With Sunday’s finale to the Premier League season, statisticians at Sofascore have been quick to turnaround the best 11 from the campaign.
Erling Haaland took pride of place in the team named by Sofascore, after getting the Golden Boot with his impressive goalscoring in his debut Man City season.
But he was not the player with the highest score when the whole season was compared.
While several Manchester City names are featured in the team, there was only room for one Arsenal player in the 11 – while a surprise Chelsea defender appears in the heart of the best team’s backline.
Here’s the breakdown of the best Premier League team this season, in a 3-4-1-2 formation, according to Sofascore…
Erling Haaland is one of the strikers in the Sofascore Premier League team of the season
Goalkeeper: David Raya (Brentford) 7.18
While the Bees didn’t succeed in their unlikely bid to make Europe this season, there’s a reason why their ninth place finish in the Premier League did not seem out of place.
David Raya has attracted interest from across the continent for his amazing goalkeeping skills – which Brentford losing just nine games all season, the same number as Manchester United and Liverpool.
Defender: James Tarkowski (Everton) 7.20
There’s nothing really more to add about Everton’s plight this season – just that Toffees fans will be hopeful for a quick turnaround next season.
James Tarkowski’s defensive exploits for Everton are the main reason why the state of play for Sean Dyche’s side was not far worse – and he’ll be extremely required to ensure that the club rebuild soundly in the summer.
Defender: Thiago Silva (Chelsea) 7.26
Almost as bad as Everton’s campaign, Chelsea’s season has been blighted by poor performances from the off. If there’s one shining light for the Blues, it’s Thiago Silva.
Before coming to the Premier League, he was an excellent defender across Europe, and now the stalwart Silva is beloved by Chelsea – and by Sofascore’s ratings as well. There’s persistent rumours he’ll be leaving Stamford Bridge, but many hope he remains.
Brentford goalkeeper David Raya is one of the more surprising picks despite a solid season
Ethan Pinnock has been part of a solid defense as Brentford finished in the top half of the table
Defender: Ethan Pinnock (Brentford) 7.16
Ethan Pinnock has been a catalyst in Brentford’s solid defensive work this season. No one foresaw that Thomas Frank’s Bees would be top half this season – or that they would do the double over Manchester City.
While the Citizens dominate many of the forward positions in this 11, Pinnock’s performances in the backline make him a worthy owner of a defensive spot – and he sealed it with his late winner against Manchester City on the final day.
Midfielder: Jack Grealish (Man City) 7.34
Manchester City’s quest for three trophies continues, but their quest to the Premier League was not a straightforward one, having to catch Arsenal, and then hold the Gunners off.
Grealish was good before the World Cup, but his experiences with the England squad in Qatar made him one of the best players in the Manchester City team upon his return, and he’s a necessary part of the best team’s midfield.
Midfielder: Kevin de Bruyne (Man City) 7.78
There’s no one else who is this important to Manchester City – the league winners – and therefore he gets the highest score of them, and everyone. It’s Kevin de Bruyne, who is yet again one of the best midfielders in the world.
Manchester City are lucky to have the Belgian running the midfield engine, and their quests to win both the FA Cup and Champions League finals next month will all depend on de Bruyne’s dependability.
Kevin de Bruyne scored the highest rating of everyone in the Premier League for his exploits
Martin Odegaard was surprisingly the only Arsenal player to feature in the best scoring 11
Midfielder: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) 7.35
Arsenal have been a force this season, and led the Premier League for many weeks. However, they were ultimately caught by Manchester City, and there is room for just one Arsenal man in the squad.
However, that man is of course Martin Odegaard, another brilliant Norwegian presence in the Premier League. He has captained the Gunners superbly during the season, and he’s rightly named among the midfield quartet, alongside some of his foes from Man City.
Midfielder: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle) 7.61
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United have deserved their rise to the Champions League places, and Kieran Trippier’s midfield performances have been part of the flight of the Magpies.
He’s one of the most dependable players in the Newcastle team, and will be eager to test his work against European opponents next season. His score is one of the highest of the entire team – not bad for a team on the verge of relegation when Howe took over.
Attacking Midfield: Bruno Fernandes (Man United) 7.56
Manchester United finished third this season, in Erik ten Hag’s first season on the sidelines. They’re deservedly back in the Champions League places, and they can thank Bruno Fernandes for much of that.
While there has been some big changes around Manchester United this season – with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo dominating headlines – Bruno Fernandes has been dependable in the centre of the park, and able to nab those crucial goals when called upon, especially from set-pieces.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane is one of the two strikers in the team alongside Man City’s Haaland
Striker: Harry Kane (Tottenham) 7.44
Harry Kane is one of the most reliable strikers that the Premier League has ever seen. Tottenham Hotspur have their work cut out to keep him, while if he does decide to move on to new pastures, he will be going with a huge price tag, and a big reputation to fulfill.
He’s even the best striker in the Sofascore team, according to the ratings. It’s not easy to outshine a certain Norwegian someone, but Kane keeps stepping up to the mantle, and his future will be closely monitored.
Striker: Erling Haaland (Man City) 7.36
So it’s down to the big man himself, Erling Haaland. He’s not the best striker according to the ratings – that’s the England captain – but his goalscoring prowess has been phenomenal, and he’s the obvious pick for so many awards.
Manchester City needed a striker to compete in Europe, and in the Leeds-born Haaland, they found one. It remains to be seen if it’s a one-season wonder, but many are backing him to break more records moving forward – and deservedly so.
