ONE AND ONLY: Premier League Team of the Season

With the Premier League today reaffirming their indefinite end of season date, now is as good a time as any to look back at 2019/20 and pick our best eleven, but with the caveat of just one player per team.

Despite Liverpool’s dominance, it’s been one of the most competitive years yet below, with the traditional ‘Big Six’ blown to bits by Leicester, Wolves and Sheffield United, meaning the potential choices for our line-up are as abundant as ever...

Goalkeeper: Martin Dubravka

Whilst Newcastle have spent the Mike Ashley years resembling football’s answer to The Jerry Springer Show, there’s always been one promising constant that’s kept them in the top flight, and that’s high-level goalkeeping.

Martin Dubravka is perhaps the most surprising one yet though, coming from relative obscurity in Czech Republic before a six month spell at Sparta Prague where Newcastle then snapped him up.

The stats are impressive, with the most saves in the league at 116, but making a stonking 14 from shots in the six-yard area, backs up the highlight reel match winners he makes on a weekly basis.

👋Most 6-yard box saves (UEFA's big 5 leagues; 2019/20):

14⛔️: 🖤MARTIN DÚBRAVKA🤍
12⛔️: Vicente Guaita
11⛔️: Aaron Ramsdale
9⛔️: Matt Ryan, Tim Krul, Aitor Fernandez, Manolo Reina@NUFC #NUFC pic.twitter.com/xIdpTMRZeh

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) April 4, 2020

Right Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold

While debates began to rage over the which of Liverpool’s squad should be named the Premier League’s Player of the Season, Jordan Henderson appeared to be moving ahead of Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk, but when you cast the net a little wider, it’s astonishing one man doesn’t get more credit.

Mane and Mohamed Salah’s scoring rates have been split the forward vote, but when it comes to creativity, Trent Alexander-Arnold is transforming the role of a fullback, at the age of 21.

An astonishing 12 assists put him second in the league, while he’s continued to shut out the likes of Adama Traore and Raheem Sterling in match-ups, despite regular criticism over his defending.

Alexander-Arnold’s tally of two assists and a goal against Leicester at Christmas was an all-time Premier League performance that essentially wrapped up the league, being a record breaking team’s creative outlet, from right back, is history making.

🤩 Yes, @trentaa98 🤩

All of TAA's @premierleague assists back to back 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Z1l2jDsKgj

— Liverpool FC (at 🏠) (@LFC) April 2, 2020

Centre Back: Harry Maguire

While it’s easy to scoff at the price tag, and plenty did, Harry Maguire has slowly put together an impressive debut season as the world’s most expensive defender.

Manchester United as a club will always have to overspend, but Maguire has shown that it doesn’t always have to be catastrophic, as despite an up and down campaign, he has set the foundations to give his side a chance in every game, which is now being capitalised on, since the arrival of Bruno Fernandes.

United have conceded 30 goals this season, while Maguire has played the most minutes of any player on the team  and made the most passes, he’s been part of every aspect of his side’s play, earning himself the armband.

©Getty / Gareth Copley

Centre Back: Chris Basham

With 29 games played of this Premier League season, Sheffield United hold the extraordinary record of conceding the least number of goals by a promoted side in division history by this point with 25.

Only Liverpool have conceded less this campaign and leading the charge for the Blades has been 31-year-old Chris Basham in his fifth season with the club.

Basham has the most tackles, interceptions and ground duels won of any Premier League defender, and has been Chris Wilder’s coach on the pitch as he leads his side through their top flight return in incredibly assured fashion.

2 Promotions 🆙
3 Divisions 🏆
6 Seasons 🤝

250 Sheffield United appearances for our stalwart, Chris Basham 👏 pic.twitter.com/vs6JBOr1Xh

— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) January 7, 2020

Left Back: Patrick van Aanholt

When the Premier League’s most famous one man team are in the midst of an off-season from their star player, you’d imagine the search would be on for who’s been taking his place.

But with Roy Hodgson the star coach, and Jordan Ayew less than fashionable, there’s been a surprising lack of candidates, however, their joint second highest scorer should be getting far more attention.

Van Aanholt’s beautiful free kick against Newcastle was his third of the campaign and the 20th of his Premier League career, the most of any defender in the league since he bagged his first in 2015.

The Dutchman began his career at Chelsea, and although he never hit the heights expected of him, he’s quietly become one of the Premier League’s most consistent performers, which is all the more surprising when he adds to a highlight reel of superb goals every few months, alongside helping create the defensive foundation that keeps Crystal Palace in the top flight.

