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The unthinkable happened last week with Chelsea losing at home to newly-promoted Bournemouth.
Leicester City won again to stay top of the Premier League but this time it wasn't Jamie Vardy on target, Riyad Mahrez scoring all three goals as the Foxes beat Swansea - a result that this week cost Garry Monk his job.
Manchester United failed to score (again) and Manchester City suffered a surprise defeat at Stoke.
Aston Villa finally managed to pick up a point and Newcastle pulled off a surprise win against Liverpool.
We all know who the best players are but defining those with the power to shape events in the Premier League is not so simple - so we've created The Independent's Premier League Power Rankings.
Ahead of every round of fixtures in the top-flight our team of experts get together to define the 17 players who hold the power.
Rather than being based on who the best or most talented footballers are, it's defined by current form, league position, next fixture and any other factors which could influence events.
Players move up and down the rankings, battling to be number one. Some will drop out and new entries will emerge. You might not agree (in which case let us know why) - but that's half the fun.
These are the 17 most important players in the Premier League right now...
Show all 17 1 /17Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 17) Bojan (Stoke) - new entry Xherdan Shaqiri got the eye-catching assists and Marko Arnautovic got the goals, but it was Bojan who really made Stoke tick in an impressive win against Manchester City. Playing as a 'false 9', the former Barcelona man was everywhere with City's defence never getting a grip on him. More of this if Stoke are to march up the table
Last Fixture: W - 2-0 - Man City
Next Fixture: West Ham (a)
Getty Images
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 16) Raheem Sterling (Man City) - re-entry Was rather better in the midweek Champions League game than he was at the Britannia Stadium, where the youngster was out-muscled and out-worked. Sergio Aguero may return at the weekend but Sterling has his biggest ally back in the team - David Silva has the vision and craft to make Sterling much more dangerous than he has been. Swansea's poor run cost them their manager and City will be hoping to take advantage of the chaos.
Last Fixture: L - 2-0 - Stoke City
Next Fixture: Swansea (h)
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 15) Salomon Rondon (West Brom) - up 1 Away at Anfield Salomon Rondon will again be asked to fulfill a task in which he has excelled in the last few games, as the lone striker. He's big, powerful and athletic, covering the ground of two men and allowing Tony Pulis to fortify his midfield. He needs to be slightly sharper with the few chances he is presented, although West Brom do not create much for him.
Last Fixture: D - 1-1 - Spurs
Next Fixture: Liverpool(a)
2015 Getty Images
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 14) Robbie Brady (Norwich) - down 5 Not as good against Watford as he was the previous week against Arsenal, Brady is still a reliable workhorse on the left of midfield with a dash of quality. Crystal Palace showed that Everton can be vulnerable to the counter down their right hand side when Seamus Coleman attacks, and Brady will have to be the man to take advantage.
Last Fixture: L - 2-0 - Watford
Next Fixture: Everton (h)
2015 Getty Images
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 13) Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle) - new entry His form is as inconsistent as Newcastle's, but Wijnaldum has great quality and an eye for goal. When he plays well Steve McClaren's team usually do as well. Newcastle have been the Premier League's worst team on their travels, scoring just three goals and conceding 18 in seven matches. White Hart Lane is not an easy place to go at the moment and the Dutchman will need to be at his best.
Last Fixture: W - 2-0 - Liverpool
Next Fixture: Tottenham (a)
2015 Getty Images
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 12) Yannick Bolasie (Crystal Palace) - up 3 Crystal Palace and Yannick Bolasie are much better when they are the team with no pressure to go out and set the tempo, when they can hit opponents on the counter attack with their lightning pace and direct style. Thirteen of their 23 points have been picked up on the road despite the club playing a game more at home. Given Southampton's recent run of form (they have just two wins in the last seven) don't expect Ronald Koeman's team to do anything but sit back against the Eagles.
Last Fixture: D - 1-1 - Everton
Next Fixture: Southampton (h)
2015 Getty Images
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 11) Christian Benteke (Liverpool) - re-entry More injury bad news for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool heaps even more pressure on Christian Benteke. The powerful Belgian hasn't really fit into life under the club's new German manager and looks a little out of place in the all-out pressing he employs. He's not been able to find the net much either, with three goals in nine appearances since Klopp arrived, but will be needed in the coming weeks with Sturridge a continued headache.
