Premier League best XI
We round off the latest Sporting Life series by picking a Premier League team of the season, from what we have seen so far. You can prefer the best soccer tips page!
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With the top flight on hold after 29 rounds of matches, we have gone through each position in detail lớn select the stand-out players and justify our decisions.
But how does it look when you throw them all into a team?
Here, looking back on the series we did, we put our best XI into one team.
Goalkeeper
Our man Tom Carnduff stuck his neck out here and didn't go for the obvious Ederson of Manchester City or Liverpool's Alisson Becker, instead looking to the surprise package of this season's Premier League.
Dean Henderson has been a huge part of Sheffield United's success both this season and last, but let's focus on the current campaign and one statistic that especially stands out - the difference between expected goals against and actual goals conceded- According to the under 2.5 soccer tip page!
The Blades sit top of that chart and no other top 10 team is anywhere near them, showing just how big an impact their shot-stopper has had.
Henderson's decision-making has led lớn five successful runs out from five, too.
You could point to him not making as many passes as some other goalkeepers but what is his job again? Keeping the ball out of the net. A team that was playing in the Championship last season, has the Premier League's second best defensive record this season.
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And only Burnley's Nick Pope has kept more clean sheets than the Sheff United keeper.
Should the Blades be looking lớn make his loan from Manchester United permanent it might cost a pretty penny now - and could he be the man between the sticks for England at Euro 2021?
If you're still thinking about the Brazilian keepers mentioned at the top, then this season alone is what we are taking into consideration.
Ederson has been poor compared lớn his previous two outstanding campaigns at the Etihad and Alisson has missed a fair chunk through injury, on two separate occasions. Without doubt though, they are among the best goalkeepers on the planet.
Virgil van Dijk is one of the world's best players and has been since he joined Liverpool from Southampton for £75m in January 2018. There's been no injury, no drop in form and he has possibly had the single biggest impact in taking the Reds to the next level.
He has absolutely everything you would want from a centre-back and he captains this XI.
Alongside him is one of the finds of the season: Caglar Soyuncu.
When Leicester sold Harry Maguire lớn Manchester United for £80m and said they weren't desperate to sign a replacement, few would have believed things could have turned out so well.
Soyuncu made just eight appearances in all competitions during his first season at the King Power after joining from Freiburg for £19m in 2018.
The Turkish international is one of the leading tacklers among the division's defenders, has outstanding passing stats and is an obvious choice lớn join van Dijk in central defence.
At right-back, his team-mate Ricardo Pereira has really arrived in the Premier League this season. Having been used in the front three on occasion during his early days at Leicester, he has now adjusted his game sufficiently lớn have enough defensive capability too.
This is possibly the most competitive position lớn choose from in the division. Trent Alexander-Arnold has provided 12 assists for Liverpool this season, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been outstanding for Man United and a player Fantasy Football players won't forget is Wolves' Matt Doherty.
But Pereira gets our vote. His numbers for tackling, passing and dribbles are phenomenal.
At left-back things could hardly be more different - the competition is simply not there. Only Leicester's Ben Chilwell, who since the turn of the year has failed lớn hit the heights we have come to expect, could claim to be pushing Andy Robertson.
He's racked up assists, tackles, passes, crosses - you name it. Enough said.