Premier League Team of the Season: Haaland and Foden lead the line

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 19 May 2024 18:06 BST
• 5 min read

The 2023-24 Premier League season is over.

Manchester City have won the Premier League for a fourth season in a row after an epic title race with Arsenal - and previously Liverpool - that was only settled on the final day.

Arsenal finish second, Liverpool third, while Aston Villa take the final Champions League place.

READ MORE: Premier League top scorers 2023/24:

At the bottom, Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United all immediately return to the English Championship.

So which players stood out most across the league?

FootballTransfers selects its Premier League Team of the Season for 2023-24.

READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024: All the Done Deals

GK: Jordan Pickford (Everton)

Amidst the turmoil surrounding Everton’s financial situation, Jordan Pickford’s form has gone under the radar, with the England international proving a calm and consistent pair of hands during troubling times.

Pickford is the runner up for the Golden Glove this season with an impressive 13 clean sheets, helping Everton maintain the fourth-best defence in the Premier League, conceding just 51 goals.

RB: Ben White (Arsenal)

Arsenal perhaps feared the worst when summer signing Jurrien Timber suffered a season-ending injury just 50 minutes into his Premier League debut, particularly with Takehiro Tomiyasu also struggling with fitness throughout the campaign.

However, despite the lack of depth at right-back, the Gunners have not looked concerned thanks to Ben White’s consistency, with the 26-year-old providing eight goal contributions and missing just two games.

CB: William Saliba (Arsenal)

William Saliba was named in the Premier League Team of the Year during his debut campaign in England last year and it is testament to the 23-year-old’s development that he has arguably had a better season this time around.

The Frenchman has played every minute of Arsenal’s league campaign and it is that consistency which has helped Mikel Arteta’s side boast an even better title challenge and defensive record than last season.

CB: Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)

In truth, Arsenal’s stunning record of just 29 goals conceded means that their entire back line could be named in this team and Gabriel has excelled once again in defence, in part due to his threat from corners.

No team has netted more times from set-pieces than Arsenal this season, while Gabriel’s four goals has only enhanced his record as one of the top-scoring defenders in the Premier League.

LB: Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City)

Manchester City may think themselves hard done by for only having Josko Gvardiol represent them in defence in this team, considering they have only conceded five more goals than Arsenal.

Josko Gvardiol, too, may be a surprise inclusion to some, considering his slow start to life in England after his €90 million transfer last summer but the 22-year-old’s four goals in five games to end the season has helped pay back some of his record fee.

CM: Declan Rice (Arsenal)

Not many players can call themselves a bargain having cost €116m but Declan Rice has arguably been the catalyst of Arsenal’s rise this season since his move from West Ham last year.

The England star has taken his game to a new level this year, scoring seven times and grabbing eight assists, leading to his nomination for the Premier League player of the season award.

CM: Rodri (Man City)

The one irreplaceable player in the Manchester City team and probably the most indispensable player in the whole Premier League.

While Rice has been phenomenal for Arsenal, there can be no denying that Rodri is the best holding midfielder in not only the Premier League but world football.

He is a one-man attack-breaking machine who almost never gives the ball away and is tactically and defensively perfect.

AMC: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

Cole Palmer could barely get a game at Manchester City, leading to him leaving the club last summer.

Some questioned the wisdom of Chelsea paying €47 million for the attacking midfielder but he has been a sensation.

Palmer has single-handedly at times carried Chelsea this past season, leading to him having more goal contributions than anyone in the Premier League. He was named Premier League Young Player of the Year.

AMC: Phil Foden (Man City)

Phil Foden took his game to a new level in 2023-24 and was subsequently named Premier League Player of the Season.

Foden was a brilliant creative and goalscoring force for City, contributing 19 goals and eight assists as Pep Guardiola’s men won yet another Premier League title.

FC: Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

Aston Villa achieved a historic qualification for the Champions League, the first time in over 40 years that they will play in Europe’s biggest club competition.

A big reason for this achievement was the goals of Ollie Watkins. He struck 19 times this season, none of them from the penalty spot, to establish himself as one of the best strikers in the league.

FC: Erling Haaland (Man City)

Believe it or not, Erling Haaland’s qualities have been seriously questioned this season. Roy Keane even compared the Norwegian to a League 2 player.

And yet, by the end of the season, Haaland has once again finished as the Premier League’s top scorer after plundering 27 goals on the way to another league title.