In the latest Premier League season, we all enjoyed the best football in the world. This league has been one of the best if not the best, football club leagues in the world for ages.
The race for the title was insane, with Manchester City lifting the trophy after the last round. With strong leagues come strong players. Needless to say, this football league is home to the most skilled footballers on the planet. Now, let’s see how generous this season was for some players as I select the Premier League team of the season.
David Raya (Goalkeeper)
The best goalkeeper in the league this season was David Raya. The Spaniard joined Arsenal last summer. At that time, Aaron Ramsdale was the number-one goalkeeper for Arsenal.
Some critics even thought that Arsenal didn’t even need a new goalkeeper. Regardless of that, the Gunners’ manager, Arteta, decided to give the 28-year-old goalkeeper a chance.
At first, Raya caused us to doubt Arteta’s decision as he made some big mistakes. But after some time, his form was immensely brushed up. All this led to his save rate of around 80% and eventually his award of the Golden Glove.
Virgil Van Dijk (Defence)
One of Liverpool’s all-time greatest defenders found his way to the list of the Premier League team of the season 23/24. Even though this wasn’t his best season for the Reds, the Dutch once again showed some outstanding performances.
Experts say that he could have even done better if he’d had a companion who could match his level. Be it as it may, the ones who focus on errors couldn’t find many when it comes to the Dutch. Compared to John Terry and Vincent Kompany, Van Dijk was also praised for his very good header skills.
Kyle Walker (Defence)
Just like Van Dijk’s, Walker’s top-notch season may have been one before the season 2023/24. Yet, a 34-year-old has shown some impressive athleticism in the latest season. First of all, you should know that Walker isn’t like any other defender out there.
I say this because of the Englishman’s speed. His sprints are incredible. Walker is even ranked among the fastest footballers in the Premier League. How does this contribute to his team? Well, hardly anyone can outrun him when pushing towards his club’s goal.
Also, Walker exhibits the characteristics of a nice midfielder. I’m aiming at his passing skills here. The final quarter of this Premier League season said it all. The Englishman’s passing rate was at a stunning 91.6% in terms of the successful passes.
William Saliba (Defence)
Saliba is probably the best defender in the English Premier League team of the season. The reasons why numerous fans, experts, and I think so, are many. First, the Frenchman managed to recover from a serious injury. Not only that, but he even advanced so much that he became a better player compared to the pre-injury period.
Second, Saliba’s team, Arsenal, broke the defensive record mostly thanks to him. His tackling skills are immense, and his maturity and composure act as the major pillar of the Gunners’ defence. Another thing Arsenal’s rivals are scared of is Saliba’s power to turn defence into attack in a split second.
The Gunners had six wins in a row with as many as four clean sheets. As I know that every player, especially the defensive line and the goalkeeper, is to take credit for this, it was Saliba’s contribution to this that counts most. If I could single out one game where this guy didn’t show his true colours, that’d be the 2:0 defeat against Aston Villa.
Rodri (Midfield)
Again, if I were to pick the best defensive midfielder in the entire league, I’d have to opt for Rodri. The ex-Atletico Madrid player initially jumped in as a substitute for Fernandinho. Guess what? He turned out to be a hell of a better option than the Brazilian.
Rodri proved his value so many times wearing the Citizens’ jersey. He showed his scoring ability when his team needed it most. The Spaniard is also no stranger to making key assists.
His stats are something that any young defensive midfielder can dream about. Namely, Rodri has won more than 20 aerial duels, made more than 20 shots on target, had more than 20 interceptions and clearances, etc.
The telltale signs of this player’s importance are the two matches that City lost this season. Rodrid wasn’t part of the Citizen’s squad in any of those encounters. So, City had trouble establishing control in their defensive line in both cases. More specifically, they lost to Wolves and Arsenal.
Martin Odegaard (Midfield)
The biggest superstar player in Norway has had another majestic season in Arsenal. The Gunners were the main contenders for the title. Arteta’s main goal was to put together a team that could deal with their fiercest opponents, City. He actually did so, in a way.
Having Saliba at the back, Rice in the middle, and Odegaard nearby made this team shine. Analysing Odegaard’s games, I realised that he was actually the most pivotal player in the Gunners’ squad.
This season, he had more defensive duties than in previous seasons. Still, his ability to hit the net from far away was not lacking. Arteta even said himself that Odegaard’s appearance and presence radiate class and confidence.
Phil Foden (Midfield)
Foden, one of the youngest players to be part of the Premier League team of the season 23/24, did really much to deserve this. At the age of 23, the Englishman goal-scoring scale went into the red zone. In other words, Fodden put the ball behind the goalkeeper’s back 19 times.
The competition is extremely strong. We have Halaand, who won the Golden Boot. There are also Rodri, De Bruyne, and Silva in the middle. However, the young talent made some of the most significant plays, and his goals turned out to be the ones bringing the victory. Because of all this, Foden got the award for Player of the Season.
Cole Palmer (Midfield)
Yet another young player with tremendous talent boasts a spot in the best Premier League starting 11. Cole Palmer is an English player who decided to leave City last season to strengthen Chelsea’s lines.
The Blues are currently going through a big crisis. Nevertheless, Pochettino should be happy to have such a talented player in his squad. Palmer’s duty of being an attacking midfielder is fulfilled to the maximum.
The Englishman handles the ball very well and passes it perfectly through defensive lines. Not to mention how good at scoring he is. The young 22-year-old player even scored four times when his team destroyed Everton in a 6:0 win.
Ollie Watkins (Forward)
Watkins has been the top scorer for Aston Villa several times in the past. This season, he even went on to score 19 goals and tie Foden’s record. By doing this, Watkins also broke his own personal record regarding the highest number of goals scored in one season.
His input into the Villa’s games has been immeasurable. Netting against Arsenal and ensuring his team a 2:0 victory just speaks for itself. Besides, the Englishman assisted his teammates 13 times before they scored a goal. This gave the officials the right to hand Watkins the Premier League Playmaker of the season award.
Alexander Isak (Forward)
Alexander Isak may not have matched his full potential due to past injuries. But this season was another story for him. The Swede had a blast and hit the net an unbelievable number of times (21). Speaking of the Swedes, Isak broke Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s record for the most Premier League goals in one season.
Aside from that, fans and analysts sometimes compare this footballer to the French legend Henry. The main reason is his capability to stay calm in front of the goal. He’s an amazing striker with very good shooting skills and yet a rare ability to keep cool and score cold-heartedly.
Erling Haaland (Forward)
Words can’t describe just how amazing Erling Haaland is. The Norwegian can surely be grouped under the best players who are part of the English Premier League team of the season. But what some people may not know is that he is one of the seven players who became back-to-back Golden Boot winners in the history of this sport.
Only players like Drogba, Hasselbaink, van Persie, and Owen won the same number of this award. What’s even more remarkable here is that the Norwegian scored 27 goals while being injured during December and January.
Looking at this scenario, it’s really a shame that we won’t be able to see Haaland at the upcoming Euro. The same goes for a few more players from this list.
