Fabinho was back to his best during Liverpool's 3-0 win over Arsenal. 

With Ozan Kabak and Nat Phillips teaming up at centre-back, Jurgen Klopp was able to move the Brazilian back into midfield. 

It made a world of difference as both he and Thiago Alcantara excelled in a 4-3-3, with James Milner making up the trio. 

Make no mistake, for a player who's been utilised out of position, Fabinho undoubtedly did a job in defence when his teammates needed him. 

Liverpool's entire system was thrown off kilter, however, and at the Emirates, we finally saw the champions back closer to where they were last season. 

Gary Neville even described Fabinho as "the best defensive midfielder in the league".

That's a bold claim from the Sky Sports pundit, but is he right? 

GIVEMESPORT have decided to put his theory to the test by ranking the Premier League's central midfielders from 'Not good enough' to 'Elite'. 

First, a few caveats. We've broadened the term a little to include some more attack-minded centre-mids - so not just strictly CDMs - because that's where it gets interesting. And in some cases, we're judging them on this season, not their overall potential.

Not good enough: Nemanja Matic, Jake Livermore, Romaine Sawyers, Fabian Delph 

Matic is only 32 but he lost his pace long ago, while West Brom's midfielders haven't been Premier League level this term. Delph is on the fringes at Everton. 

Average: Granit Xhaka, Thiago Alcantara, Mohamed Elneny, Harrison Reed, Fred, Harry Winks, Mario Lemina, Moussa Sissoko, Andre Gomes, Solly March, Fernandinho, Luka Milivojević

OK, so let's deal with the most controversial pick first. Thiago has been demoted to 'average' because of his struggles since joining Liverpool. While the Spanish international is divisive, he was world-class at Bayern Munich. 

Elneny has improved under Mikel Arteta, but he rarely dominates the midfield. Xhaka, likewise, has his moments but is far too erratic and ill-disciplined, a description which might also apply to Manchester United's Fred. Fernandinho was a top centre-mid back in the day but he's now in his twilight years and winding down at Manchester City. 

Decent: Jorginho, James Ward-Prowse, Declan Rice, Thomas Partey, Abdoulaye Doucouré, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Timothy Castagne, John McGinn, Tanguy Ndombele, Ruben Neves, Kalvin Phillips, Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek, Wilfried Ndidi, Jordan Henderson, João Moutinho, Yves Bissouma, Tomáš Souček, Tom Davies, Allan, Naby Keita

Whatever Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says, Van de Beek is decent. Ndombele can be elite on his day and he's undoubtedly immensely talented, but he needs to be more consistent. Declan Rice has the potential to be elite, but he's a shade below that level just now. 

Elite: Fabinho, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Youri Tielemans, Paul Pogba, Ilkay Gundogan, N'Golo Kante, Rodri

Fabinho firmly belongs in this category. Hojbjerg is arguably one of the Premier League's most underrated midfielders, while Kante has rediscovered his best form under Thomas Tuchel. Remember, we're not opting for strictly defensive midfielders, so Pogba is recognised for his ability as one of the top flight's biggest game-changers.