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Best XI of the first-half of the 2024-25 Premier League season

  Hassan Afolabi January 3, 2025

As the English Premier League season reaches the midpoint, some names have stood out above the rest by turning in decisive performances for their respective teams to help achieve their season’s objectives.

From a goalkeeping masterclass in a league full of talented attackers, so also anyone can come up with goals depending on the tactical approach to maneuver predictability, just one, has been selected amongst a long list of impressive individuals.

Defenders, midfielders, and attackers have all been selected based on the season’s performance so far and below is the full details.

Team of the first half of the 2024-25 Premier League season

Goalkeeper – Jordan Pickford of Everton

Despite being one of the busiest goalkeepers in the division, the No. 1 has kept the joint most clean sheets with seven, five of which have come since the start of November, including in meetings with Arsenal and Chelsea.

 

 

 

Pickford has made two penalty saves from as many faced, including one to deny Erling Haaland in the Etihad, earning his Sean Dyche’s charge a point in the process.

His 21 run-outs ranks second so far, while he has made 54 saves, including 34 from shots taken inside the penalty box.

Left-back – Antonee Robinson of Fulham

Only Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka have more Premier League assists than the American’s seven so far. Antonee Robinson has been one of the best players so far in the league.

 

 

 

Robinson has been integral in Fulham’s success so far. His seven assists have earned eight points, while he has made more interceptions than any player in the Premier League with 37.

His overall play has been eye-catching, making him an easy pick despite the form of players like Marc Cucurella and a few other left-backs in the championship.

Center-half – Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool

The Dutchman, considered one of all-time best defenders in Premier League history is playing a pivotal role in his and Liverpool’s quest for a second championship under the watch of his countryman, Arne Slot.

 

 

 

Van Dijk has been an ever-present figure in the Liverpool defense, which is one of the best so far. His passing range has also aided the club’s style of play, which has seen him heavily involved in the build-up to most of their attacks.

Liverpool has kept the most clean sheets so far, leading the summit by touching distance and only Arsenal has conceded fewer goals than their 17 so far in the ongoing campaign, and van Dijk is the only member of the defense to have played every minute.

Center-half – William Saliba of Arsenal

The consistency of the Frenchman has been extraordinary since his senior debut and at 23, no player of his age comes close to what he does on or off the ball defensively.

One of the Arsenal defenses has conceded the fewest amount of goals this season in the Premier League with 16, while the club has also kept seven clean sheets, of which only two clubs have better, Liverpool and Forest with eight.

Saliba has also scored two important goals, making him the second-best scoring defender so far, behind teammate Gabriel Magalhaes. Despite his red card in the Vitality stadium earlier, he remains one of the most standout individuals.

Right-back – Ola Aina Nottingham Forest

The Nigerian has been a standout in this department with solid performances defensively and on a consistent basis, which has manifested in the overall performance of Nottingham Forest so far.

 

 

 

Nuno Espirito Santo’s charge sits third midway through the campaign and it’s no secret that their steady backline has contributed much to their success. They have the third-best defense, only behind Arsenal and Liverpool, while their eight clean sheets are joint most.

Aina, who has also scored two vital goals has been immense defensively. He ranks very high for recoveries, interceptions, tackles, and duels, while he has also won 77 possessions in the defensive third, at least 13 times more than any other player so far.

Defensive Midfielder – Moises Caicedo of Chelsea

Almost nothing gets past him in midfield for Chelsea. While Cole Palmer gets the plaudits for productivity, the performances of Moises Caicedo is one of the few reasons Chelsea is able to control proceedings, restrict the opposition, and see out results.

 

 

 

 

Unlike last campaign when the goals got Chelsea almost nowhere near prominence, the Ecuadorian has helped make up for that and has become one of the first names on the team list, featuring in all 19 fixtures so far.

Caicedo leads the way for tackles amongst midfielders, while only Bruno Guimaraes has won more than his 119 duels amongst midfielders, so far. He covers a lot of ground and did score that important goal that helped salvage a point in Old Trafford back in October.

Center Midfielder – Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool

Despite the form of Mohamed Salah, the main secret behind the tremendous turnaround at Liverpool is Ryan Gravenberch, the rejected stone under Klopp turned cornerstone under Arne Slot.

 

 

 

The former Bayern Munich man has been everywhere in the Liverpool midfield so far, adding steel and energy to it, leaving no room for Endo Wataru’s return to the team with consistence performances week in and out.

Gravenberch leads the way for most interceptions made amongst midfielders with 36, and only Fulham defender Antonee Robinson has more so far in the championship with 37.

Attacking Midfielder – Cole Palmer of Chelsea

Cole Palmer remains the main man for Chelsea in his second season and by trajectory, he is on course to surpass his tally of 22 Premier League goals of last season, with 12 so far.

 

 

 

 

Palmer is the only player to have scored a hat-trick of goals as well as assists so far, while he is the only player to have had a hand in four goals in multiple games so far, and only Mohamed Salah has more than his 18-goal contribution.

The English sensation has already equaled the all-time record for most Premier League hat-tricks for Chelsea, while he is also be player to have created as many as 47 chances at Christmas in a Chelsea shirt since Eden Hazard in 2017.

Left-wing Forward – Bukayo Saka of Arsenal

Bukayo Saka took his game and consistency to another this season before his unfortunate injury at Selhurst Park in December, which will now see him miss the next three months of action until March.

The Arsenal star man started the season by equaling the record for most Premier League assists in consecutive games in the opening six rounds in the competition, and led for most assists with ten, and possession won in the attacking final third before his injury.

 

 

 

Saka leads the way for most big chances created in the top five leagues and has created more Premier League chances in the Premier League, while his eight completed dribbles against Leicester City is the most in a single game by a player so far in the competition.

Striker – Alexander Isak of Newcastle United

It was always to take something special for any striker to rank higher than Erling Haaland, but Alexander Isak has so far proven that, albeit the Norwegian striker has rather made things a little easier on their current form.

The striker has been Newcastle United’s knight in shiny armor with consistent decisive displays, which he has taken to another level since the start of December, with eight goals and two assists in December, taking his overall goal involvement in the league to 16 this season, 12 goals.

 

 

 

His goals have also projected the Magpies on the standing, taking them to a European place, although the UEFA Champions League spot remains a priority, and with the Swede’s contributions, it may not be farfetched come May.

Right-wing Forward – Mohamed Salah of Liverpool

Mohamed Salah’s brilliance this season stretches beyond just the best player in the Premier League. No one has been at the level of the Egyptian king since the new season kicked off in August.

He is the only player with double figures for both goals and assists in the top five leagues while he achieves a record of being the only player to have done so before Christmas in Premier League history. He now has 30-goal involvement in 18 games, 17 goals, and 13 assists.

 

 

 

 

Salah, having won the Player of the Month of November, taking his total to six, is now one shy of the all-time record for most by a single player in Premier League history.

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