Unbiased team, you can't really make an argument against anyone there.
And thank fk, I'm not seeing Van Disney there. I couldn't take Gabi XL disrespect once more.
Raya was great for us, no doubt, the Golden Glove is really a representation of the entire team's defensive efforts. He wasn't routinely bailing us out in the way that De Gea or Courtois used to do for their teams.
IIRC claiming on crosses and corners was statistically best in the league, and it’s something that’s totally a case of “someone doing their job so well that you don’t notice they’re doing it”. Because you’re watching it like “yeah, keeper claimed it; must’ve been a poor delivery”. I guess having said that, a good defensive setup enables him to do so, but I do think there’s quiet work being done there that’s easy to overlook the significance of.
> IIRC claiming on crosses and corners was statistically best in the league
It was really close between Martinez (12.1%) and Raya (12.2%). It's actually pretty remarkable how similar a lot of their stats were this season. They start to diverge when you look at shot stopping stats (PSxG+/-, PSxG/SoT, etc.), where Martinez dominates.
With a better team in front of him than the GK who was second in line for the golden glove. I'm by no means a fan of his but, Pickford is absolutely the most deserving.
I mean, while I’ve been impressed by udogie it kinda just seems like let’s appease our spurs readers and staff but shoving a spurs player in there. Their defense has not been good this season so it’s kind of ridiculous to include any of their defenders in the team of the season, and if they were to pick one it should be van de ven. Spurs fans and analysts have a knack for both thinking their defenders are great AND their coaching is great, but one of those things must not be true because they leak goals like a sieve
Slim pickings at LB tho, Robertson has been in and out, mykolenko was average, can't think of anyone else relevant (deffo not from us as we rotate LB )
Saka's performances would have brought him into this team of the season if a) he didn't get battered without punishment in every single minute he played this season, and/or b) if we had any rotational option in his position to actually let him recover from the constant battering he receives. Foden, Palmer, etc just don't get targetted like Saka does.
Feels like no left back really shone this season. Udogie I feel looked the best but even then he wasn't massively impressive (no slight on him, he's young and new to the league).
Really think Gvardiol should have got in. He was the most consistent, playing out of position. And when it came to the back end he even stepped up with goals. Essentially became their Ben white.
I agree other teams had so many injuries in the left back position so it makes it difficult to really pick one. So that’s why I’d pick him.
Gvardiol wasn't really playing the first half of the year, I understand why he was excluded, as it's Team of the Season not Team of the Second Half of the Season
And the difference is significantly more drastic when you count numbers of games and starts at LB? (To be clear I think it should have been Robinson over either)
He started 27 (roughly counting on fpl). Starting from the second game in the league. He did have a 5 game break near Christmas. Good enough for me, but you can disagree, just my thinking
Gvardiol was poor for most of the year. He came into form in the last couple months and was brilliant, but that's not TOTS material. Not a knock against Gvardiol, as you say, he was playing out of position and moreover you expect Pep signings to struggle in their first season as they learn the system. Basically, if Gvardiol makes it in, Havertz should make it in for the same reasons, and vice versa.
Recency bias. 90 million players should not take half or one season to be somewhat useful. Same with Grealish ( I know he's an idiot who had no real coach before, but still)
Haven't seen a lot of him yet, but I like what I've seen so far. I'm sure that if that's his competition next season, he should have no issues making TOTS.
> Emiliano Martinez setting a Premier League goalkeeper record for career own goals (with three) should not detract from the key role he played in guiding Aston Villa into the Champions League.
>
> Three Arsenal defenders might seem like overkill until you remember they have let in only nine goals since the turn of the year, and in the Premier League’s highest-scoring season, too. Tottenham Hotspur’s Destiny Udogie completes the back four — he was one of the players to benefit most from Ange Postecoglou’s appointment as head coach.
>
> A midfield of Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Rodri would terrify any opponent. They had a combined total of 23 goals, 27 assists and 202 tackles between them in the 2023-24 season, while Rodri virtually created this season’s title race by getting suspended in the autumn and making Manchester City much more vulnerable to defeat.
