Who makes the cut?
The 2025-26 Premier League season is over.
Arsenal were crowned champions, Pep Guardiola’s departure from Manchester City is bringing about a new era, and, on the final day, West Ham/Tottenham joined Burnley and Wolves in heading down to the Championship.
Here’sMore Than A Game’s Premier League Team of the Season.
GK #1: DAVID RAYA (ARSENAL)
David Raya actually underperformed, based on his goals conceded to expected goals on target conceded (xGOT), suggesting he could have prevented more goals. However, there is no doubt he was the best-performing goalkeeper in the league this term, with a competition-leading 19 clean sheets, as the Gunners’ title triumph was built on a rock-solid defence.
RB #2: JURRIEN TIMBER (ARSENAL)
Jurrien Timber takes his place at right-back, seeing off competition from Dominik Szoboszlai, even though the Liverpool man is a midfielder. But as good as Szoboszlai was at times, Timber has been the standout. Not only has he played a key role in Arsenal’s formidable defence, but he has also scored three goals and added five assists. That is more goal involvements than any other defender this season in the league.
CB #5: WILLIAM SALIBA (ARSENAL)
Keeping with the Arsenal theme, because, well, they are the champions, after all, then our defence is going to feature another couple of Gunners. William Saliba has had another fantastic campaign, and he takes pride and place at the centre of the back four.
Credit: Instagram - @w.saliba4
CB #6: GABRIEL MAGALHÃES (ARSENAL)
Next to him, it’s the towering presence of Gabriel Magalhães. Fantastic in both boxes and a snide to boot, Gabriel has arguably become the best centre-back in the Premier League.
LB #3: NICO O’REILLY (MAN CITY)
What a season it has been for Nico O’Reilly. Sure, his crowning moment may have come as Manchester City won the EFL Cup, but he has been superb in the league, too. The youngster has made 22 starts in the competition, providing three assists and scoring two goals. He’s going to the World Cup, and is set to be England’s first-choice left-back.
CM #4: DECLAN RICE (ARSENAL)
Another Arsenal player — the fifth and final one in our team — it’s Declan Rice. Hugely influential all over the pitch, Rice was also Arsenal’s creative fulcrum this season. Another one who will now aim to carry his form in the World Cup, albeit, only after the Champions League final is over and done with. Absolutely integral to the Gunners’ set-piece success, too.
Credit: Instagram - @declanrice
CM #7: GRANIT XHAKA (SUNDERLAND)
The signing of the season. Sunderland’s season has been superb, as they not only established their safety by the midway point, but then hit form late on to surge into Europe, qualifying for the Europa League. Brilliant, and richly deserved, and at the heart of it all was Granit Xhaka. What a stroke of genius that transfer was. Proof that it’s not always about signing younger players. There’s value to be found, no matter the age of a player.
RM #11: ANTOINE SEMENYO (BOURNEMOUTH/MAN CITY)
Only three players registered more Premier League goal involvements this season than Antoine Semenyo (21), who began it by starring for Bournemouth and ended it as an EFL Cup and FA Cup winner with Man City, having scored a spectacular winner in the latter final, earlier this month. The winger has gone from rising star to an established, top-tier operator. He will now aim to dazzle for Ghana at the World Cup.
AM #8: BRUNO FERNANDES (MAN UTD)
Bruno Fernandes rounded out his campaign by providing a record-setting 21st assist of the season in the Premier League, matching the record in Europe’s top five leagues and also setting a new record in this competition. He created 136 chances, which is the joint-most in a single season.
LM #10: MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE (NOTTINGHAM FOREST)
It has not been the season anyone associated with Nottingham Forest would have wanted, but when they did get their act together in the early spring, Morgan Gibbs-White was their talisman. Moved out to the wing by Vitor Pereira, Gibbs-White thrived, so we’re playing him there too. He scored 15 league goals and provided four assists. Another brilliant individual campaign, and he should have got an England call-up.
ST #9: IGOR THIAGO (BRENTFORD)
Erling Haaland was once again the Golden Boot winner, but Igor Thiago gets the nod up top. After missing most of last season due to injury, the Brazilian starred for Brentford this time around. Sure, a lot of his 22 league goals came from the penalty spot, but that does not make his form any less impressive. He has earned his Brazil debut and almost dragged the Bees into Europe, but they missed out on goal difference.
MANAGER: ANDONI IRAOLA (BOURNEMOUTH)
Mikel Arteta, of course, has done an outstanding job, but he has an expensively assembled squad that needed success this season. Regis Le Bris, meanwhile, has performed miracles at Sunderland, and would also be a worthy name to coach this team. But here is where Bournemouth get their flowers. Andoni Iraola will ride off into the sunset with Bournemouth’s best top-tier season(s) under his belt, having taken the Cherries into the Europa League. Had results gone differently on the final day, it could have even been a Champions League place. Bournemouth did not suffer a single league defeat from after January 3rd, going 18 games unbeaten. Even more impressive is that their superb campaign came on the back of selling Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and, in January, Semenyo. The question for Iraola is, where next.