Premier League Team of the Season candidates: What players are in the discussion for 2025-26 Best XI?
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There are just about seven matches left for every team in the Premier League, and the forecast of potential award candidates remains a murky proposition.
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Some players — Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel Magalhaes, Antoine Semenyo — have etched their names into the Best XI and Player of the Year discussions but there are so many question marks from a campaign that has seen upsets on a near-weekly basis and an almighty rumble which has seen more clubs daydreaming about European qualification that at any other time in the history of the Premier League.
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This, along with the fact that there's no runaway title winner in a two-team race that does not resemble the
"one loss could end your hopes" 100-point races of yesteryear, makes projecting a Premier League Team of the Season quite a challenge. There's always a bias in favor of the title favorites, and that could be doubly-troubling to stars from the other 18 teams given Arsenal and Man City are both in the title race while voters consider their choices.
Yet last season also showed us more variety in the voters' eyes. Yes, Liverpool and Arsenal combined for seven of 11 places in the team — in retrospect, it's a bit hilarious because Arsenal finished 10 points shy of the crown and just three points ahead of unrepresented Man City — but Nottingham Forest grabbed two, Newcastle added another, and Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez even slid into the group. Third-place Man City and fourth-place Chelsea didn't get a face in the crowd despite finishing above the fifth-place Magpies, seventh-place Tricky Trees, and ninth-place Bournemouth.
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Given this is an FA Cup weekend after an international break, we felt it could be a great time to look into the names who've kept their names in the discussion.
Premier League Team of the Season candidates: What players are in the discussion for 2025-26 Best XI?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 15: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield on August 15, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Acknowledging some injured or lesser-used great runs
Before we get to the players in the discussion for the Team of the Season, we need to mention some stars who could've been in the discussion before getting hurt, players who missed too much time before asserting their status over a smaller sample size, or guys who were just not used so much by their managers.
- Josko Gvardiol, Manchester City
- Boubacar Kamara, Aston Villa
- Rayan Cherki, Manchester City
- Eli Junior Kroupi, Bournemouth
- Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool
Gvardiol's injury shortened what would almost certainly be a Best XI campaign while Villa without Kamara is an entirely different team. Cherki's playmaking metrics are the only thing in the league anywhere near Bruno Fernandes, while the young Kroupi's nine goals have come in under 1200 minutes (Only Haaland has a better goals/90 this season). Ekitike was a victim to Liverpool's rotation and early-season desires to force success out of unfit Alexander Isak.
Goalkeepers
Frontrunner
None
In the thick of it
- David Raya, Arsenal
- Jordan Pickford, Everton
This is perhaps a bit cruel on Raya, who has made some huge saves and been overall excellent behind a great Arsenal back line, but Pickford has been having perhaps his best overall season at Everton. Combine this with England players often getting a bit extra love in the recognition races, and this may be up for grabs even if Arsenal lock down the title soon.
Outside shots
- Gianluigi Donnarumma, Manchester City
- Emiliano Martinez, Aston Villa
- Senne Lammens, Manchester United
Absolute wild cards
- Robin Roefs, Sunderland
- Dean Henderson, Crystal Palace
Could voters recognize Roefs for his early-season heroics in making sure the newly-promoted Black Cats really never had to fear relegation? Or could they note the brilliance of Henderson at the back of a team beset by a stunning lack of depth and a star exit in each transfer window?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Florian Wirtz of Liverpool takes on Robin Roefs of Sunderland during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield on December 03, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Defenders
Frontrunner
- Gabriel Magalhaes, Arsenal
William Saliba is excellent but this feels like the season that Magalhaes' role as spiritual sherpa of Arsenal's back line crossed into full-blown, "It me."
In the thick of it
- Ruben Dias, Manchester City
- Ezri Konsa, Aston Villa
- Jurrien Timber, Arsenal
- Trevoh Chalobah, Chelsea
- Marc Guehi, Manchester City/Crystal Palace
- Reece James, Chelsea
- Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool
Did you know that Van Dijk, who has been given ridiculous minute demands given his age and Liverpool's competitions, has the most clearances of any player in the Premier League? That's a position usually owned by a center back on a relegation candidate. The next 'Big Six' back on that list is 14th-ranked Trevoh Chalobah of Chelsea, and then ânotherLiverpool center back arrives in 16th (Ibrahima Konate).
Long shots
- William Saliba, Arsenal
- Diogo Dalot, Manchester United
- James Tarkowski, Everton
Absolute wild cards
- Marcos Senesi, Bournemouth
- Maxence Lacroix, Crystal Palace
- Nordi Mukiele, Sunderland
- Jan Paul van Hecke, Brighton and Hove Albion
Fun fact on Van Hecke: According to Opta, the Brighton back's 476 progressive carries are 175 more than second-place Joachim Andersen of Fulham and his 5796.6 meters covered in those carries are nearly 2,500 more than runner-up Jeremy Doku.
Voters could cheat with ‘out-of-position’ players
- Nico O'Reilly, Manchester City
- Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool
- Matheus Nunes, Manchester City
A strange season delivers unusual choices for voters who might want to slide in a few players who have been used quite a bit at defender despite their strengths lying elsewhere.
Szoboszlai may've singlehandedly kept Liverpool in the top-five fight while deputizing at right back for a while and delivering a few mind-altering free kicks. O'Reilly was not a great left back by traditional standards but that wasn't really his remit and he hardly had a bad game with the ball at his feet despite having to deal with a number of game-breaking right wingers. Nunes may well be a right back now but it still doesn't quite feel that way. He's been magnificent for Guardiola, and voters could wedge another big-name midfielder or forward into their team by dropping any of these players into their Best XI back line.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 29: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, and Matheus Nunes of Manchester City react during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leeds United at Etihad Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
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Midfielders
Frontrunners
- Declan Rice, Arsenal
- Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United
Fernandes could well wind up Player of the Year and both Arsenal and Man City fans should prepare themselves now. And, honestly, if he doesn't win the honor it would be pretty wild. Fernandes' 101 created chances not only leads the league, it does so by 43 over Rice and Leeds' Anton Stach. What a sentence that is, huh?
In the thick of it
- Casemiro, Manchester United
- Enzo Fernandez, Chelsea
- Florian Wirtz, Liverpool
- Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa
- Bernardo Silva, Manchester City
It feels like Villa is going to get a player in the XI given their season. It probably should be Konsa, but Rogers has more name recognition and may get a little bit of extra shine from his England status.
Absolute wild cards
- Harry Wilson, Fulham
- Elliot Anderson, Nottingham Forest
- Granit Xhaka, Sunderland
- Sandro Tonali, Newcastle United
- Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle United
- James Garner, Everton
- Rodri, Manchester City
Forwards
Frontrunners
- Erling Haaland, Manchester City
- Antoine Semenyo, Manchester City/Bournemouth
In the thick of it
- Igor Thiago, Brentford
- Bukayo Saka, Arsenal
- Joao Pedro, Chelsea
Outside shots
- Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal
- Jeremy Doku, Manchester City
Haaland has colored the way the league views center forwards and their big-name arrivals. He's a unicorn. Arsenal fans seemed to judge Gyokeres very harshly from the get-go given their anxiety for a title and his status as the pre-appointed missing piece, but he's quietly been very good. Arsenal's +1.66 plus/minus per 90 minutes when he's on the pitch versus off it is the best mark in the Premier League and his 0.21 goals/shot shows an economical player.