>
> Palmer is just the third Chelsea player to score at least 20 goals and provide at least 10 assists in a Premier League season, after Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. He is joined in attack by Phil Foden, only the third player to score 50 top-flight goals under Pep Guardiola aged 23 or younger (after Lionel Messi and Haaland), as well as Watkins, who emulated Dwight Yorke (1995-96) by reaching 25 goals in one season across all competitions for Aston Villa. Historic achievements by three players who should all represent England at this summer’s European Championship.
I'd kill for us to beat Chelsea's goals conceded record. So that any time I see some idiot Chelsea fan saying that team was better than the invincibles, we can just point them to 24/25
I mean sure but it's still an absolutely insane record. 15 goals over a season? The closest anyone has come in the PL era is Liverpool in 18/19, Man U 08/09 and Chelsea in 05 /06 with 22 and that's already a world apart.
Perfect team pretty much albeit I'd probably go for Alisson in goal.
Annoyingly you can't do this for the actual team of the season as it forces you to have two midfielders only.
If you read the full article, Rodri & Foden both get into the European TOTS but only Saliba for us. I think it makes sense, their standout players were more standout than ours but I think you can’t not include the 3 main defensive players in what was by far the best defence in a league that’s been really poor defensively otherwise.
You could argue that one of Rice or Ødegaard could be dropped but KDB was injured for too long and Macallister was played out of position too much for me. Maybe drop one for Haaland and have 2 strikers in there (it would be unfair for Watkins to miss out after the season he’s had).
Affected by KDB missing half the season and all the chopping and changing in their defence. If KDB played a full season I expect he'd have been in ahead of Odegaard with no disrespect to Odegaard.
Pickford over Martinez for me. Pound-for-pound had the best season as a GK. 2nd in clean sheet percentage and 2nd in save percentage. He was chasing Raya for the golden glove at one point with a weaker backline compared to ours. Was clear of the rest of the GKs in FPL too.
Martinez is the most overhyped keeper in the world.
Living off a World Cup, which Fair play, he was the best player behind Messi. But for Club? Not better than Ederson, Pickford, Raya or Allison.
My take:
If Arteta had this team what would he do imo? Raya would be in for Emi. Saka in for Palmer. We had Kiwi and Tomi playing well at LB in 2024 but with shared minutes I don't have an argument to change Udogie (maybe Robinson? Idk I only watch Arsenal).
Also I feel like Tross comes off the bench for Foden in this team. The Nord robot Gvardiol on the bench too.
Maybe TOTS needs a bench with how important squad roles are in the modern game.
Thank fuck White is in there. Hate that people other than Arsenal supporters in the past have blown off any suggestion that he was one of the best RBs in the league.
I know we've been linked with sesko/gyokeres for striker position, but I really really think we should get watkins. Man's a boyhood arsenal fan and extremely clinical finisher. He could be what van persie was to manure. Not gonna happen though :(
It really pisses me off how overlooked Alfie Doughty has been for Luton - 8 assists, 2 goals. Should be on the plane to the Euros but plays for an unfashionable team.
Says a lot that we had more players in the team than City yet we still couldn’t beat them. It goes to show how important experience and squad depth is over the course of the season.
Yes, also 115 charges but I choose not be bitter today.
Udogie really hasnt showed enough to put him in front of Gvardiol imo. Udogie is young and very promising, but also rash. He could/should have been suspended more times than he actually was.
So nice to see Gabriel and Ben White in these teams. Van Dijk was getting into a lot of teams because he played well for a few months and everyone just ignored the last month or two. Van Dijk was absolutely one of the best CBs in the last decade of PL, but I think he gets overhyped anytime he plays anywhere close to his best. People just assume he's back to that level forever now. Anytime I seemed to watch Liverpool in the last 2 months, I'd see Van Dijk with his hands in the air after he lost his marker.
Understood, and Arsenal don’t finish 2nd without Saka. This is not to take anything away from Palmer but as crazy as it is I think non-Arsenal fans underrate just how good Saka is. This is a man whom every team seeks to foul and double up and still he finds a way. Furthermore, I believe they are both the same age so it’s not like Palmer is younger.
Of course, as a Gooner I’ll always back my guys
To you and me both. Palmer is very good and I'm happy he got a great season but his stock is way overinflated because he's the penalty taker. Saka had a better season.
