Arsenal’s skipper and France international William Gallas returned from injury with a solid performance capped with a goal in his side’s 6:1 trashing of Everton in the English Premier League season opener yesterday, earning 17 rating points and boosting his overall FTBL rating to 109.11 points, one of the highest in the league.

But the Frenchman will face daunting planks of 15.56 and 14.60 rating points in his next two games. The first plank was set in a World Cup 2010 qualifier against Lithuania (1:0); and the second, in the Arsenal – Manchester City game last season (2:0).

Manchester United defenders Patrice Evra (108.88 points) and Rio Ferdinand (101.77 points), Gallas’ nearest rivals on the chart at the moment, on the other hand have planks of 14.60 and 9.60 rating points, respectively, to beat when the Red Devils host Birmingham City this evening.