Moises Caicedo and Mohamed Salah IN: Premier League Team of the Season so far

Cameron Smith

• 26 Dec 2024 04:00 CST
• 8 min read

The 2024-25 Premier League season has thrown up several surprises, with Manchester City’s recent decline topping the list.

Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering team have dropped off a cliff since Rodri’s ACL injury and they now face an uphill battle to retain their crown.

Liverpool have instead taken up the role of title favourites after a fantastic start under new boss Arne Slot, although Chelsea are hot on their heels, despite Enzo Maresca’s insistence that they aren’t in the title race.

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Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United after their worst ever start to a Premier League season, with Ruben Amorim arriving from Sporting CP as his replacement.

Several players have started the new campaign in fine form, with a number of stars in contention to win the PFA Player of the Year award at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through our Premier League Team of the Season so far.

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GK: Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest)

Nottingham Forest are firmly in the conversation to secure a European spot thanks to their excellent start to the new season and Matz Sels deserves a fair portion of credit for that fact.

The Belgian has kept five clean sheets so far this campaign, with help from an impressive defensive unit, while only Liverpool and Arsenal have conceded fewer goals.

Sels notably made several eye-catching saves during a 1-1 draw with Chelsea back in October and although little was made of his arrival back in February, he now looks to have been an absolute steal at €8 million.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

In a season in which Chelsea have rotated their options, Benjamin White has missed several matches through injury and Kyle Walker has struggled, right-back hasn’t been a position of particular strength in the Premier League.

As a result, Trent Alexander-Arnold is the outstanding candidate for this team.

The Liverpool man has provided three league assists so far this campaign, including two off the bench during a 3-3 draw with Newcastle United, and while he has missed a few matches due to injury, he remains an outstanding creative force at Liverpool.

His relationship with Mohamed Salah is also second-to-none and his passing range continues to cause havoc for opposition defences.

CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Liverpool have conceded the fewest goals (13) of any Premier League club so far this season, and a key reason behind their incredible record is the imperious Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutchman has been considered as one of Europe’s best defenders for years and although errors have crept into his game on occasions, he remains an integral member of Liverpool’s first-team squad.

The Reds club captain has helped Arne Slot’s side look impenetrable at times this season and his partnership with Ibrahima Konate is one of the best in world football.

Furthermore, he scored a crucial header during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal back in October and that goal could prove vital by the end of the campaign.

CB: Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)

William Saliba may feel slightly unfortunate to have missed out on this XI, but his centre-back partner Gabriel Magalhaes has got the nod, largely due to his immense threat from set pieces.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been excellent at the back yet again this season, with Saliba and Gabriel providing the hugely solid foundations for their success.

The pair complement each other perfectly and they have both excelled this year. However, Gabriel has been included due to his tally of three goals.

The Brazilian is one of the key reasons why Arsenal are so dangerous from set pieces and with opponents unable to contain him, Gabriel could well increase his goal record by a significant amount in 2025.

LB: Antonee Robinson (Fulham)

Marc Cucurella was extremely close to being selected in this team, but Fulham star Antonee Robinson has narrowly edged out the Chelsea man.

The United States of America international has been linked with a multitude of big clubs for over a year, and a huge transfer could be on the horizon in 2025.

For now, however, he is excelling at Fulham, and his tally of six league assists is the most of any Premier League defender so far this season.

In fact, only Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah boast more assists of any player in the English top flight, with Robinson providing a constant threat down Fulham’s left flank.

A marauding attacking left-back, the USMNT star is also an adept one-v-one defender and he has the most interceptions (31) of anyone in the entire Premier League in 2024-25.

CM: Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)

In Rodri’s absence, Moises Caicedo has been the best midfielder in the Premier League so far this campaign.

The Ecuador international was quickly labelled as a “flop” following his €116 million move to Chelsea last summer, with his early form at Stamford Bridge a slight concern.

However, while his reputation failed to recover for nearly a year, his performance level has been consistently high for the best part of 12 months.

Caicedo is now simply a world class midfielder and his form is a key reason why Chelsea are legitimate contenders to win the Premier League title.

He has adapted to Enzo Maresca’s style of play immediately, with his ball-winning skills and composure in possession enabling Chelsea to dominate virtually every game they play.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)

Jurgen Klopp didn’t get much wrong during his Liverpool tenure, but his failure to maximise Ryan Gravenberch’s talent is one flaw of his time at Anfield.

Gravenberch only started 12 Premier League games last campaign and he was largely a bystander in a hugely impressive Liverpool XI.

Under Arne Slot, however, he has blossomed into a key player for the Reds. Liverpool spent the entire summer chasing a new defensive midfielder, but their inability to sign Martin Zubimendi led to Gravenberch being deployed in a slightly unfamiliar new role.

But, he has exceeded all expectations in the No.6 position, with Gravenberch providing the base for Liverpool’s incredible form so far this campaign. He has already surpassed his tally of Premier League minutes from 2023-24 and if Liverpool win the title, the Dutchman will have played a major part.

CM: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

Cole Palmer’s debut season at Chelsea was nothing short of sensational, and he has continued that form during his second campaign at Stamford Bridge.

After moving into a No.10 role during the final few weeks of Mauricio Pochettino’s reign, Palmer has established himself as Maresca’s favoured attacking midfielder this term, with Joao Felix restricted to a watching brief.

The England international has 11 goals and six assists so far this campaign, and his relationship with Nicolas Jackson has developed into one of the most dangerous in the entire English top flight.

His panenka penalty versus Tottenham Hotspur was simply stunning, while he continues to stand out as Chelsea’s chief creative force.

RW: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Somehow, Mohamed Salah is set to become a free agent next summer. Liverpool are yet to lodge an acceptable contract proposal to the Egyptian’s camp and they risk losing the 32-year-old on a Bosman deal as a result.

However, this season he has arguably been the best player in world football.

Salah is the joint-top goalscorer in the Premier League (along with Erling Haaland) with 13 goals, while only Bukayo Saka (10) has registered more than his nine assists.

Liverpool are the runaway favourites to win the English top flight this season and that is largely down to the incredibly consistent form of their star right winger.

Salah has produced countless pieces of pure individual class and Liverpool would be in a far worse position if the ex-Chelsea man wasn’t delivering week-in, week-out.

ST: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)

Erling Haaland may be the obvious answer for this position, but the Manchester City frontman has endured a tricky patch of form and he narrowly misses out on this XI.

Instead, Chris Wood leads the line as his career revival continues under Nuno Espirito Santo at Nottingham Forest.

Cast aside at Newcastle, the New Zealand star has been reborn at the City Ground and he has already bagged 10 Premier League goals since the start of the campaign.

Wood has knitted together Nottingham Forest’s eye-catching attack, with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White both excelling alongside the veteran forward, and they are on course for a European push as a result.

LW: Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)

Bryan Mbeumo doesn’t play as a left winger, but his form so far this season justifies his inclusion on the opposite flank.

The Cameroon international has stepped up following the departure of Ivan Toney at Brentford and links with a big-money move away have intensified amid his incredible level of performances so far in 2024-25.

Mbeumo has notched 10 league goals this term - only three players have more - and he is the most important reason why Brentford have virtually staved off the threat of relegation already.

Big clubs will no doubt come knocking in 2025 and Brentford could face a severe battle to keep hold of their talismanic forward as a result.