Footballing Weekly: Who are our 'EPL Team of the Season' picks?
Vodcast hosts pick the outstanding players who have lit up this past season
SINGAPORE — With the 2022/23 football season done and dusted, who are the standout players who have proven their worth to their English Premier League (EPL) clubs?
Neil Humphreys and Chia Han Keong, co-hosts of Yahoo Southeast Asia's "Footballing Weekly" podcast show, chose the best players for their "Team of the Season". Do you agree with their picks?
GOALKEEPER
Neil/Han Keong: Nick Pope (Newcastle)
Both hosts picked the super-reliable England international, who has been a stabilising influence for the Magpies' charge into Champions League qualification. With a league-low 33 goals conceded, Pope is also staking his claim to become England's No.1 custodian, ahead of Everton's Jordan Pickford.
FULLBACKS
Neil/Han Keong: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal)
Another consensus between the hosts. Trippier has been a steady influence at right-back all season, providing pin-point crossing and solid defensive coverage as he played every league match for Newcastle. In a season when Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold struggled defensively, the veteran gets the nod.
Meanwhile, Zinchenko was a key reason for Arsenal's unexpected title challenge with his progressive play from left-back. With his title-winning experience from his Manchester City stint, the Ukrainian has also been the emotional driving force for the Gunners as they punched above their weight for most of the season.
CENTRAL DEFENDERS
Neil: Ruben Dias (Manchester City), William Saliba (Arsenal)
Han Keong: John Stones (Man City), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United)
Neil picked Dias for his outstanding consistency throughout the season, becoming the reliable foundation for which Man City built their Treble-winning season on. Saliba was equally crucial to Arsenal's title charge, and his untimely injury late in the season proved to be one of the key reasons why the Gunners slumped.
Han Keong chose Stones for his seamless yet barely-believable transformation into a defensive playmaker for the best team in the EPL, under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola. Stones' progressive qualities are complemented by Martinez's traditional traits of defensive aggression and astute reading, which helped Man United improve in leaps and bounds this season.
MIDFIELDERS
Neil - Defensive: Rodri (Man City), Declan Rice (West Ham). Attacking: Kevin de Bruyne (Man City), Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Han Keong: Rice, de Bruyne, Odegaard
Similar picks in different formations. Neil went for a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Rodri and Rice making a formidable pairing in providing bite and drive in defensive midfield. De Bruyne has been a maestro-like presence in conducting City's pass-and-move offence, while Odegaard and Saka have provided the impetus and drive that sparked Arsenal's outstanding season.
Han Keong preferred a 4-3-3 formation, meaning Rice stays as the lone defensive midfielder.
FORWARDS
Neil: Erling Haaland (Man City)
Han Keong: Haaland, Saka, Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Fearsome frontlines for both Neil and Han Keong, with top scorer Haaland striking fear in every opposing defender with his speed and strength. Saka provides a fearless outlet on the right flank with his mazy runs at opponents, while Kane is the reliable goal machine that continues to be crucial to Spurs despite their many managerial changes.
Follow the new EPL season with all segments of this week's "Footballing Weekly" show on YouTube. If you wish the hear the show in its entirety, visit the show's Spotify and Acast pages.
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