WITH THE PFA Team of the Year due to be announced later this month, we’ve named our Premier League side based on the most impressive performers this season. Let us know who would be in your equivalent team in the comments section below.
David de Gea (Man United): It’s a close call between De Gea and Ederson, but as good as the Man City goalkeeper has been with his feet, in the majority of matches this season, City have dominated and he hasn’t had many big saves to make. On the other hand, United have needed De Gea to pull off more than a few stunning saves. The Red Devils have conceded the second fewest goals after City, and they have the Spaniard partially to thank for that stat.
Kyle Walker (Man City): Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Walker joined City from Tottenham for an initial £45 million fee. Yet the right-back has been impressive since then, featuring 43 times in all competitions for the club this season. The England international has produced six assists so far, while his surging runs down the right have also created space for others in his team to exploit.
Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham): With Toby Alderweireld injured and out of favour at various points in the season, Spurs needed their other Belgian centre-back to step up and take on more responsibility — Vertonghen did just that. Featuring in the backline alongside the similarly impressive Davinson Sanchez, Tottenham have conceded just 26 goals in 31 games — only the two Manchester clubs have superior defensive records.
Nicolas Otamendi (Man City): The 30-year-old has had plenty of critics since joining City at the start of the 2015-16 campaign. Yet he appears to be one of the many players coach Pep Guardiola has improved, as Otamendi is far less error-prone now compared with when he started out in the Premier League. John Stones, Vincent Kompany and Aymeric Laporte have all been given game time in City’s defence, which is statistically the best in the league as it stands. But Otamendi is the one player who has been a relatively constant presence at the back for the Etihad outfit.
Ashley Young (Man United): Man United are currently second in the league and whereas stars such as Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku haven’t been as consistently brilliant as fans would have hoped, they are where they are due to the persistence of some largely unheralded individuals as much as anyone else. Ashley Young is the epitome of these unsung heroes. Despite the presence of the younger, quicker and more athletic Luke Shaw, the 32-year-old former Aston Villa player has managed to establish himself on the left due mainly to grit and determination — the type of qualities Jose Mourinho values above all else.
Fernandinho (Man City): As superb as Man City have been in attack, it is important not to underestimate how good they have been down the other end too. Brazil international Fernandinho has been key both in protecting the backline and often being the starting off point for his side’s exhilarating play going forward. With 41 appearances in all competitions this season, the 32-year-old is clearly a player Guardiola trusts wholeheartedly.
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City): City have been by far the best team in the league this season, and were it not for the similarly incredible form of Liverpool’s Mo Salah, De Bruyne would comfortably claim the Player of the Year accolade. The Belgian international has more assists than anyone else in the top flight (15 according to ESPN‘s figures) and the player has thrived. having been given extra responsibility, after he was put in a central role by Guardiola.
David Silva (Man City): With eight goals and 11 assists, Silva looks as good as he has ever been at 32. His most recent exceptional form has led to suggestions that the Spain international is “the greatest foreign player of the Premier League era,” as he looks set to lift the title for the third time in his career this season. Along with De Bruyne, he has been key to City’s ability to open up defensively stubborn teams and control games intensively in midfield.
Mo Salah (Liverpool): There’s very little left to say about Salah. While the initial €42 million fee from Roma was questioned at the time, it now looks like a bargain. The Egyptian has scored 37 goals in all competitions and were it not for City’s extraordinary form, any other season, the Reds would be well in the race for the Premier League title. His influence is genuinely comparable to the impact Luis Suarez had during that famous 2013-14 season, and the 25-year-old looks capable of becoming a Liverpool legend provided he sticks around long enough at Anfield.
Harry Kane (Tottenham): With the exception arguably of Sergio Aguero and to a lesser extent Romelu Lukaku, no striker in the Premier League has come close to emulating Harry Kane in terms of both goals and overall contribution to matches. The England star now has gone four seasons on the trot where he has managed 20-plus goals. Spurs are turning into a side that can be relied upon to at least reach the Champions League every season in the way their bitter rivals Arsenal once were. The Tottenham star has 24 goals this season (only Salah has more) and without him, Spurs’ current success is impossible to imagine.
Raheem Sterling (Man City): A close choice between Sterling and team-mate Leroy Sane, Sterling edges the final spot out wide on account of the fact that he has scored almost twice as many goals as his German counterpart. He has bagged more than one crucial last-minute strike and consequently, the England international has played a big role in ensuring City’s supreme confidence rarely dipped over the course of an unbelievable season.
Subs: Ederson, James Tarkowski, Danilo, Christian Eriksen, Leroy Sane, Roberto Firmino, Sergio Aguero.
4-4-1-1 formation
De Gea
Walker Vertonghen Otamendi Young
Salah Fernandinho De Bruyne Sterling
Silva
Kane
Manager: Pep Guardiola
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