Do you agree with our Premier League team of the season?
David Raya: One of Mikel Arteta’s most controversial decisions at the start of the season was replacing Aaron Ramsdale with David Raya as Arsenal’s number one. Yet the Spanish goalkeeper has vindicated the manager’s decision, as he has picked up the most clean sheets in the league (16) ahead of Jordan Pickford in second place (13).
Ben White: One of the unsung heroes in Arsenal’s extraordinary season, the 26-year-old has featured in 36 Premier League matches — chipping in with four goals and four assists while being part of the division’s meanest defence.
Antonee Robinson: Left-back is not an area where there has been an obvious standout this season, but Fulham’s English-born USA international is one of the most underrated defenders in the league. He has six assists from 36 appearances and has the highest number of interceptions of any player in the top flight (78) well ahead of second-place Lewis Cook (62).
William Saliba: Arsenal have comfortably the best defensive record in the Premier League with 28 goals conceded from 37 games and France centre-back Saliba has been a big part of that. The 23-year-old has made the joint-most successful last-man tackles (4) along with Spurs’ Micky van de Ven. He is also joint top of the division’s minutes-played list with 3,330.
Gabriel: Another crucial component of the Gunners’ title charge, the 26-year-old has made 35 appearances, chipping in with four goals and is joint-sixth on the list of defensive blocks with 32.
Rodri: The 27-year-old rarely makes headlines, but his absence is always noticeable on the rare occasions he doesn’t play. He was unavailable for the three league matches City lost this season. He is consequently unbeaten in 49 Premier League games and 73 in all competitions — the latter is a British record. He has also made more successful passes than any other player (3,508).
Declan Rice: Alongside Cole Palmer, most people’s pick as the signing of the season. Rice has added extra steel to the Arsenal midfield. Moreover, seven goals and eight assists from 37 matches is an impressive return from someone perceived primarily as a defensive player.
Phil Foden: There is no doubt the 23-year-old is now one of the world’s best attacking midfielders. City have been more reliant than ever on the English international this year with talisman Kevin De Bruyne missing a sizeable chunk of the campaign through injury. Foden has accordingly made more appearances this year than any other previous campaign, registering 17 goals and eight assists from 34 appearances.
Martin Odegaard: Real Madrid are surely regretting letting the 25-year-old go given the impact he has had at Arsenal in the last four seasons. The Norway international has eight goals and eight assists this year, while he has more successful through balls (39) than any other player in England’s top flight.
Cole Palmer: Signed for £40 million from Man City on Deadline Day, for someone who had played so little football, critics must have suspected it was a panic buy from Chelsea. But now it looks like a masterstroke. The 22-year-old has been a revelation in an underperforming Blues side, managing 22 goals and 10 assists from 32 appearances.
Erling Haaland: Injury meant Haaland fell short of his incredible 36-goal season last year but 27 goals from 30 appearances is still a phenomenal return and puts him well ahead of his nearest goalscoring rival.
Subs: Emiliano Martinez, Virgil van Dijk, Ruben Dias, Destiny Udogie, Alexis Mac Allister, Bukayo Saka, Mo Salah, Alexander Isak, Ollie Watkins.
Formation (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Robinson; Rodri, Rice; Palmer, Odegaard, Foden; Haaland.
Stats via Premier League.com
