Manchester City and Liverpool were quite clearly the two best teams in the 2021-22 Premier League season, so it’s only fitting that the team of the season is filled with Citizens and Reds.
Spurs’ two superstar strikers also more than earned their spots, while West Ham’s and Wolves’ standout players were worthy inclusions.
So without further ado, SBOTOP presents our picks for the top players in each position during the past Premier League season.
Goalkeeper – Jose Sa, Wolves
This may be a surprise pick to some since the Brazilian duo of Alisson and Ederson are clearly better goalkeepers overall, but Jose Sa simply had an otherworldly season for Wolves. He led the league in save percentage (79.3) as well as the advanced stat Post-Shot xG-Goals Against (+9.2), which illustrates just how remarkable his performance was and how crucial he was to Wolves’ success.
Right-back – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool
It was another sublime season for TAA. The 23-year-old was once again a crucial piece of Liverpool’s amazing attack as he led the league in several categories – key passes, progressive passes, through balls, shot creating actions – and finished second to team-mate Mo Salah with 12 assists. While defending is clearly not his strong suit, Alexander-Arnold remains light-years ahead of the rest in the right-back position, a role he has completely revolutionised.
Centre-back – Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool
After missing most of last year due to injury, Virgil came back better than ever this season to lead Liverpool’s defence, which tied champions Manchester City with just 26 goals conceded. The 30-year-old Dutchman is the epitome of class and composure and remains the best in the world in the centre-back position.
Centre-back – Joel Matip, Liverpool
Matip has the luxury of playing next to van Dijk, who has the incredible knack for making others around him look much better. But the Cameroonian-German certainly played his part in Liverpool’s excellence this season with his terrific on-ball ability as well as his fine range of passing, which only few other centre-backs in the Premier League possess.
Left-back – Joao Cancelo, Manchester City
Joao Cancelo is easily the closest any current Premier League full-back can come to matching the unique skill set of Alexander-Arnold. Cancelo has comparable passing numbers to TAA, and he has the added ability of progressing the ball forward with his feet. Like Klopp with TAA, Pep Guardiola has unleashed Cancelo’s full potential at City, and the Portuguese international was undoubtedly a crucial part of City’s title-winning campaign.
Central midfielder – Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City
This season was a bit of a down year for many of the Premier League’s star midfielders. None of Chelsea’s star trio of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, and Mason Mount had particularly memorable campaigns, while Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes succumbed to the mediocrity that has infested Manchester United.
But Kevin De Bruyne was anything but mediocre as he was head and shoulders the best in his position this season. The big Belgian set a new personal record with 15 league goals, added eight assists, and had a hand in several other Premier League 2022 highlights as he was proclaimed the Premier League Player of the Season.
Central midfielder – Bernardo Silva, Manchester City
Bernardo Silva does not get nearly the same acclaim as De Bruyne and other City team-mates, but the Portuguese midfielder was every bit as important to City’s title success.
Pep fielded the versatile Silva primarily as the third midfielder alongside De Bruyne and Rodri, and he played that role masterfully. For someone so gifted with the ball at his feet, Silva is equally as committed to running tirelessly and doing the dirty work defensively. It is a rare combination in the modern game, and it is what makes Bernardo Silva so special.
Central midfielder – Declan Rice, West Ham United
West Ham United faded at the tail-end of the season as their gruelling Europa League schedule and lack of depth finally took its toll on their Premier League form. But the Hammers should still be lauded for defying the Premier League 2022 odds with their terrific campaign, and Declan Rice should be recognised for being the central piece in their success.
The 23-year-old continues to develop into a complete box-to-box midfielder by adding more ball progression to his usually excellent defensive duties. He is clearly a superstar central midfielder in the making and is bound for bigger and better things.
Forward – Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
It has been one tough season for Mohamed Salah. After losing both the AFCON final and a spot in the World Cup on penalties against Senegal with Egypt, his Liverpool side fell short in claiming the two biggest prizes: the Premier League and the Champions League.
But while Salah noticeably slowed down after his sizzling hot start, his Premier League campaign on the whole should still be regarded as a massive success. He finished with 23 goals to earn a share of the Golden Boot – the third of his career – and added a league-leading 13 assists as he showed he is still among the world’s best.
Forward – Son Heung-Min, Tottenham Hotspur
Without a doubt, Son Heung-min has reached superstar status for Spurs over the last two seasons. He followed up his 17-goal, 10-assist effort last year with an even better campaign as he caught up to Salah with 23 goals – becoming the first-ever Asian to win the Premier League Golden Boot – and had seven assists. And if Antonio Conte stays on at Spurs next season, Son could be in store for another fantastic year.
Forward – Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur
Despite all the drama of his Manchester City transfer saga last summer, Harry Kane just put his head down and delivered yet another tremendous season for Tottenham. After a slow start, he still finished with 17 goals – good for fourth in the league – and added nine assists as he continues to excel both as a playmaker and a play finisher. Kane proved he is still quite clearly the top centre-forward in the Premier League, and it will take some doing for anyone to take the crown from King Harry’s head.
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