Last Fixture: L - 2-0 - Newcastle
Next Fixture: West Brom (h)
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 10) Joleon Lescott (Aston Villa) - re-entry It's a long time ago now but Joleon Lescott once cost £22m. Age has caught up to the former England centre-back but he is still one of the few Aston Villa players who would be able to hold down a regular starting place elsewhere in the Premier League. Villa don't have any discernible strengths but in Lescott and Richards they have a pair of reasonable centre-backs to build some form around.
Last Fixture: D - 1-1 - Southampton
Next Fixture: Arsenal (h)
2015 Getty Images
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 9) Anthony Martial (Man United) - re-entry Martial was crowned the new star of English football a little too quickly in those heady days at the start of his United career. He is without a Premier League goal since 20 September but showed excellent movement and composure to put United in the lead at Wolfsburg. Manchester United, and Martial, need to start scoring soon. Chelsea couldn't manage it but the Cherries have as porous a defence as anyone in the Premier League.
Last Fixture: D - 0-0 - West Ham
Next Fixture: Bournemouth (a)
2015 Getty Images
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 8) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) - up 6 Another week rolls by with Hazard failing to find the target. His performances and work rate get better week-by-week but he's still lacking that confidence and killer instinct - like much of the Chelsea team - to put chances away. Chelsea were unlucky against Bournemouth but much improved in a really positive performance against Porto. A massive test at high-flying Leicester awaits.
Last Fixture: L - 1-0 - Bournemouth
Next Fixture: Leicester (a)
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 7) Harry Kane (Spurs) - up 6 Spurs and Kane were frustrated, as many teams are, by Tony Pulis' West Brom. Newcastle at home is a rather more enticing prospect for a goalscorer, given the relative chances each team concedes on an average Premier League weekend. Kane barely had a sniff at The Hawthorns but should expect to find gaps in a terrible Newcastle back four.
Last Fixture: D - 1-1 - West Brom
Next Fixture: Newcastle (h)
2015 Getty Images
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 6) Joshua King (Bournemouth) - up 11 What a performance from the lone striker at Stamford Bridge, never giving Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma a moment's rest. King was everywhere, running the channels, holding the ball up and he was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, forcing Thibaut Courtois into a couple of smart saves. Louis van Gaal's defensive Manchester United will not likely give King as much room as the Blues did, but he has the quality to exploit them if they do.
Last Fixture: W - 1-0 - Chelsea
Next Fixture: Man United (h)
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 5) Romelu Lukaku (Everton) - up 3 The Belgian was on the scoresheet again to score his 50th goal for the Toffees in his 100th game since first coming to the club on loan in 2013. That goal was his 11th Premier League goal of the season, already one more than he scored in the entirety of last season's disappointing campaign - how Chelsea could do with a strike of his quality now.
Last Fixture: D - 1-1 - Crystal Palace
Next Fixture: Norwich (a)
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 4) Odion Ighalo (Watford) - Up 1 The Hornets are not going anywhere as long as Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo are playing together up front. The pair have everything you could want in a strike partnership, pace, athleticism, guile and confidence in front of goal - they already have 14 goals between them this season. Watford will fancy their chances at Sunderland.
Last Fixture: W - 2-0 - Norwich
Next Fixture: Sunderland (a)
2015 Getty Images
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 3) Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) - re-entry Ten goals and six assists now for the lightning quick winger. What else is there to say about Leicester that hasn't been said already? They are top of the Premier League and playing the most exciting football in the division. They are the biggest ticket in town at the moment and face struggling Chelsea on Monday.
Last Fixture: W - 3-0 - Swansea
Next Fixture: Chelsea (h)
2015 Getty Images
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 2) Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) - down 1 His record-breaking Premier League streak should not have ended at the Liberty Stadium, where Vardy had two good chances to extend his goalscoring run to 12 matches in a row. Where the missed chances - poor by his recent standards - an indicator of Vardy failing to deal with the bright spotlight under which he has been thrust? We'll find out on Monday.
Last Fixture: W - 3-0 - Swansea
Next Fixture: Chelsea (h)
Premier League Power Rankings: Week 16 1) Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) - up 1 Ozil was again at his brilliant best against Sunderland, with the Black Cats failing to keep a leash on the German. He grabbed another assist in midweek in a vital win at Olympiakos and a trip to Aston Villa should bring more chances. Arsenal will never fail to score goals with their attacking talents, it's the defensive side of things they have to worry about. Sunderland should have scored more than the one goal they managed at the Emirates.
Last Fixture: W - 3-1 - Sunderland
Next Fixture: Aston Villa (a)
2015 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
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