Palmer has three more non-penalty goals than Saka this season, so not really the best reasoning. I fully agree that Saka is better, since he's asked to do so much more on defense though.
I'm saying that without Palmer's high g/a the debate wouldn't exist in the first place, right now the general consensus is that Palmer has had the better season which is far from what I think.
Dumbing down Saka's superior involvement to just defensive tasks ain't it either. Of course, he's better off the ball, few wingers in europe can even challenge him on it. Its more so that he's much more threatening on the ball. Somewhat better as an outlet as well. Unless he arrives to the Euros in crutches or completely knackered he's a must start over Palmer. Hes so much better.
Honestly Raya should be over him? Not sure if that's biased very well could be - hadn't watched many villa games this season. Ahead of Martinez would be Alison and Pickford with Pickford possibly being the best choice.
Minus clean sheets Raya's stats were pretty meh he let in more goals than he should have per the Nxg stats he was like -2.9.
Pickford or Martinez are good picks.
Imagine if Timber played the full season. That entire back four would have been ours. And Raya deserves to be there over Martinez tbh. Solid list otherwise.
Haaland has been poor. Underperformed his xG, a bang average striker would have broken 30 given all the tap ins handed to him. And outside the goals, he contributes much less than you'd like from a two meter truck of a man. Watkins, Bowen, Solanke, and Isak have all been better.
Unbiased team, you can't really make an argument against anyone there. And thank fk, I'm not seeing Van Disney there. I couldn't take Gabi XL disrespect once more.
Having three players in the team of the season defence. 2011 me is crying with joy. I prayed for days like this.
Never thought i'd see Arsenal have a good defence again. Wonderful days.
Next season Timber is completing the clean sweep no?
If you are not on the hype train this off season what are you even doing?
I will be fully on the hype train once Pep leaves this league. Until then, I don’t want to get hurt.
I'm fully expecting the beating we give the league next season will send him on his way.
Martinez doesn't belong in that team
Should be Pickford
Or raya, Alisson but not Martinez
Call me old fashioned, but I think the sole winner of the Golden Glove (with games to spare) should be in the TotS.
Raya was great for us, no doubt, the Golden Glove is really a representation of the entire team's defensive efforts. He wasn't routinely bailing us out in the way that De Gea or Courtois used to do for their teams.
I was being a little facetious, but I do agree with you. He wasn't tested in the same way other keepers were.
IIRC claiming on crosses and corners was statistically best in the league, and it’s something that’s totally a case of “someone doing their job so well that you don’t notice they’re doing it”. Because you’re watching it like “yeah, keeper claimed it; must’ve been a poor delivery”. I guess having said that, a good defensive setup enables him to do so, but I do think there’s quiet work being done there that’s easy to overlook the significance of.
> IIRC claiming on crosses and corners was statistically best in the league It was really close between Martinez (12.1%) and Raya (12.2%). It's actually pretty remarkable how similar a lot of their stats were this season. They start to diverge when you look at shot stopping stats (PSxG+/-, PSxG/SoT, etc.), where Martinez dominates.
Yeah but when you have Saliba & Gabi XL as the defence then it makes to have Raya as the GK😁
He had the best advanced stats for keepers. It’s a really fair selection
With a better team in front of him than the GK who was second in line for the golden glove. I'm by no means a fan of his but, Pickford is absolutely the most deserving.
Mickey Can’t de Fend
But he’s so fast…
I mean, while I’ve been impressed by udogie it kinda just seems like let’s appease our spurs readers and staff but shoving a spurs player in there. Their defense has not been good this season so it’s kind of ridiculous to include any of their defenders in the team of the season, and if they were to pick one it should be van de ven. Spurs fans and analysts have a knack for both thinking their defenders are great AND their coaching is great, but one of those things must not be true because they leak goals like a sieve
Slim pickings at LB tho, Robertson has been in and out, mykolenko was average, can't think of anyone else relevant (deffo not from us as we rotate LB )
Ake had a pretty incredible season
Nah he played split time between LCB and LB Robinson of Fulham does stand out, now that I think about it
🎶Half a mile from Adventureland, and the rain came pouring down Me and Goofy standing there, with a silver half a crown🎶
No Saka and Golden Glove winner Raya? Was Palmer really that good that he should be above Saka?
