Bruno and Rashford FLOP: Worst Premier League Team of the Season so far

Tom Weber

Updated: 3 Jan 2025 08:42 CST
6 min read

Bruno Fernandes, Man Utd, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

It has been a strange Premier League season so far.

Several high-profile teams and big-name stars have underperformed, while many signings have not yet had the desired impact. The likes of Man Utd and West Ham spent lavishly in the summer but have endured a disastrous campaign.

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While Liverpool have stormed away at the top of the Premier League, reigning champions Man City have collapsed like no Pep Guardiola had ever previously collapsed.

Picking the Worst Team of the Season was actually a difficult task because of the sheer number of disappointing players this season and, in truth, we could have probably named two starting XIs worth of players and still omitted deserving names...

GK: Robert Sanchez (Chelsea)

Man Utd goalkeeper Andre Onana has been making headlines for costly mistakes, but up until recently, he was actually enjoying a very solid campaign. The same can't be said for Chelsea shot-stopper Robert Sanchez, however.

The Spaniard has been consistently criticised this term despite Chelsea enjoying a much-improved season. Sanchez has needlessly given away penalties, made schoolboy errors and often looks uncomfortable with the ball at his feet. He's our No.1.

CB: Kyle Walker (Man City)

The first of our three defenders is Man City captain Kyle Walker. Age is clearly catching up with the 34-year-old and his alleged off-field distractions also appear to be leaving their mark.

Walker has endured a miserable campaign and while he is not to blame for Man City's collapse, he certainly hasn't helped with his performances this season.

CB: Matthijs de Ligt (Man Utd)

Man Utd looked well-stocked in their defensive department heading into the season after acquiring Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt. Six months on, however, and the backline still gives the Red Devils headaches.

Mazraoui has arguably been Man Utd's Player of the Season but even he recently started looking wobbly and making mistakes, Yoro has missed months due to injury and De Ligt has, on the whole, been very disappointing.

The Dutchman has had his moments, but he's generally looked a far cry from the wonderkid that was so impressive at Ajax - a common theme in recent seasons...

CB: Radu Dragusin (Tottenham)

It has been a bizarre season for Tottenham. To be sure, Ange Postecoglou has to shoulder a lot of the blame, but one can't also ignore that all of their starting centre-backs have been sidelined through injury.

Radu Dragusin has had to step in and, while he previously looked a capable deputy, he has struggled in recent times to play to the required level. Sections of the Tottenham fanbase appear to have turned on the Romanian and an upgrade is needed.

CM: Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)

Another Man Utd player - and far from the last - in our team is captain Bruno Fernandes. The usually so reliable Portugal international has been a massive disappointment this season.

He has repeatedly got himself sent off, thus letting his teammates down, and it took him months to start meaningfully contributing to Man Utd's attack, which is usually his forte.

CM: Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)

Eberechi Eze was one of the Premier League's most in-demand commodities after the 2023/24 season. However, while teammate Michael Olise got his big move in the summer, the England international remained at Crystal Palace.

And to say that Eze has been disappointing would be an understatement. The 26-year-old has looked nothing like the exciting player of recent seasons and his lack of form was one of the big reasons behind Palace struggling massively at the start of the campaign.

LW: Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea)

So far, we have avoided picking players who have, for whatever reason, barely played Premier League football this season but we simply can't ignore Mykhailo Mudryk.

Those who thought that the Ukrainian's Chelsea nightmare could not get any worse were proven wrong in late 2024 when he was provisionally suspended for an alleged doping offence.

Given the money spent on him, his lack of impact and now his suspension, it is difficult to give him the benefit of the doubt here.

CAM: Joao Felix (Chelsea)

Similarly, it is difficult to justify omitting Joao Felix from this side even though, like Mudryk, he has barely played in the Premier League. But this, of course, was to be expected.

Chelsea did not need the Portuguese but still splashed an eye-watering €52m on him in the summer simply so that they could offload Conor Gallagher for much-needed 'pure profit.'

It was a nonsensical transfer and, while his lack of meaningful contributions is unsurprising, the money spent means that he has to be included.

RW: Phil Foden (Man City)

Phil Foden was the Premier League's Player of the Season last term, but this time around he has been almost unrecognisable. It took him until late December to score his first league goal of the campaign and his overall play has been uncharacteristically poor.

With just one goal and one assist to his name so far, the Stockport Iniesta will have to shoulder some of the blame for Man City's poor season.

ST: Joshua Zirkzee (Man Utd)

Joshua Zirkzee's first six months in Manchester have been nothing short of a nightmare. The Dutchman arrived with big expectations after a brilliant season at Bologna, but it has been a disaster so far.

After scoring on opening day, Zirkzee did not find the back of the net again until December but his form did not improve after his brace against Everton. On the contrary, he recently hit a new low as he was substituted to a chorus of boos just 33 minutes into a clash with Newcastle.

Zirkzee's Man Utd career may already be over, and it might actually be for his own good.

ST: Marcus Rashford (Man Utd)

Perhaps a more contentious inclusion than Zirkzee, Marcus Rashford gets into our team as he is once again in the midst of a troublesome campaign.

The winger has scored four Premier League goals this season, but he has lost his place under Ruben Amorim, who has cited the England international's training performances as the reason behind his recent omissions.

Rashford has also publically admitted that he is looking to leave Man Utd, which has additionally frustrated Amorim, so it is difficult to argue that he shouldn't be in this team.