Summary
Shearer's XI mixes youth and experience: seven players 25 or younger; Arsenal lead with three, Liverpool none.
Midfield is entirely defensive: Xhaka, Rice and Caicedo underline a grittier, steelier season.
Attack built around Haaland, with Rogers and Foden; Emery earns manager pick after Villa's 11 consecutive wins.
Alan Shearer has named his Premier League Team of the Season so far. With the 2025/26 season taking a break for the FA Cup this weekend, the competition’s record goalscorer has selected his star performers from the opening 21 matchweeks for the Premier League's official website, making some tricky calls along the way.
The Geordie legend’s lineup blends youth and experience, with seven of the 11 players aged 25 or younger. Unsurprisingly, Arsenal - six points clear at the top - have the most representatives with three, while Manchester City and Chelsea both have two players included. There is, however, no room for any Liverpool players, despite the defending champions' recent upturn in form.
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Goalkeeper & Defence
Robin Roefs; Jurrien Timber, Marc Guehi, Gabriel, Marc Cucurella
"Hard to believe he is still only 22 and playing in the Premier League for the first time," Shearer said of Robin Roefs, whose 73 saves and seven clean sheets have quickly landed him among the 20 best goalkeepers in the world right now.
Meanwhile, Marc Guehi - "the ultimate professional" - was denied an opportunity to sign for Liverpool over the summer but has kept his head down, serving as a calming, constant presence in the Crystal Palace backline and contributing to four goal involvements during this season’s captaincy.
Guehi hasn’t quite been as prolific as Gabriel, whose three goals and two assists have bolstered Arsenal’s set-piece prowess, while his defensive contributions have helped the Gunners maintain the stingiest record in the league, conceding just 14 goals.
Jurrien Timber has also played a pivotal role in that defensive record, earning his place, while Marc Cucurella, currently the Premier League’s best left-back, receives recognition from Shearer for his remarkable consistency, citing his 88 per cent successful pass rate, 35 tackles, and 18 interceptions for reasons to believe the likes of Riccardo Calafiori miss out.
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Midfield
Granit Xhaka, Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo
Shearer’s midfield picks highlight just how much the grittier side of English football has returned in the 2025/26 campaign, with all three selections being defensive midfielders. Granit Xhaka was brought to Sunderland in the hope that his Premier League experience would aid their survival chances. But he has done far more than that, quickly establishing himself as the signing of the season after helping the Black Cats climb into the top 10 after 21 matches.
Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo currently appear to be the only two players truly contesting for the title of the league’s best midfielder, and rightly get a nod, though meaning some key omissions include Dominik Szoboszlai and Martin Odegaard.
While Rice has added goals, assists, and set-pieces to his repertoire this term, his Chelsea rival excels from a defensive standpoint, keeping everything together at Stamford Bridge. The Blues look markedly weaker when he is absent, underlining just how vital Caicedo has become. On the latter, Shearer said:
"An absolute powerhouse in the centre of midfield for Chelsea. Has energy and talent in abundance. A brilliant all-rounder who has added goals to his game this season with some stunning strikes."
Attack
Morgan Rogers, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden
Erling Haaland is once again leading the Premier League’s goalscoring charts, with Shearer quipping, "How can he not be in?" He went on to describe the Norwegian as a "goalscoring machine" who looks set to claim his third Golden Boot. It’s Haaland’s relentless, almost robotic performances that are keeping both Igor Thiago and Hugo Ekitike out of the lineup.
Morgan Rogers earns a spot with seven goals and four assists, highlighted by the brace he scored against Manchester United as Aston Villa went on an 11-match winning streak, putting themselves firmly in the title race. Elsewhere, his compatriot Phil Foden has found a new lease of life in a deeper midfield role, with his performances described by Shearer as "out of this world" after being recalled to the England squad ahead of the World Cup.
That also means there was no room in the team for Antoine Semenyo. After signing for Manchester City for £65 million at the start of the January transfer window, Shearer just about avoided making his entire attacking lineup consist of those of an Etihad Stadium persuasion.
Manager: Unai Emery
Unai Emery
"The manager may be a surprise to some, but how Emery has got his side playing and challenging for the title after failing to win any of their opening five Premier League games of the season is a credit to him," Shearer said when picking the Aston Villa boss ahead of both Regis Le Bris and Mikel Arteta.
He added: "He also masterminded a victory over leaders Arsenal, a result that helped Villa to an incredible 11 straight wins in all competitions." For those reasons, it's hard to disagree with the former Newcastle United talisman, especially when you consider the PSR issues that continue to deepen the Spaniard's wrinkles oevr the last few transfer windows and prevent him from taking full flight at Villa Park.