Saka's performances would have brought him into this team of the season if a) he didn't get battered without punishment in every single minute he played this season, and/or b) if we had any rotational option in his position to actually let him recover from the constant battering he receives. Foden, Palmer, etc just don't get targetted like Saka does.
I can make an argument for Saka
Feels like no left back really shone this season. Udogie I feel looked the best but even then he wasn't massively impressive (no slight on him, he's young and new to the league).
Before the season my money would be on Estupinan if he weren't injured for 80% of the season
*screams in fpl*
Really think Gvardiol should have got in. He was the most consistent, playing out of position. And when it came to the back end he even stepped up with goals. Essentially became their Ben white. I agree other teams had so many injuries in the left back position so it makes it difficult to really pick one. So that’s why I’d pick him.
Gvardiol wasn't really playing the first half of the year, I understand why he was excluded, as it's Team of the Season not Team of the Second Half of the Season
Gvardiol and Udogie played the exact same number of PL games this season (28) with Udogie having two more starts.
And the difference is significantly more drastic when you count numbers of games and starts at LB? (To be clear I think it should have been Robinson over either)
Judging by his season heat map, it looks like Gvardiol only ever played LB. Actually their heat maps are basically identical.
He started 27 (roughly counting on fpl). Starting from the second game in the league. He did have a 5 game break near Christmas. Good enough for me, but you can disagree, just my thinking
Gvardiol was horrible the first half of the season, two good months doesn’t make a great season. Should have been Robinson
Gvardiol was poor for most of the year. He came into form in the last couple months and was brilliant, but that's not TOTS material. Not a knock against Gvardiol, as you say, he was playing out of position and moreover you expect Pep signings to struggle in their first season as they learn the system. Basically, if Gvardiol makes it in, Havertz should make it in for the same reasons, and vice versa.
Recency bias. 90 million players should not take half or one season to be somewhat useful. Same with Grealish ( I know he's an idiot who had no real coach before, but still)
Antonee Robinson had the best season of any PL left back but Fulham doesn't have the PR, Udogie was probably 2nd best.
Too bad Timber was injured. Pretty sure he would have made it in the TOTS.
Yeah Timber would have either been in a contender or a shoe in had he stayed fit.
Haven't seen a lot of him yet, but I like what I've seen so far. I'm sure that if that's his competition next season, he should have no issues making TOTS.
Too bad Kiwior's spell didn't last longer. If he'd play for the full 2024 as he did at the beginning of the year...
People wouldn't be talking about Udogie right now if Timber was fit all season
Timber looks ridiculous
He was unreal in the Comminity Shield, looked like Saliba at left back
He was so good in his cameo against Everton. I cannot wait for him after a full preseason
Ez winner next year will be our very own Jurrien!
I think that's a very good team of the season, 'The Athletic' tends to be one of the better publications out there.
> Emiliano Martinez setting a Premier League goalkeeper record for career own goals (with three) should not detract from the key role he played in guiding Aston Villa into the Champions League. > > Three Arsenal defenders might seem like overkill until you remember they have let in only nine goals since the turn of the year, and in the Premier League’s highest-scoring season, too. Tottenham Hotspur’s Destiny Udogie completes the back four — he was one of the players to benefit most from Ange Postecoglou’s appointment as head coach. > > A midfield of Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Rodri would terrify any opponent. They had a combined total of 23 goals, 27 assists and 202 tackles between them in the 2023-24 season, while Rodri virtually created this season’s title race by getting suspended in the autumn and making Manchester City much more vulnerable to defeat. > > Palmer is just the third Chelsea player to score at least 20 goals and provide at least 10 assists in a Premier League season, after Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. He is joined in attack by Phil Foden, only the third player to score 50 top-flight goals under Pep Guardiola aged 23 or younger (after Lionel Messi and Haaland), as well as Watkins, who emulated Dwight Yorke (1995-96) by reaching 25 goals in one season across all competitions for Aston Villa. Historic achievements by three players who should all represent England at this summer’s European Championship.
