It has been a big year for London’s Premier League clubs.
Arsenal just missed out on the title again last season but they are mounting another strong challenge this season, while Chelsea have become a serious force again under Enzo Maresca.
Tottenham finished fifth but have struggled this season under Ange Postecoglou and it has been all-change at West Ham.
Fulham have been one of the surprise packages in the Premier League this season, while the signs are also good for Crystal Palace and Brentford going into next year.
But who makes the team of the year?
Here, our writers have chosen their best London-based XIs of 2024…
Dan Kilpatrick
(4-2-3-1): Raya, Porro, Saliba, Gabriel, Robinson, Rice, Caicedo, Saka, Palmer, Odegaard, Mateta
Marco Silva thinks Antonee Robinson has been the best left-back in the Premier League this season, and there is plenty to back up the Fulham head coach's view. Six Arsenal players may feel excessive but they have all been consistently outstanding for the entire calendar year. Pedro Porro has tired recently but no full-back in London has contributed to more goals in 2024 and the Spaniard has generally been solid defensively for Tottenham, too.
Moises Caicedo increasingly feels like Chelsea's most irreplaceable player, while maverick Cole Palmer is plainly their best. Jean-Philippe Mateta was outstanding in the second half of last season for Crystal Palace and, while his goals have dried up this term, he has still led the line superbly at times.
Honourable mentions go to Marc Cucurella, Dejan Kulusevski and Nicolas Jackson, among others.
Simon Collings
(4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Robinson; Odegaard, Rice, Palmer; Saka, Havertz, Bowen
Half of this team picks itself. David Raya, Gabriel and William Saliba have to be part of the defence given Arsenal’s excellent year at the back. Ahead of them, Cole Palmer and Martin Odegaard are nailed on, too, and Bukayo Saka is a no-brainer as well.
The rest of the side will cause debate, but Fulham’s Antonee Robinson has looked close to the Premier League’s best left-back. On the other flank, few can match Ben White’s consistency. Declan Rice gets the nod at the base of midfield, however Moises Caicedo gets an honourable mention given his form this season.
There were plenty of contenders to make the forward line, including Bryan Mbeumo, Dejan Kulusevski, Kai Havertz, Nicolas Jackson and Yoane Wissa.
Kai Havertz gets the nod as the No9 after finishing 2024 as Arsenal's top scorer. Jarrod Bowen completes the forward line after scoring 16 league goals this calendar year - the same as Saka - despite West Ham's woes.
Malik Ouzia
(4-2-3-1): Raya; Cucurella, Saliba, Gabriel, Robinson; Caicedo, Odegaard; Saka, Palmer, Mbeumo; Jackson
I’ve fudged it a bit at full-back by picking two players who usually play on the left, but I wanted to recognise Robinson’s form at Fulham and Cucurella is tough to leave out after being so good for Spain at the Euros.
Saliba and Gabriel were the standout partnership of last season and bring their remarkable set-piece threat from this campaign, too.
Caicedo just edges out Declan Rice as my likely-to-be-very-busy holding midfielder, with the Arsenal man having suffered a dip in form since the Euros.
Dejan Kulusevski is extremely unlucky to miss out but I couldn’t find space for both him and Odegaard. Mbeumo can do a job for me off the left to keep Saka and Palmer in their best positions.
Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi would have had great chances halfway through the year but Palace have been so bad this season. Jarrod Bowen was probably the closest West Ham player to making the cut.
Dom Smith
(4-1-4-1): Raya; Munoz, Gabriel, Van de Ven, Robinson; Hughes; Saka, Palmer, Odegaard, Mbeumo; Jackson
David Raya has 23 clean sheets in 50 Premier League appearances for Arsenal and was an easy pick in goal, as was his towering team-mate Gabriel.
I’ve gone for Micky van de Ven alongside him but an honourable mention for Calvin Bassey.
Fulham’s Antonee Robinson has become the best left-back in the Premier League, while no one at right-back has been more consistent than Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz since his move to Selhurst Park last January.
It is not been a good year for defensive midfielders, so Will Hughes (for his consistency) assumes the role alone.
No questioning the inclusions of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard or Cole Palmer, while Bryan Mbeumo deserves his flowers so gets in via the left flank.
Kai Havertz pushes Nicolas Jackson close up front, but for his variety of goals and notable improvements in the finishing department, the Chelsea man wins the race to lead the line.
