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Opinion

Premier League team of the season so far

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Roar Guru
10th June, 2020
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These were the standout Premier League performers before the lockdown.

Goalkeeper: Dean Henderson
Manchester United starlet Dean Henderson is having a magnificent season for seventh-placed Sheffield United, who sit only seven points off Champions League football.

Henderson and the Blades have secured ten clean sheets this season and have conceded only 25 goals in 28 games. Although Alisson and Liverpool have conceded 21 goals in 27 games, the 23-year-old has proven to the world his capabilities as both a player and leader in earning the top spot on our list.

With David De Gea rumored to be making his long-anticipated move to the Santiago Bernabeu, could it be Henderson’s time to be recalled to Manchester as United’s number one?

Right back: Trent Alexander-Arnold
At just 21 years of age, Alexander-Arnold has proven to be the world’s best right fullback of the last two seasons. Although gifted with attacking prowess, Alexander-Arnold has played a major role alongside his defensive compatriots in conceding just 21 goals this season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

(Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Alexander-Arnold is well known for his David Beckham-like precision passing. This season, the right back has 12 assists, which places him just behind Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne with 16 – an amazing tally for his position.

His goal-creating abilities will likely transition him into a central midfield role as his career progresses, just like Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich and Philipp Lahm before him.

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Centre back: Virgil van Dijk
In only a few seasons Virgil van Dijk has gone from the best defender in the world to a top-five player. His aerial ability is unmatched and the Dutchman’s strength and pace stand alone in making him the most feared opponent in world football.

Greatly contributing to Liverpool’s recent destruction of the English Premier League, Van Dijk is an easy pick for the best centre back of the season.

Van Dijk barely missed out on last year’s Ballon d’Or as a close runner-up to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Centre back: Jack O’Connell
Jack O’Connell has played a massive role in Sheffield United’s Premier League rebirth this season.

O’Connell has exceptional pace for a centre back and reads the game perfectly on the defensive end. His IQ and pace allow him to read an attack and arrive in deep positions before a play has been made. O’Connell a vital star behind the Blades’ success.

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Left back: Ben Chilwell
Ben Chilwell is one of the hottest prospects coming into this English summer’s transfer window. The 23-year-old has blossomed at Leicester City, who currently sit third on the EPL table in another stellar season.

Still a young prospect, Chilwell possesses certain qualities that have made him desired by the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea in recent months. His pace and stamina allow him to dominate the left channel both in an attacking sense and defensively.

The Englishman is the perfect example of a modern left back and may see his potential unlocked next season as a starter for one of England’s bigger clubs.

Central midfield: Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish played an extremely important role in Aston Villa’s promotion to the English Premier League only two seasons ago. Still, the English star has continued to develop impressing in the midfield this season while displaying rare leadership qualities for his age.

Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish.

(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

One of Manchester United’s top targets this summer, the 24-year-old defines the central midfield position best, displaying the grit necessary to survive in the English Premier League.

Grealish plays with high intensity and has shown the ability to take on defenders effectively while being able to win the ball back on the defensive end. Grealish deals with high-pressure situations well and his dribbling allows him to finesse his way out of tight spots. He is a traditional number ten in an age when it is less prominent.

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Central midfield: Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson is widely considered to be the English Premier League’s player of the season so far. A box-to-box midfielder who can adapt easily to the central defensive midfielder role, Henderson is reliable in all facets and remains consistent over the course of 90 minutes.

The intangibles make Jordan Henderson so effective and such a massive influence on Liverpool’s rise as the world’s top club. Henderson has grown immensely under Jurgen Klopp and has transitioned from a side-passing midfielder to one with creative qualities.

Central midfield: Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is arguably the best player in football right now. The Belgian truly has it all: goals, assists and the ability to dictate the result of the game, De Bruyne has been the biggest piece in City’s recent success.

Currently leading the EPL in assists and sitting second in this season’s Ballon d’Or race, Kevin De Bruyne continues to grow with an uncapped potential still to be seen. The 28-year-old is approaching his athletic prime and there is no telling what the future holds for Belgium’s greatest ever footballer.

Right wing: Mohamed Salah
Amazingly still only 27 years of age, Mohammed Salah has been one of the world’s best footballers in the past three seasons.

Another integral piece of Jurgen Klopp’s European champions, his blistering pace and goal-scoring abilities make him one of the biggest attacking threats in world football.

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This season Mo Salah has 17 goals, placing him second behind Jamie Vardy in the race for this season’s golden boot.

Rumoured with a potential move outside of England, Salah’s contributions to Liverpool’s recent success will have him solidified as one of the Reds’ all-time greats.

Mohamed Salah

(Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Centre forward: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Tied for second with Mo Salah on 17 goals for the current season, Aubameyang has yet to disappoint since arriving in North London.

The African-born striker is renowned for his pace and ability to create space in attack on his way to engineering a goal-scoring opportunity.

Arsenal have not enjoyed great form since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund, yet Aubameyang has remained consistent and deadly in all attacking situations.

Having made 75 league appearances in three seasons for the Gunners, Aubameyang has found the net 49 times to go along with ten assists. In three seasons at Arsenal, he has proven to be one of the greatest strikers of the Premier League era.

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Left wing: Sadio Mane
Africa’s footballer of the year has 14 goals this season and is one player in what makes up Europe’s deadliest front three.

Sadio Mane is a complete forward and plays with incredible intensity. He has been compared to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo for his ability to score with both feet along with his ability in the air.

Mane separates himself from most forwards by way of his tactical awareness on both ends of the pitch and a football IQ like few others.

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