As much as we, the footballing public, lament the myriad of knee-jerk reactions and hot takes so prevalent across social media and beyond, they are a natural byproduct of the emotions involved in the game. 

That raw feeling, coupled with the advent of widely available statistical data, can lead to all manner of interesting debates. 

Indeed, WhoScored (one of the leading stats-website on the internet) have compiled their view on the worst XI of the Premier League season so far based on the players' performances. 

Of course, the campaign is only three games old and Manchester City proved last time out that writing anybody off this early can leave even the wisest observers with egg on their face. 

Still, who doesn't love an early-season debate? Especially in the depths of an autumnal international break. 

With that in mind, here's a look at what WhoScored came up with. 

GK: Tim Krul (5.43/10 rating)

RB: Craig Cathcart (6.30/10)

CB: Grant Hanley (6.01/10)

CB: William Troost-Ekong (6.24/10)

LB: Kieran Tierney (6.11/10)

RM: Milot Rashica (6.17/10)

CM: Billy Gilmour (6.19/10)

CM: Granit Xhaka (6.15/10)

LM: Harvey Barnes (6.22/10)

ST: Wilfried Zaha (6.32/10)

ST: Teemu Pukki (6.19/10)

Xhaka, Zaha, Barnes: Who have been the worst players in the Premier League this season?

Unsurprisingly, Norwich City and Arsenal feature heavily. 

The clubs make up two thirds of the bottom three and Granit Xhaka in particular has endured a difficult season after being sent off against Manchester City before the break. A divisive figure already, the Swiss international has struggled to wholly convince under Mikel Arteta

Without context, the rankings might be a little harsh on the likes of Scotland duo Kieran Tierney and Billy Gilmour, as well as Harvey Barnes. All three have proven their quality before but, sadly, haven't got off to the best start this time around. 

Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha hasn't yet clicked in Patrick Vieira's new-look team while Teemu Pukki has shown little sign of repeating the kind of goalscoring exploits during his club's last top-flight jaunt.