The 23/24 Premier League season was full of drama, controversy, pain and glory with the reigning champions Manchester City retaining their title for the 4th consecutive time, at the expense of my own club Arsenal. People often look to stats when making their team of the seasons and while I like stats to back myself up, nothing beats the good old eye test, so my team is not just stats based.
Manager
Unai Emery
While Pep may have won his 4th league title in a row, Unai Emery is my manager of the season. I, like others, thought Villa would have a good season competing for european places but not actually for Europe’s elite competition, but they deserve it. This is not the same Emery that I saw at arsenal, he has got his team set up to press high when needed or drop deep if need be. He is getting the most out of team and i think they can even improve because they still were not consistent especially in the second half of the season. But Emery has adapted to the premier league and taken a team from a relegation battle to the champions league in 18 months.
GK
Vicario
A lot of the mainstream pundits debated between Pickford and Martinez in goal and while I agree they both had top level seasons, Vicario was the keeper who made my jaw drop on multiple occasions this season. Spurs play an incredibly open sometimes naively open game every game, meaning Vicario is at the mercy of opposition strikers on a regular basis.
I remember watching that crazy high line of 9-man Spurs against chelsea early in the season and thinking they’d get slaughtered, yes chelsea should’ve been smarter, but in large part that game stayed competitive until the 80th minute because of Vicario’s heroics. He epitomizes what a sweeper keeper should be, quick off his line, cat-like reflexes, classic shot stopping. Going forward he will need to improve his aerial ability dominating his area though.
RB
Ben White
I think its hard to argue since the turn of the year just how good Ben White has been. Providing attacking threat while being part of the best defence in the league. I think the biggest compliment to him is the country turning on him for not playing wanting to play for England when only last year no one would have had him near their England squads in the majority, now I would have personally been looking at him as a starting CB or first reserve RB.
CB
Saliba
This was my cloest position to pick because of Virgil Van Dijk’s renaissance season but I do believe Saliba has shown his class this season in the premier league. He played every minute of Premier League football which eradicated any injury prone concerns we thought could arise again this season and he was always the coolest man on the pitch, so composed on the ball and in his 1-vs-1 defending. He is developing into a top level centre half and leader, so surely Deschamps has to try and fit him in his team soon. Now we need to see these displays in the champions league where Saliba did have some issues this season.
CB
Gabriel
The best defender in the league this season in my opinion. Commanding at the back, hard in the tackle, in some ways a very old school centre half season. Gabriel has been a consistent player since signing from Lille but he had always been prone to a mistake from nowhere before this season. There was a time at the start of the season when he wasn’t playing and looking like he was on the chopping block, meanwhile arsenal were leaking goals. Since then he stepped back in and we never looked back from there, he brought a solidity and aggression to our team, which compliments Saliba’s more cool relaaxed approach.
LB
Udogie
Another spurs player…shows how slim the pickings were in this position this season. Antony Robinson was a close 2nd here, but just missed out in the end. The left back area had very few options, partially due to injuries and partiallly due to the new centre back at left back trend. Destiny Udogie shone in a chaotic spurs defence this season, his first season in the premier league. He was a dynamic threat going forward all season, like a modern full back should be, and he also held his own defensively against some of the leagues top wingers. Also for his first season in the top flight as a young defender he looked comfortable and had it not been for his injuries I’m sure this choice would’ve been a lot clearer. But there were no outstanding candidates here unlike the rest of the team.
CM
Rodri
The best holding midfielder in the world. There’s not much debate when it comes to Rodri now, everyone knows the stats of Man City’s record without Rodri and how important he is to the team. He’s added important goals to impressive resumes this past year or so as well. There isn’t much more to add which people don’t already know about the midfielder now. The heir to Busquests’ title?
CM
Rice
£105 million was chuckled at when Arsenal announced Declan Rice to the world, with people saying City went in for him just to bump the price up. 12 months on and there’s shouts of Declan Rice being a bargain at £100 million. Arsenal were a better more complete this side thanks to Declan Rice, whether he was in the 6 or the 8 role he was grinding out performances, and his driving force in the team was infectious. He has already put himself forward as a leader in the squad, he was bought as a holding 6, he was not meant to be scoring late winners against Manchester United and Luton. He’s surpassed expectations this season for Arsenal fans.
CM
Ødegaard
If you love football you have to love Martin Ødegaard. This season he had a slow start but once he hit his stride he’s been the silkiest player in the league. Full of tricks, quick feet, defence splitting passes, he’s been a joy to watch this season. He’s not just a beautiful footballer though, he does those dirty work yards as well, often leading the press for Arsenal and having the most final third ball recoveries in the league.
RW
Palmer
33 goal involvements in his first full season in the premier league. What more can you say. Cole Palmer has a massive future ahead of him, he just has to hope Chelsea can catch up with him so he can compete for the competitions that his stats and performances deserve. People throw the penalties accusation at him but the one penalty he did let Sterling take, a much more experienced player, he missed. So Palmer being confident and cool enough to take the penalty responsibility as a young player should be respected. Anyway in the main Palmer had dragged his team through this season while performing at outrageous levels, and we should remember that Palmer didn’t start the first 6 games of the season, so when I put it like that, Palmer has 33 goal contributions in 32 games.
ST
Watkins
Haaland may have won the golden boot this season but if we are pulling stats up then Ollie Watkins has 32 goal contributions in the league, the same as Haaland. Performance wise Watkins has been exceptional, rarely having an off day this season while spearheading Villa’s european push. Watkins’ influence on this villa team cannot be underestimated, he leads their defence with his relentless pressing, running the channels all game long. He’s a nightmare for a centre half not giving them any time on or off the ball, always peeling on the shoulder of the defence with exceptional movement. He’s just unfortunate Harry Kane is around this summer.
LW
Foden
The PFA player of the year and who can argue with it. Phil ‘f**ckin’ Foden as Micah Richards calls him has really taken a big step forward this season. He looks to have matured and grown up on the pitch this season, taking more responsibility and shouldering the team this season, especially with the absence of De Bruyne at times this season. After being dropped to the bench for last seasons champions league final Foden must’ve taken it upon himself to step up this season. He has popped up with big goals at big moments, I think about his screamer at the bernabeu, his brace against united and west ham on the final day, he was scoring important goals but also top quality goals. Now is the time Foden needs convert that club form into country form.