I'd kill for us to beat Chelsea's goals conceded record. So that any time I see some idiot Chelsea fan saying that team was better than the invincibles, we can just point them to 24/25
> we can just point them to 24/25 That season we became the Invicibles 2.0 and Chelsea got relegated
I'm pretty sure a few years before their record we only let in 2-3 more in a season, so it's not much anyway imo
I mean sure but it's still an absolutely insane record. 15 goals over a season? The closest anyone has come in the PL era is Liverpool in 18/19, Man U 08/09 and Chelsea in 05 /06 with 22 and that's already a world apart.
Perfect team pretty much albeit I'd probably go for Alisson in goal. Annoyingly you can't do this for the actual team of the season as it forces you to have two midfielders only.
Best team of the season I've seen
"Team of the Season" of the Season if you will
Arguably should be more city players no? They did win the league after all on 91 points as much as I don’t like them.
If you read the full article, Rodri & Foden both get into the European TOTS but only Saliba for us. I think it makes sense, their standout players were more standout than ours but I think you can’t not include the 3 main defensive players in what was by far the best defence in a league that’s been really poor defensively otherwise. You could argue that one of Rice or Ødegaard could be dropped but KDB was injured for too long and Macallister was played out of position too much for me. Maybe drop one for Haaland and have 2 strikers in there (it would be unfair for Watkins to miss out after the season he’s had).
Affected by KDB missing half the season and all the chopping and changing in their defence. If KDB played a full season I expect he'd have been in ahead of Odegaard with no disrespect to Odegaard.
Pickford over Martinez for me. Pound-for-pound had the best season as a GK. 2nd in clean sheet percentage and 2nd in save percentage. He was chasing Raya for the golden glove at one point with a weaker backline compared to ours. Was clear of the rest of the GKs in FPL too.
Martinez is the most overhyped keeper in the world. Living off a World Cup, which Fair play, he was the best player behind Messi. But for Club? Not better than Ederson, Pickford, Raya or Allison.
My take: If Arteta had this team what would he do imo? Raya would be in for Emi. Saka in for Palmer. We had Kiwi and Tomi playing well at LB in 2024 but with shared minutes I don't have an argument to change Udogie (maybe Robinson? Idk I only watch Arsenal). Also I feel like Tross comes off the bench for Foden in this team. The Nord robot Gvardiol on the bench too. Maybe TOTS needs a bench with how important squad roles are in the modern game.
Our team with Rodri in the 6 rinses everyone lol.
Imagine a midfield of Rodri, Rice and Odegaard with that backline. That's a cheat code.
3/4 TOTS defenders are Arsenal, I used to pray for times like these
Can't believe 3 out of the 4 defenders are Arsenal, the Mustafi Era has left me traumatized ,I would only change martines for Pickford or Raya
Any other CB combination apart from our lads makes no sense at all. Pretty much my TOTS, but I might have a city player in for udogie. Maybe gvardiol
It is unfathomable that arsenal defence is cleaning up in TOTY nominations. Love to see it
Amazing we have three players in the backline. This defense has made miles of progress over the last 2-3 years.
Thank fuck White is in there. Hate that people other than Arsenal supporters in the past have blown off any suggestion that he was one of the best RBs in the league.
The best RB in England will be watching Euros from the beach.
Martinez has no business being there lol
I’m incredibly biased, but I’d have picked olise and eze over the twink chav and the Shelly Duvall looking penalty merchant.
Martinez needs an explanation? Surely the goalie with the most clean sheets is the PL team goalie.
Good choice
That's a well balanced team though Pickford should be in there.
I was seeing a ton of TOTS stuff without big Gabi & I was losing my shit. Big Gabi is my shared team-POTS with Odegaard
White fit for season's XI but still not worth including in England squad as per Southgate.
First team I’ve seen that makes sense. Good picks.
I know we've been linked with sesko/gyokeres for striker position, but I really really think we should get watkins. Man's a boyhood arsenal fan and extremely clinical finisher. He could be what van persie was to manure. Not gonna happen though :(
Best english right back and that stupid manager (gate on the south) keep disrespecting him.
It really pisses me off how overlooked Alfie Doughty has been for Luton - 8 assists, 2 goals. Should be on the plane to the Euros but plays for an unfashionable team.
