It’s been a Premier League season packed with drama from start to finish — and now it’s finally over.
Arsenal ended a 22-year wait to be champions, Tottenham Hotspur escaped relegation, West Ham United dropped to the Championship after 14 years in the Premier League, and Sunderland shocked everyone by reaching Europe. Pep Guardiola bade an emotional farewell to Manchester City, where a stand has been named after him, and Mohamed Salah said a tearful goodbye to Liverpool.
The season delivered plenty of memorable moments, but who were the best players of the campaign and who will want to forget all about it?
BEST XI
Here’s my team of the year in a 4-3-1-2 formation.
Now a three-time Golden Glove winner for most clean sheets, Raya was outstanding, making all the saves you would expect and a few which he had no right to keep out — for example, his vital save from Mateus Fernandes in the pivotal win at West Ham United when the score was 0-0.
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The best player by far in a very disappointing season at Anfield. His long-range free kicks against Arsenal and Manchester City were exceptional. While not technically a right back, Szoboszlai filled that role plenty of times, and I would be remiss in not finding a way to include him in the team of the season.
Quick and alert, Saliba is the ideal foil for Gabriel in the league’s best defense. Arsenal gave him a long education out on loan in France from 2019 to 2022, and now the Gunners are reaping the rewards of having a world-class center back.
The other half of Arsenal’s center back pairing, Gabriel embodied Arsenal’s determination to end their 22-year title drought with his robust defending and vital goals from set pieces.
The young defender has experienced a meteoric rise from youth-team midfielder to first-choice left back for club and country. Humble, unruffled and stylish, O’Reilly scored both City goals in the Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal. He credits all his success to his single mother, Holli.
The Switzerland international might just be the signing of the season. Promoted Sunderland pulled off a real coup in convincing him to leave Bayer Leverkusen and his leadership and insistence on high standards were vital in taking the Black Cats up to the dizzy heights of seventh and qualification for the Europa League against all odds.
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The terrific and tireless torch bearer in Arsenal’s charge to the title, Rice rarely missed a game. His character and intelligence were vital in the tough times when critics wondered if the team might trip up again in the closing stages of the season.
A surefire starter for England at the World Cup, Anderson is the model of a midfield general and topped the league stats for possession won and passing. He’s come a long way since Newcastle United loaned him to play in the fourth tier with Bristol Rovers.
His 21 assists in a single season set a new Premier League record, and he created twice as many chances as any other player. The leader and inspiration of the United revival under Michael Carrick, Fernandes deservedly won the Footballer of the Year award as voted for by the nation’s football writers and broadcasters.
Semenyo made a seamless transition from Bournemouth to City in January, and scored on his debut. His 17 Premier League goals (for both clubs this season) put him at No. 3 in the scoring charts. Perhaps his most memorable came when he back-heeled the match winner to seal the FA Cup against Chelsea.
(Manchester City): He started the season with an avalanche of goals, and though he went through a quiet patch when he admitted he was fatigued, Haaland rediscovered his scoring touch to win the Golden Boot with 27 goals and eight assists. One of the greatest goal scorers of this or any other Premier League era, his presence makes Norway dangerous at the World Cup.
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: Jordan Pickford (Everton); Ethan Ampadu (Leeds), Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), Marc Guéhi (Man City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle); Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest); Alex Scott (Bournemouth), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa); Jérémy Doku (Manchester City), Danny Welbeck (Brighton), Igor Thiago (Brentford)
Steve Nicol believes Mohamed Salah took the shine off his Liverpool exit after playing his final game for the club.
MOST DISAPPPOINTING XI
Here’s my most disappointing team of the year in a 4-3-3 formation.
Perri was signed from Lyon to be No. 1 for Daniel Farke’s promoted side, but lost his place to Karl Darlow after a poor display in a 4-3 defeat at Newcastle in January. He never regained the starting role as Leeds survived with something to spare.
Wan-Bissaka sent the wrong message to his club when, with West Ham mired in a relegation fight, he stayed with his national team, DR Congo, to celebrate World Cup qualification. Hammers manager Nuno Espírito Santo was in no hurry to restore him to the starting XI after that. In the run-in, the former Manchester United defender was sloppy in costly defeats at Brentford and Newcastle.
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At his best, Romero is a good defender, but he was sent off twice and is prone to errors. Frankly, Spurs did better without him, winning three of their last seven games to stay up (they won none of the previous seven matches Romero started). He was also guilty of some off-field criticism of the club not befitting a captain.
What happened to the reliable defender who was being talked about as good enough to earn an England call-up during his time at Wolves? Kilman was a regular starter in West Ham’s dreadful start to the season, and eventually lost his place in January.
Kerkez was a big hit at Bournemouth from 2023 to 2025 but underperformed in the Liverpool shirt. He might eventually come good as a long-term replacement for fan favorite Andy Robertson, but he has a long way to go. Liverpool conceded a record number of goals (53) for a 38-game season, and Kerkez — who was often found out of position — deserves some of the blame.
A mainstay at Brentford, Nørgaard was given only one start this season by Arsenal — and that was on the final day when the team had already won the league. While he played his part as a squad member, he was something of a forgotten figure and might well want a move to a club where he will get more playing time next season.
(Liverpool): One of several Liverpool stars who lost their spark this season, Mac Allister often looked jaded and lacked his exceptional ability to pick great passes and change games.
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It was unthinkable a year ago that he would be left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England’s World Cup squad, but Palmer is not the same player. A persistent groin injury and the chaotic nature of Chelsea’s season have not helped him, and perhaps he’s suffering burnout after his starring role at the Club World Cup last summer.
It is sad and possibly even harsh to include a Liverpool legend in his farewell season, but Salah was a big disappointment. His 29-goal Golden Boot return from the 2024-25 season became a mere seven goals this campaign. He claimed he was “thrown under the bus” by manager Arne Slot and later, in another thinly veiled swipe at the boss’ tactics, called for a return to ” heavy metal football” at Anfield.
Another omission from the England squad, Foden can have few complaints as Rayan Cherki’s form pushed him out of the starting XI at City. A summer of rest might be exactly what this fine player needs to rediscover his old self.
(Newcastle): After a 19-goal Premier League return at Brentford last season, Wissa’s £55 million move to Newcastle has not worked out. He began the season injured, played in only half of the team’s games and scored one league goal.
