By Noah Curitti
As matchday 11 has passed, it is safe to say that the Premier League is back in full swing. As we transition into the winter months of play, let's look at an early Team of the Season prediction.
The players in this squad are based on current form. I also included an honourable mention list for those who did not make the team but deserve recognition for their seasons to date.
GK: David Raya | Arsenal
Raya has been huge for Arsenal so far. He has kept them in many games, leading to desired results in the form of five wins and a fourth-place spot in the league. He holds a 74% save percentage and has played a big part in Arsenal keeping three clean sheets. Not only has he been great in the Premier League but Raya has also excelled in the Champions League. He is the best keeper so far through ten games.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool
Alexander-Arnold said that one day he would like to win the Ballon D’Or. He has not won it yet, but he does look like the best fullback in the Premier League. His flexibility to slot into the midfield gives him versatility and is key to providing Liverpool's attack with scoring chances. He is a constant threat on the right and has been elite for many years since coming up from the Liverpool Academy. Now, with Liverpool at the top of the table after 11 games, he is getting rewarded.
CB: Virgil Van Dijk | Liverpool
Like Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk is considered by some the world's best in his position. Some may even argue that he is the best centre-back of all time. Considering the names he would be up against in that conversation, that acknowledgement is a huge honour. This season, he has contributed mightily to Liverpool’s defensive success—he leads the league in clean sheets with six and has contributed to Liverpool conceding the least goals of any team this season. He makes it onto this squad easily.
CB: Murillo | Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League and a big reason for this is Murillo. He has four clean sheets and has been excellent in defending so far for Forest, who are exceeding expectations. He is not a huge name but deserves a spot on the team.
LB: Josko Gvardiol | Manchester City
Gvardiol was brought into Manchester City with high expectations and an even higher price tag. After taking time to mould into Pep Guardiola’s system, he has been one of the most in-form fullbacks in the world. Not only is he helping Manchester City stay in the top ten for least goals conceded he has three goals himself, including an outside-the-box screamer vs Wolves. Josko has proved the doubters wrong, living up to his price tag and making a mark for his team.
CM: Ryan Gravenberch | Liverpool
Liverpool fans were expecting big things from their Dutch midfielder under Jurgen Klopp but he was OK at best. Under new manager Arne Slot, Gravenberch looks like a completely different player. With his parallel abilities to be extremely solid defensively and create chances for the attack, Gravenberch has not only been Liverpool's best midfielder but potentially one of the best midfielders in the entire league through ten games.
CDM: Moises Caicedo | Chelsea
Understandably, this is not a name many people were expecting on lists like this one at the start of the year. Nevertheless, Caicedo has been exceeding expectations as part of a Chelsea squad that is starting to figure everything out. He is second in the league in tackles with 38 and has an 88.3% passer rating so far. For a defensive midfielder, the expectation is typically a player who is physical and a chance creator, rather than a provider of goals and assists. Caicedo is both and as a result, he is a surprising fit for this squad.
CAM: Cole Palmer | Chelsea
Cole Palmer has been converted into a superstar. It is crazy to think that he was a reserve on the Manchester City squad last season after winning the treble with them. Chelsea proposed a 40 million dollar deal to Manchester City and people were laughing at them…well, who is laughing now? Palmer has been amazing since his arrival and has blown his price tag out of the water. He has seven goals and five assists in the Premier League, while also having a strong Euro 2024 campaign. He is by far the best attacking midfielder in the league. Imagine if Manchester City kept him and gave him more playing time…
LW: Bukayo Saka | Arsenal
The Arsenal academy boy turned starboy is another easy choice for the squad. Saka is known by many as the 19-year-old who missed the penalty in the Euro 2020 final, resulting in England losing to Italy in front of home fans. All of the abuse he received after the tournament turned him into a superstar. Ever since then, Saka has improved immensely and become Arsenal's most important player. He leads the league in assists with seven and is a constant threat in attack. Saka is one of the best wingers in the league, no questions asked.
RW: Mohamed Salah | Liverpool
Liverpool have a history of legendary attackers and Salah is included in that conversation.. He is a creative winger with the confidence to cut in and act as a second striker. As a result, he has seven goals and six assists. He is back to his very best after a subpar season last year. His goal-scoring threat makes him extremely important to this Liverpool squad and an easy choice for this squad.
ST: Erling Haaland | Manchester City
Erling Haaland is a great example of a modern-day poacher. His job? Score goals. He does this effortlessly. He leads the league with 11 and is a huge offensive threat. Teams plan differently for each striker but planning for Haaland is extremely hard because he finds ways to score even when it seems impossible. From his thunderous strikes to acrobatic bicycle kicks, Haaland is the best striker in the premier league and may be the best striker Manchester City has had in terms of goal-scoring ability (No disrespect to Sergio Aguero). Given all of that and City’s strong play this season, it’ll be a surprise if he is not on the Team of the Season all year.
MANAGER: Arne Slot | Liverpool
When a new manager joins a team, it usually takes them time to settle in. When Jurgen Klopp told Liverpool fans he was leaving the club, fans thought 2024-25 would be a down season for Liverpool. So far, this has proved to be far from true. Slot has done an excellent job, leading the Reds to an undefeated record in European competitions and a record of 9-1-1 in the Premier League—making them by far the best team and deservingly in first place. Slot has done well so far for a team with strong desires and aims to keep on rolling.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Here are some players and managers at each position who could very well have made this list or could be candidates to be on it as the season progresses.
Attackers:
Bryan Mbuemo | Brentford
Chris Wood | Nottingham Forest
Luis Diaz | Liverpool
Midfielders:
Mateo Kovacic | Manchester City
Youri Tielemans | Aston Villa
Mikkel Damsgaard | Brentford
Defenders:
Cristian Romero | Tottenham Hotspur
Antonee Robinson | Fulham
Ola Aina | Nottingham Forest
Goalies:
Andre Onana | Manchester United
Matz Sels | Nottingham Forest
Ederson | Manchester City
Managers:
Pep Guardiola | Manchester City
Nuno Espírito Santo | Nottingham Forest
Enzo Maresca | Chelsea
Comments