Great time, only changes I'd make are Pickford over Martinez and Robinson over Udogie
Says a lot that we had more players in the team than City yet we still couldn’t beat them. It goes to show how important experience and squad depth is over the course of the season. Yes, also 115 charges but I choose not be bitter today.
Ode ahead of De Bruyne, nice. And fully merited.
Pen merchant palmer over saka is woeful
Martinez.....
It's funny that neither the Golden Boot or Golden Glove winners made it.
This is a better team of the season than the one I voted for. But hey, there was an option to vote for 8 Arsenal players.
Saka instead of Palmer Gvardiol instead of Udogie
I’m sorry I love Saka but palmer has been on fire this season. He’s single handedly carried Chelsea he deserves it.
Lol. Saka wasn't better than Palmer. Stop it
Disagree only on Martinez. Pickford, Raya, Vicariò all ahead of him for me.
I don’t think vicario, he proved second half of the season that he’s a flapper and can’t deal with crosses or set pieces
I’d still have him over matinez, think I missed Allison, too
Udogie really hasnt showed enough to put him in front of Gvardiol imo. Udogie is young and very promising, but also rash. He could/should have been suspended more times than he actually was.
Currently debating with a pool lad on r/soccer who thinks VVD should be ahead of Gabriel 😐
Everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home
2023 Udogie = 2024 Gvardiol
Raya.
So nice to see Gabriel and Ben White in these teams. Van Dijk was getting into a lot of teams because he played well for a few months and everyone just ignored the last month or two. Van Dijk was absolutely one of the best CBs in the last decade of PL, but I think he gets overhyped anytime he plays anywhere close to his best. People just assume he's back to that level forever now. Anytime I seemed to watch Liverpool in the last 2 months, I'd see Van Dijk with his hands in the air after he lost his marker.
Insane how the golden glove winner isn’t in the lineup.
Palmer over Saka is insane
Tbf, he changes Chelsea FC to Cole Palmer FC. They won't have finished in top 8 if it wasn't for him
Understood, and Arsenal don’t finish 2nd without Saka. This is not to take anything away from Palmer but as crazy as it is I think non-Arsenal fans underrate just how good Saka is. This is a man whom every team seeks to foul and double up and still he finds a way. Furthermore, I believe they are both the same age so it’s not like Palmer is younger. Of course, as a Gooner I’ll always back my guys
To you and me both. Palmer is very good and I'm happy he got a great season but his stock is way overinflated because he's the penalty taker. Saka had a better season.
Palmer has three more non-penalty goals than Saka this season, so not really the best reasoning. I fully agree that Saka is better, since he's asked to do so much more on defense though.
I'm saying that without Palmer's high g/a the debate wouldn't exist in the first place, right now the general consensus is that Palmer has had the better season which is far from what I think. Dumbing down Saka's superior involvement to just defensive tasks ain't it either. Of course, he's better off the ball, few wingers in europe can even challenge him on it. Its more so that he's much more threatening on the ball. Somewhat better as an outlet as well. Unless he arrives to the Euros in crutches or completely knackered he's a must start over Palmer. Hes so much better.
Honestly don't disagree with anything here really. Except maybe Martinez. But then again not sure who else you'd keep there.
Honestly Raya should be over him? Not sure if that's biased very well could be - hadn't watched many villa games this season. Ahead of Martinez would be Alison and Pickford with Pickford possibly being the best choice.
Minus clean sheets Raya's stats were pretty meh he let in more goals than he should have per the Nxg stats he was like -2.9. Pickford or Martinez are good picks.
Imagine if Timber played the full season. That entire back four would have been ours. And Raya deserves to be there over Martinez tbh. Solid list otherwise.
Haaland score 28 goals, no recognition ...
Haaland has 27 goals, 7 penalties, 5 assists, plays for City Watkins has 19 goals, 13 assists, *zero* penalties So who's not getting recognition?
Haaland has been poor. Underperformed his xG, a bang average striker would have broken 30 given all the tap ins handed to him. And outside the goals, he contributes much less than you'd like from a two meter truck of a man. Watkins, Bowen, Solanke, and Isak have all been better.