The English Premier League season concluded dramatically on Sunday, with Manchester City retaining the title for a record-breaking fourth successive season. Meanwhile, Chelsea secured their place in Europe, and Luton Town were relegated back to the EFL Championship.
With the season now over, it’s time to reflect on the best-performing players throughout the campaign. In this article, we’ll look at the best-performing XI of the Premier League season:
You can bet on over 200 markets in the FA Cup final here at Bet9ja!
GK – Alphonse Areola
According to WhoScored, Areola is the highest-rated goalkeeper in the Premier League this season, with a 6.96 rating.
He made two penalty saves, the highest of any keeper, and an impressive 138 saves, averaging 4.6 per game, placing him in the top eight percent of all keepers in the league.
While West Ham United struggled at times, Areola was a consistently positive presence for the Hammers.
RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent once again excelled for Liverpool, setting the benchmark for right-backs across the country.
His strength lies in his ability on the ball, demonstrated by his 6.09 expected assists (xA), placing him in the top two percent for his position. He also made 147 long balls and created 64 chances, maintaining his status as a top performer.
While many perceive his defensive ability as his weakness, Trent showed significant improvement with 14 blocks, 176 recoveries, and winning possession in the opposition’s final third 15 times, reaffirming his position as the best-performing right-back.
CB – Virgil van Dijk
Another Liverpool player on this list is van Dijk, who returned to his best form this season.
Van Dijk ranked in the top four percent for duels won, aerial duels won, and blocks. He also excelled in interceptions and recoveries and was only dribbled past twice all season.
In possession, van Dijk was also impressive, sitting in the top two percent for touches and averaging 4.42 accurate long balls and 74.4 passes per 90 minutes.
CB – James Tarkowski
Despite Everton securing safety late in the season, James Tarkowski and the Everton defence performed brilliantly, conceding the fewest goals of any side outside the top three.
Tarkowski won the most tackles, duels, and aerial duels of any center-back in the league and ranked highly for recoveries and interceptions.
LB – Joško Gvardiol
Gvardiol may not have been recognized as a left-back before joining Manchester City, but he made the position his own this season.
He scored four goals, the most of any player in his position, and ranked highly in passes, dribbles, touches, possession won in the final third, and duels won, playing a significant role in City’s title-winning campaign.
CM – Rodri
Rodri was arguably the best-performing player in the league this season, with eight goals and nine assists from a holding midfield position. He played a massive role in both defence and possession for City.
He recorded the most successful passes and long passes in the division, setting the tempo for the champions in every game. Rodri was also a top performer in touches, tackles won, duels won, interceptions, and recoveries.
CM – Declan Rice
Rice had a similar season to Rodri for Arsenal, helping his side push for the title until the very last day.
Rice made a significant impact in his debut season for the Gunners, excelling in passes, touches, tackles won, aerial duels won, interceptions, and blocks.
CAM – Cole Palmer
Another player who makes this list in their debut season for a new club is Palmer, who had an outstanding campaign for Chelsea.
With 22 goals, he was the second-highest scorer in the division, and his 11 assists also placed him second. Palmer had a direct hand in 43% of Chelsea’s goals this season.
Despite Chelsea’s struggles, Palmer’s performances, particularly in the latter stages of the season, helped propel them to an eventual sixth-place finish and secured European football next year.
RW – Bukayo Saka
Saka’s 16 goals and nine assists for Arsenal this season helped keep them in the title race until the very last day. His contributions outside of goal-scoring were also vital.
He created 2.79 chances per 90 minutes and ranked in the top nine percent for touches in the opposition box. His defensive contributions were also notable, winning the ball in the opposition’s final third 1.14 times and blocking 1.35 shots per 90 minutes.
LW – Phil Foden
While Foden’s talent is well-known, this season was a real breakthrough for the English superstar.
He played the most minutes and started the most league games in his career, achieving his highest goals and assists tally. Nineteen league goals and eight assists marked his best season ever. Foden ranked in the top five percent for chances created, touches, blocks, and possession won in the final third.
ST – Erling Haaland
Haaland leads the line in the best-performing XI of the season, finishing as the top scorer in the Premier League with 27 goals, five more than the next highest.
While his performance didn’t quite match last season’s standards due to dry patches, Haaland was unplayable at times and played a crucial role in City’s fourth successive league title.
In addition to his goal-scoring prowess, Haaland ranked in the top 12 percent for duels won, aerial duels won, and possession won in the final third.
Join our exclusive Telegram here for hourly booking codes and breaking news!
