Following a pause to allow the 2022 World Cup to take place, the Premier League is back.
The halfway stage of the season is not yet upon us with 15 games played, but a benchmark has been set by all 20 teams, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City set to battle for the title, while Julen Lopetegui will be aiming to steer rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers to safety.
With over a month out of action, the opening set of Premier League games seem like a distant memory, but here at FootballTransfers we’re here to remind you of all the action with our Premier League Team of the Season so far.
READ: Premier League 2022/23 January transfers: All the Done Deals
Goalkeeper – Nick Pope (Newcastle)
The signing of Nick Pope from relegated Burnley for just X looked like a masterstroke at the time, and it’s proven to be just that at the start of this campaign.
The Englishman has kept seven clean sheets since moving to St James’ Park and has helped the Magpies concede just 11 goals all season, both of which are the joint-lowest in the division along with Arsenal.
Furthermore, only Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga has made more defensive actions outside the penalty area per 90 of all Premier League goalkeepers this term. For a ‘keeper previously criticised for being an on-the-line shot-stopper at Burnley, that is impressive going.
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Right Back – Kieran Trippier (Newcastle)
Another brilliant signing made by Newcastle in 2022, January addition Kieran Trippier has been a stalwart at the start of this campaign, helping the Magpies become the best defence in the division.
Kieran Trippier has been superb for Newcastle
He’s notched one goal, a spectacular free-kick against Man City, and three assists this season, and has donned the captain’s armband in Jamaal Lascelles absence from the starting XI.
Benjamin White is slightly unlikely to not have been selected after seamlessly moving from centre-back to right-back in 2022/23, but Trippier’s form couldn’t be ignored.
Centre Back – William Saliba (Arsenal)
While his club team-mate White didn’t make the cut, William Saliba certainly did. The Frenchman was unlucky not to feature more than his 27 minute cameo against Tunisia at the World Cup following a brilliant start to life in the English top flight.
Although he was signed back in 2020, two loan spells followed and his return has felt like a new signing to the Gunners. His speed and athleticism has allowed Mikel Arteta to deploy a fairly high line, and his ability on the ball has enabled the team to play out when being pressed with supreme ease.
From the first game against Crystal Palace onwards, Saliba has been unbelievable, which will not have been a surprise to anyone who watched him on loan at Marseille last year.
Centre Back – Lisandro Martinez (Man Utd)
After his second game for Man Utd against Brentford, when he was aerially dominated by the Bees, not many would’ve believed that Lisandro Martinez would feature in anyone’s Premier League Team of the Season at the halfway stage. He was hooked at half-time against Thomas Frank’s side, but his recovery from that day has been superb.
Lisandro Martinez is included in our Premier League Team of the Season so far
Despite his height, which caused issues that day in West London, Martinez has been bullish when defending and has formed a brilliant partnership with 2018 World Cup winner Raphael Varane at the heart of Man Utd’s backline.
His progressive passes from deep have been crucial to Erik ten Hag’s improvement through the season, with his ability to break lines with incisive passes a key weapon in Man Utd’s arsenal.
Left Back – Joao Cancelo (Man City)
The Manchester City man may not have been at his sublime best throughout the 2022/23 Premier League season, but he’s done enough to earn his spot in our Team of the Season so far.
Newcastle’s Dan Burn was close to pipping him, but Cancelo just edges out the former Brighton man.
The Portuguese star has netted once and assisted a further two goals this campaign, while proving vital to Pep Guardiola’s system with his ability to move into central areas in possession.
Centre Midfield – Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)
The Swiss international was arguably more well-known for his disciplinary issues and problems with the Arsenal fans than for his incredible ability on a football pitch before this season.
Granit Xhaka has been given a pivotal role at Arsenal this term
However, he’s changed all that this term after being given a new role by Arteta. Playing as a left-sided No.8, Xhaka has been given licence to push forward into advanced areas, while also drifting wide to deliver crosses with his expert left-foot.
From a foul-happy defensive midfielder to a goal-scoring box-to-box midfielder, Xhaka has enjoyed a dramatic transformation that has seen him find the back of the net on three occasions this season, while laying on three assists as well.
Centre Midfield – Kevin de Bruyne (Man City)
He may have gone missing at the World Cup, but Kevin de Bruyne’s form for Man City this season can’t be denied.
The Belgian has flourished since the arrival of Erling Haaland to the Etihad Stadium, and it’s resulted in nine Premier League assists for the former Wolfsburg man this term – a division high.
He’s also scored three goals and is on course to rival the assist record in a single Premier League season, currently held by both himself and Thierry Henry (20).
Centre Midfield – James Maddison (Leicester)
After a mass of talk online, James Maddison was included in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad for the World Cup, but injury problems meant that he was one of only four outfield players who were selected but didn’t play. Conor Gallagher, Conor Coady and the aforementioned White (who left early) also didn’t feature.
However, his form at club level this season has been immense. In a poor campaign for Leicester, Maddison has put the team on his back on occasions, dragging them to 13th place in the table with seven goals and four assists in just 13 appearances.
He has been a jewel in the rough at Leicester, and needs his team-mates to start playing at his level if they want to achieve a top-half finish.
Right Winger – Miguel Almiron (Newcastle)
This has to be the biggest surprise of the season so far. From a player mocked by Jack Grealish following Man City’s title win last season to someone with eight goals in just 15 games; Miguel Almiron’s growth has been massive.
Miguel Almiron has been one of the biggest stars of the 2022/23 Premier League season
The goals he’s scored have been spectacular too, especially the one against Fulham.
Before this season, Almiron had only scored nine Premier League goals in 110 appearances in the competition, and is on course to smash that tally in this season alone. Eddie Howe deserves credit, but Almiron is the one who should be praised most. He was almost replaced in the summer, but the Paraguayan looks set to become a mainstay at St James’ Park.
Left Winger – Leandro Trossard (Brighton)
Another player from a lesser club who’s enjoyed a stellar start to 2022/23 is Leandro Trossard. The Belgian international was a crucial player under Graham Potter, but he’s arguably taken another step forward since Roberto De Zerbi took charge at the Amex Stadium.
The 28-year-old has 10 goals and assists to his name this term, with his hat-trick at Anfield arguably the crowning moment of his career to date.
He now needs to just one more goal to equal his best ever Premier League goal-scoring season of eight having already exceeded the five he netted during his debut campaign in the competition.
Striker – Erling Haaland (Man City)
The most inevitable man in football. Erling Haaland has arrived in Manchester and taken the Premier League by storm. Andy Cole currently holds the record of most goals scored in a single campaign with 34, but that came when there were 42 games player per season.
Erling Haaland is the Premier League top scorer this season
However, the Norwegian has that record firmly in his sights and having scored 18 goals in 13 games, needs 17 more to go into the outright lead. At the rate he’s going at, that should be no problem.
The 4-0 win over Bournemouth and defeats to Liverpool and Brentford are the only three league games in which Haaland hasn’t registered a goal this campaign, while he netted back-to-back hat-tricks against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest in late August.