Alisson (Liverpool): Liverpool currently have the best defensive record in the Premier League, with just 16 goals conceded and that is thanks in no small part to the performances of Alisson. The Brazilian has more clean sheets than any other top-flight goalkeeper (six), while he was conspicuous by his absence during a brief spell out injured, with the Reds conceding three goals against Fulham as Ireland international Caoimhin Kelleher was handed a rare opportunity between the sticks. Five and a half years on, the €72.5 million Liverpool paid to sign him from Roma looks like a bargain, even though it made him the most expensive goalkeeper ever (though Kepa Arrizabalaga now holds that status).
Kyle Walker (Man City): Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Walker made the move from Tottenham to City for a fee of a little over €57 million including add-ons. Yet the transfer has paid dividends for player and club alike, with the England international a regular part of a side that has won five Premier League titles since then. And this season, despite City underperforming as a team due in part to injuries and important players being sold, Walker has remained a reliable part of the defence. According to Opta, he has played more minutes than any other Premier League footballer this season — missing just three minutes and 43 seconds of his side’s campaign so far.
Pau Torres (Aston Villa): Unquestionably one of the signings of the season. Torres has been a revelation since Villa bought him from Villarreal for €36 million in the summer. The 26-year-old wasn’t exactly under the radar — he does have 24 caps for Spain after all. But the fact that the player spent almost the entirety of his career at Villarreal before the summer suggests a slight apprehension among the biggest teams about whether he was equipped for the absolute elite level. Yet having previously managed him in Spain, Unai Emery knows the centre-back better than most and he has subsequently rewarded the coach’s faith with a series of solid performances for the Premier League’s surprise package this season, with 23 appearances in all competitions to date. And tellingly, he was unavailable for Villa’s recent collapse against Man United after picking up an ankle injury.
William Saliba (Arsenal): Saliba’s importance to Arsenal was highlighted last season in particular. The defender picked up a back injury in the Europa League against Sporting Lisbon on 16 March and it is hardly coincidental that his absence coincided with the Gunners’ title challenge unravelling. But this season, the France international is available again and he is part of a team that have the second-best Premier League defensive record (behind Liverpool) at the time of writing. He has started all 19 of their Premier League games so far and keeping him fit will likely be key to Mikel Arteta’s side’s title push.
Destiny Udogie (Tottenham): The 21-year-old has been a revelation in his first campaign proper at Spurs — he joined in August 2022 for around €24 million but was immediately loaned out to Udinese for the entirety of last season. For such a young player unused to the Premier League, people might have been expecting a lengthy bedding-in period. However, Udogie has been integral to Spurs’ success — full-backs drifting into midfield is key to how boss Ange Postecoglou sets up his teams. And the Italy international has hit the ground running to the extent that he has already penned a new contract with the North London outfit. The new six-and-a-half-year deal signed earlier this month reflects just how well he has done this season and how highly the youngster is thought of at the club.
Declan Rice (Arsenal): There was plenty of pressure on Rice’s shoulders when Arsenal signed him from West Ham for an initial fee of €116 million. However, the 24-year-old has more than delivered, starting every league game so far this season. He is undoubtedly an upgrade on the player he effectively replaced at the club, Granit Xhaka. The England international’s powerful performances in central midfield are a big factor as to why Arsenal have been so tough defensively and hard to break down and a key reason why some pundits are tipping the club to finally break Man City’s stranglehold on the Premier League title in recent seasons.
Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa): You could make the case for several Villa players to make this team but Douglas Luiz has certainly shone as brightly as any of them. The 25-year-old Brazil international has been a key figure in the club’s midfield, starting all but one of their Premier League games this season and chipping in with six goals. Allowed to leave Man City as a youngster, it is no surprise based on his performances that he has been linked with a move back to his old club as well as a potential transfer to Arsenal of late.
Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal): There is certainly no shortage of exceptional attacking midfielders in the Premier League. Kevin De Bruyne has undoubtedly been the best over the past few years but has been out with a long-term injury this season while Spurs’ James Maddison had an excellent start to this campaign before also suffering a long-term setback. Ødegaard too is on a par with anyone in English football currently and has been integral to Arsenal’s title push. The intelligent and creative Norway international has been so good in the past two seasons that former club Real Madrid are surely regretting allowing the 25-year-old to leave for €40 million including add-ons, which two and a half years on looks like a major bargain from Mikel Arteta’s side’s perspective.
Son Heung-min (Tottenham): Primarily due to Bayern Munich-bound Harry Kane’s departure in the summer, many people were expecting Spurs to badly struggle this season, but instead, they have produced some of their best football and performances in years. A key reason has been the rejuvenation of Son Heung-min. The South Korea international had injury problems last season and was clearly below par throughout that campaign, but he has looked back to his best this year. The 31-year-old has consequently stepped up to the responsibility of being made club captain following Kane’s exit, registering 11 goals and five assists so far.
Mo Salah (Liverpool): Already firmly established as a Liverpool legend and now in his seventh season at Anfield, there has rarely been any let-up in the consistency of Salah’s performances throughout that period. Perhaps the one disappointment from the Egyptian’s perspective is that he has only one Premier League title under his belt in his career so far. However, that could change with the Reds appearing capable of challenging this season and Salah as vital as ever, contributing 12 goals and seven assists thus far — the most goal involvements of any player in the top flight as it stands.
Erling Haaland (Man City): Man City have been well below their best following the treble-winning heights of last year and you could say the same for the prodigious Norway international. However, Haaland at 95% is still superior to most players in the league and so after a remarkable 36 goals in 35 Premier League appearances last year, the 23-year-old is topping the scoring charts again with a similarly phenomenal 14 goals from 15 appearances to his name thus far. Pep Guardiola will be hoping his star man recovers swiftly from injury, having missed four top-flight matches already.
Formation (4-3-3): Alisson; Walker, Torres, Saliba, Udogie; Rice, Luiz, Ødegaard; Son, Salah, Haaland.
Subs: Guglielmo Vicario, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Rodri, Abdoulaye Doucouré, Bernardo Silva, Jarrod Bowen, Dominic Solanke, Ollie Watkins.