This free kick from Van Aanholt 😍pic.twitter.com/qdUYyXFmvB

— Goal (@goal) February 25, 2020

Holding Midfield: Wilfred Ndidi

His teammates had been bigging him up for as long as he’s been at the club, but this season things have stepped up a level, as Wilfred Ndidi became one of the key figures in Leicester’s seemingly successful push for Champions League football.

Unsurprisingly, Ndidi has drawn comparisons to the former occupier of his role, and now one of the world’s best midfielders, N’Golo Kante, and although their current jobs are quite different, there’s little doubt Ndidi could be on his way to that level.

Ndidi sits third in the league on tackles, and second on interceptions, but most importantly, he sits in front of his back four screening them perfectly while finding impressive ways to keep the ball moving forward, showing the all-round game that every manager craves.

🦊 Wilfred Ndidi signed for @LCFC #OnThisDay in 2017

He's made quite an impression since... pic.twitter.com/ffwvNhDYuo

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 5, 2020

Centre Midfield: Mateo Kovačić

There were times when Mateo Kovačić came through at Inter Milan that his dribbling was at such a high level the only right thing to do was to compare him to Lionel Messi.

Different positions and completely different players, but Kovačić’s incredible ball retention earned him a blockbuster, but unsuccessful move to Real Madrid, now though, things keep getting better at Chelsea.

His 65 successful dribbles put him fifth in the league, while he’s the only player in the top nine who isn’t a winger, the Croatian might be the best player in the league at shifting the ball from defence to attack, as he forms a formidable partnership with Jorginho in the middle of the park.

Boasting an imperious 90% pass completion, when so many of them are dangerous, Chelsea fans love him, and so does their manager, it might not be too long before everyone else jumps on the bus.

©Getty /

Attacking Midfield: Kevin De Bruyne

While injuries and inconsistency, particularly in defence, have hampered Manchester City’s season, there’s been one person keeping at a world class level, and even raising the bar once more.

Kevin De Bruyne stands top of the European assist charts with 16, and has 10 games to beat Thierry Henry’s single season record of 20, after bagging a terrifying eight in his first seven league games.

De Bruyne finds new and inventive ways to put the ball on a plate for his teammates, and his ability to spin a ball from the right side through an entire defence for a far-post tap in is reaching legendary trademark status.

Let's take a moment to appreciate this perfect Kevin De Bruyne assist 🙌

(via @ManCity) pic.twitter.com/HZXQXWdaBc

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 13, 2020

Right Wing: Adama Traore 

It shows just how erratic Adama Traore’s early career was that it took six months of scaring the life out of Premier League defenders before the country finally accepted this was real.

Traore seemed destined to be another winger who was all pace and skill but no end product, this season though, he’s proved himself again and again, including three goals and an assist in two games against Manchester City.

With four goals and seven assists in the league this season, Traore has shown the consistency of a player going places, and he’s beaten his man an astonishing 145 times to lead the division, all he needs now is to show he’s not a one season wonder and he will be a regular fixture in top level European football.

Centre Forward: Danny Ings

There were stretches this season where Southampton’s seven year run in the top flight looked set to be over, particularly when they broke the league record the biggest home loss, getting thumped 9-0 at St Mary’s by Leicester, in the bottom three with eight points from ten games.

Then the Danny Ings show started.

The Englishmen added to his four league goals, with 11 more, and they’ve all been important, without his efforts this season, Southampton would be joint on 21 points with last placed Norwich, instead, they’re five points from the top half.

Only Teemu Pukki has scored a higher percentage of his teams goals, and Ings may well see himself in England’s Euro squad if this continues, or instead he may earn a move back up the table.

©Getty / Matt Watson

Left Wing: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Aubameyang’s career looked to be slipping away three years ago, insisting he would only leave Borussia Dortmund for Real Madrid or Barcelona, before nearly heading to China. Fast forward to 2020 and Aubameyang is the captain of one of England’s most storied sides.

Arsenal’s season has been an unmitigated disaster, with their longest winless record broken. They still sit ninth in the table, and despite Mikel Arteta showing promising signs, particularly in improving the defense, his lopsided squad is virtually unmanageable.

However, without Aubameyang, things would be infinitely worse. The new captain plays with a smile on his face, and despite the struggles, he leads with his goals, always scoring winners and openers, to bag 43% of Arsenal’s total.

He’s also wearing off on the talented forward group of young Gunners, and the only concern for Arsenal is Aubameyang has been so good, Barcelona and Real Madrid might finally come back for him.

©Getty /