 20 goals (=4th), 35 shots (=11th), and 90 aerial duel wins (11th). As Wood hits 33 in age, and with the addition of Igor Jesus, there is a chance Wood either slows down or rotates more in 2025/26; however, many wouldn’t have thought Chris Wood would hit the peaks he did in 2024/25.

The more surprising featured player is Bournemouth's Evanilson, who managed 31 games (28 starts) despite injury. The hardworking and energetic Evanilson really came into his own late in the season after his return from injury. Despite missing games, Evanilson finished equal 20th for goals (10), equal 16th for shots (32), and 16th for fouls drawn. 2025/26 is set to be an even better season for a hopefully fully fit Evanilson, as he maintains the attacking assets around him in Kluivert and Semenyo.  

RISING STARS

Most of these attacking rising stars are on the cusp of breaking into their respective teams or breaking out for them. Muniz and Osula may find themselves with early opportunities, as their teams' lead strikers are either aging or, potentially, leaving. Meanwhile, Tel, Delap, and Adingra should all get opportunities to impress with their new teams early on. With the departure of Kudus, and no direct replacement yet, the door opens for either Guilherme or Summerville at West Ham. One thing is for sure: this list is worth keeping an eye on in the early parts of the season.

NEWBIES

A vast amount of new attacking talent has made its way into the Premier League this season, as the likes of Bournemouth (Kroupi), Chelsea (Gittens), and Everton (Barry) have added to their pool of weapons.

The most impressive of the new additions is the most recent, as Arsenal have now secured the signing of Viktor Gyökeres. Gyökeres dominated for Sporting last season on his way to 39 goals and seven assists in his 33 games. Other indicators of his talent came from his 66 shots on target, 61 key passes, and 77 fouls drawn. While the Portuguese league may be considered a step down from the Premier League, Gyökeres fired on the major stage of the Champions League, scoring six times and assisting once in his eight games (six starts). It will, however, be the case with Gyökeres as to whether he can adapt back to English football and dominate as he has done in Portugal.

That’s my tier list of forwards! A mix of opinion, stats and logic go into these tier lists. There’ll be differing opinions out there and other suitable stats I haven’t included, which could argue alternative rankings, however hopefully these lists help all GDS coaches of all experience levels build their teams on the new Football platform.