The Premier League team of the season so far is here highlighting the standout performers across England through Christmas.
Nearly halfway through the Premier League season, Liverpool hold a four point lead atop the table with a game in hand. London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal trail the Reds in second and third respectively while Nottingham Forest sit in fourth. The Premier League continues to be the most exciting league in the world with unpredictability around every corner.
Without further ado, here is the Premier League team of the season... so far.
The Premier League 2024/25 Team of the Season So Far (4-2-3-1)
GK: Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest)
In a league with Ederson, Alisson Becker, David Raya and so on, it's Matz Selz who has stood out the most this season. Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City all have claims for being the biggest surprises through 17 games, but don't go overlooking Nuno Espirito Santo's Forest.
Selz is tied for second most clean sheets in the league with six (level with Raya and Andre Onana), one behind Jordan Pickford for the lead. Even more impressive, Forest has conceded just 19 goals so far, tied with Chelsea and just three more than Liverpool and Arsenal who have elite defenses.
Who knows if Forest can keep this up moving forward, but what a start for a historic club.
LB: Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
The man known as Jedi is finally getting the praise and plaudits he deserves. Averaging a 7.45 rating per Fotmob, starting every game in the league, the most assists of any defender in the league, Robinson is hitting a new level. Not only is Marco Silva enjoying the benefits, but Mauricio Pochettino must love what he's seeing out of his U.S. men's national team defender.
Is a move to a bigger club on the horizon?
CB: Gabriel (Arsenal)
"Where would Arsenal be without set pieces?" A great question.
"Where would Arsenal be without Gabriel on set pieces?" A better question. Playing threatening balls into the box from corners has become a habit, but so has Gabriel's aerial presence. He might fly under the radar to neutrals when playing alongside William Saliba, but there's a case to be made for Gabriel being the most important defender at the back.
Scoring three goals and one assist in 15 league matches so far has Gabriel firmly in the team of the season so far.
CB: Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)
Liverpool's club captain remains one of the best defenders in the world and one of the best the league has ever seen. As mentioned, Liverpool has the joint-best defense in the league so far conceding just 16 goals. No team is going to break Jose Mourinho's Chelsea record for some time, but conceding the least amount of goals could win you the league! Especially if Van Dijk continues to perform at the level he has been.
He's not the only Liverpool player in the team, and he's not the only Liverpool player potentially out of contract at the end of the season...
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Speaking of! Alexander-Arnold continues to shine with four assists so far in the league with a 7.43 overall rating. He hasn't started all 15 games he's appeared in, but he continues to be lethal and dangerous with the ball at his feet.
Is he the best defender in the world? Of course not. Has he been good enough to be in the team of the season so far? We'd say so.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)
The second-to-last Liverpool player in the team has been one of the best turnaround stories at the club. Gravenberch looked like he didn't really have a position moving forward before Arne Slot came in.
Now? He's one of the first names on the team sheet. Gravenberch has performed exceptionally to a 7.50 average rating starting all 16 of Liverpool's league games. What once looked like a midfield that would never properly replace Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum now looks like one that could be the best in the world with Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
DM: Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)
Caicedo looks like he's finally becoming the player Chelsea thought they were buying from Brighton and Hove Albion under Enzo Maresca's stewardship. The Ecuadorian midfielder has three goal involvements so far this campaign starting all 17 matches so far.
LW: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
The only player in the team that's been shoehorned in outside of his natural position. Saka's 16 goal involvements so far this season have kept Arsenal afloat amid injuries and disappointing results. You don't win anything at Christmas, as Arsenal know from recent history, but Saka's performances so far will be talked about if Arsenal can get over the line in the end.
Especially considering he's set to miss significant time with a supposed hamstring injury.
AM: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Palmer continues to shine for Chelsea not missing a beat going from Pochettino to Maresca. He's thrd in the league in goals and assists, good for 17 total involvements so far. Not to mention, he became the first player ever to score four goals in the first half of a game earlier this season against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Palmer's playing like the back-to-back Young Player of the Year that he'll likely become at the end of the season.
RW: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Of course it's Salah. Who else would it be? The final Liverpool player in the team, and one with the biggest question mark around his future at the end of the season.
You'd think Liverpool would lock up a club legend who is the first player ever to hit double figures in both goals (15) and assists (11) before Christmas. You'd also think an uncertain contract situation would hinder a player's ability to focus and perform week in and week out.
Well, we can't get inside the heads of the powers that be at Liverpool, but we can see what Salah continues to do every week. A special player who, if the trophies come at the end of the season, should be a favorite to win the Ballon d'Or.
ST: Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)
The final entry on the list: Newcastle United and Swedish striker Alexander Isak. The Magpies are on the outside looking in right now in the top four race, but if they're going to make a charge it's going to be because of Isak. He's got 14 goal involvements so far this season starting 15 matches in the league to an average 7.43 rating. He recently registered a 9.7 rating against Ipswich Town and a 9.0 rating against Leicester City.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Premier League 2024/25 Team of the Season So Far.
