As the season approaches, former Premier League players Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville pick the team of the season.
A season that has yet to climax has given us a signal to fasten our seatbelts as we head to another final-day title decider. Arsenal has done their job and will hope their local rivals do them a favour as they face four-peat-chasing Manchester City. However, this time we zoom in to focus on the players who made the teams world-class.
Despite being a two horse race with Arsenal and Manchester City there have been some standout players from Aston Villa, Everton, Liverpool FC, and Bournemouth contesting for a place in the Premier League team of the season.
With a week left, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville are predicting the team of the season by assessing performance, stats, and consistency.
The Talk
As the discussion also involved the best players,
The first question was do Foden and Odegaard get the best player?
Jamie Carragher said:
“I spent all day thinking about this and my two were Foden and Palmer. The reason I didn’t go for Palmer perhaps this is wrong to say, but Chelsea having a bad season and not playing in the Champions League – I could’ve tossed a coin on it.
“It feels like a breakout season for Foden, and now he’s one of the main players in the team. If you remember the Champions League final, he was on the bench.
“City win the treble, he’s involved, but he wouldn’t have felt what he feels this season. He feels central to everything they’re doing.”
Gary Neville shared his comment:
“I didn’t have to think about it at all. I think every game I’ve watched of Arsenal, he’s a beautiful player. He knits everything together. I love Rice, and I love Foden, but for me, that is an absolutely unbelievable football player.
“He’s the best player in the league I’ve seen this season on a regular basis. He takes the balls on the half-turn and tries to play them through – the right type of passes.
“If he had, for instance, a striker who made those little darting runs like an Aguero, the amount of chances he creates is unbelievable. I think that’s his peak this season.”
What do the stats say?
Jamie Carragher: Martinez’s error cost him his place!
“It was a toss-up between Martinez and Pickford. Jordan Pickford has the most clean sheets apart from David Raya. For a team battling relegation. How many goals does he create from his free-kicks on the halfway line?
“You can’t take that mistake out for Martinez. He was at fault for the second one as well!
“Rice and Rodri both had to be in. De Bruyne has been the best in the minutes he’s had, and Ollie Watkins this season.”
Numbers over game time for De Bruyne
Gary Neville:
“No-one loves Kevin De Bruyne more than me – but he’s played less than a third of their minutes in the league. Less than a third!
Jamie Carragher:
“And have you seen how many chances he’s created? It basically shows how good a player he is. He’s the best player in the league and has been for five years.
“He’s played half a season, and his numbers are off the scale. He’s creating chances at a higher rate than anyone in the league.
Has Van Dijk saved Liverpool this year?
Jamie Carragher:
“I felt like I couldn’t leave out any of the back three, and I didn’t think there were any full-backs who really stood out at me.
“You’ve gone with Udogie, but their defensive record is really poor. What we’ve seen with Liverpool tonight, without Van Dijk they would be in the fight with Villa and Tottenham. He’s been that important.
“He’s basically played alongside a young lad in Quansah for half a season. He’s had three different partners, and even when I watch him against Haaland, I think he’s been back to his best and you couldn’t leave the other two out.”
Gary Neville:
“He doesn’t even believe it himself! What system is that?”
Sky Sports’ Dave Jones:
“I have it on good authority, Jamie, that until 8.05 pm tonight you had Emi Martinez in goal…”
Why I’d pick Watkins over Haaland, says the ex-Liverpool player
Jamie Carragher’s response:
“The reason I’d go for Watkins over Haaland are there’s not much difference in the numbers, he’s playing for Aston Villa over Man City.
“When I think of Haaland this season, we know he’s the best striker – we get that. But this season, in the biggest games, I’ve been slightly disappointed, even in the Champions League.
“Also the games with Arsenal and Liverpool, I think the real elite defenders have got the better of him.”
Haaland a clear choice as centre- forward for the ex-Manchester United player
Gary Neville’s response:
“This is a special player, one of the greatest in the world. His goal-scoring numbers will go on to dominate world football for the next five, six, seven years. He has to be in there.
“You can think about giving someone else a chance but every club in the league, if they could name a centre forward, would take him.”
The Awards
MNF awards – Favourite game
Carragher: Chelsea 4-4 Manchester City.
Neville: Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea.
MNF awards – Biggest underachievers
No surprises, with Carragher and Neville both agreeing.
MNF awards – Biggest overachievers
Carragher: Aston Villa.
Neville: AFC Bournemouth.
MNF awards – Best coaching performance
Carragher: Mikel Arteta.
Neville: Sean Dyche against Liverpool.
MNF awards – Best newcomer
Carragher: Andoni Iraola.
Neville: Mohammed Kudus.
MNF awards – Best signing
Carragher and Neville both go with Declan Rice.
MNF awards – Best Young Player
Carragher and Neville together select Cole Palmer.
MNF awards – Best player
Carragher: Phil Foden.
Neville: Martin Odegaard.
Team of the season:
The players Carragher and Neville agreed on
Saliba and Gabriel at the back
Odegaard, Rodri, and Rice in midfield.
Palmer and Foden in attack
The final decision
Carraghers PL team of the season
Team: Pickford; Saliba, Van Dijk, Gabriel; Rodri, Rice; Palmer, De Bruyne, Odegaard, Foden; Watkins.
Neville’s PL team of the season
Team: Martinez; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Udogie; Odegaard, Rodri, Rice; Palmer, Haaland, Foden.
Also Read:
- “We’re talking about them alongside Ferdinand and Vidic” – Jamie Carragher lavishes praise on Arsenal defensive duo
- “I didn’t have to think about it at all” – Gary Neville names Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard as the best Premier League player this season
- Bukayo Saka Injury Scare Might Haunt Arsenal in their Race for the Premier League Title