Man Utd and Man City stars shine to earn spots in Premier League Team of the Season so farMan Utd and Man City stars shine to earn spots in Premier League Team of the Season so far
Man Utd and Man City stars shine to earn spots in Premier League Team of the Season so far | Getty Images
Manchester United and Manchester City have representation in the Premier League Team of the Season so far
It has largely been a Premier League season to forget for both Manchester City and Manchester United. Pep Guardiola’s side are set to lose their title to rivals Liverpool after claiming the trophy for the last four seasons. No team had ever won the English top-flight four times in a row until City completed the feat last campaign.
For United, they have not been genuine title contenders since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure from the club in 2013. They have regularly been among the top four, however, and their current position in the bottom half represents a new low. Things have looked brighter in recent games, with the Red Devils eyeing triumphing in the Europa League as an alternative route into Europe.
While United and City have both endured disappointing league campaigns by their own standards, two players from the Manchester rivals have made it into WhoScored’s Premier League Team of the Season so far.
Spots for Fernandes and Haaland in Premier League Team of the Season so far
WhoScored have put together their best XI from the season so far based on average match ratings from the first 29 games. Bruno Fernandes takes a spot in centre midfield while Erling Haaland sits up front.
Fernandes has, for the most part, been the main inspiration for the Red Devils this term. He has eight goals and nine assists for Ruben Amorim’s side, while he has also got stuck in with an average of 2.3 tackles per game. He has also averaged 2.4 key passes per 90 minutes.
Speaking about the player, Amorim said earlier this month: "We know that sometimes he is frustrated. We know he wants to win so badly so when things are not going well, he is changing position going after the ball. Sometimes he needs to trust his teammates but when we need it, he is always there. He can bring the ball forward, he can score goals, he can defend. He is a perfect captain for our team and we need to help him win titles."
Despite City struggling to find the normal consistency that would make them title challengers, the goals have still been coming for the prolific Haaland. He has found the net 21 times in the Premier League, while providing three assists. Earlier this season, Guardiola compared the Norwegian’s output to that of Lionel Messi. He said: "In terms of numbers and scoring goals, he is similar to Leo. But they are different players. You cannot compare.”
Full Premier League Team of the Season so far
The full XI sees three Liverpool players make the cut, along with one each from Brentford, Everton, Fulham, Bournemouth and Newcastle United. Mohamed Salah is the highest rated player in the team after a stunning 27 goals and 17 assists this season. Haaland, Alexander Isak and Cole Palmer are all rated at 7.4/10 while Fernandes has been given a 7.2/10 rating - the same as Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth.
GK: Mark Flekken (Brentford) - 7.1
CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) - 7.1
CB: James Tarkowski (Everton) 7.1
LB: Antonee Robinson (Fulham) - 7.1
RM/RW: Mo Salah (Liverpool) - 7.9
CM: Cole Palmer (Chelsea) - 7.4
CM: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) - 7.2
LM/LW: Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) - 7.2
ST: Alexander Isak (Newcastle United) - 7.4
ST: Erling Haaland (Manchester City) - 7.4