Another tumultuous Premier League campaign is reaching its conclusion: Liverpool are champions, the relegation trio have learned their fate and the race for Europe remains alive. In the midst of the action, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have picked their respective Team of the Season from the 2024/25 campaign.
As alluded to, Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp and, impressively, became the fifth manager to lift gold in their maiden season. Elsewhere, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, despite their European exploits, have flattered to deceive.
Heading into the final matchday, all of Newcastle United, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest are all challenging for the top four – but, with plenty to choose from, which players make Neville and Carragher’s Team of the Seasons?
On this week’s Monday Night Football, the two sat down with peacekeeper Dave Jones to run through their end-of-season selections – and there were plenty of differences between their teams. Spoiler alert: no Manchester City players were picked.
Neville and Carragher: Team of the Season Selections
The Sky Sports pundits agreed on just five picks
Partners in crime, Neville and Carragher, agreed on five players: Newcastle United talisman Alexander Isak, who is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in world football, Daniel Munoz of Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest’s Nikola and Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.
Neville placed Matz Sels between the sticks – and justified his selection by saying: “I would have gone for Alisson or [David] Raya in the past. But Sels is up there for the clean sheet record, and they have had such a special season.”
Carragher – one of the greatest players in Liverpool history – snubbed the imposing Belgian and picked Alisson, while he picked Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has looked comfortable at every given opportunity, to occupy his left-back berth.
There was no space for the 18-year-old for Neville, who picked Liverpool-linked Milos Kerkez instead. Signed by Bournemouth in the summer, the Hungary international may be young, but he runs up the left like it’s going out of fashion.
Incredibly, their three-man midfield constellations are completely different: Carragher picked Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister, Declan Rice and Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United – who has, perhaps under the radar, bossed engine rooms up and down the country. On the Italian, he said:
"I went for (Sandro) Tonali because Newcastle look like they are going to finish third and they had a poor start to the season. I don't think it turned around until Eddie Howe put him in the holding role. Him going to sitting midfield made a huge difference."
Mac Allister was instrumental in the Reds’ Premier League triumph under Slot and his entourage, while Rice – who is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in world football – has been a standout for Mikel Arteta’s north Londoners.
On Mac Allister, the Liverpool defender-turned-pundit said: "(Alexis ) Mac Allister has been Liverpool's best midfield player this season. In terms of quality in Liverpool's midfield – he has been the best for two years."
EPL_Underrated Players Related
10 Most Underrated Players in Football Right Now [Ranked]
Multiple Premier League stars make the list.
Neville opted for Youri Tielemans of Aston Villa, Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes and Ryan Gravenberch, who has enjoyed a redemption arc for the ages. The Dutchman, 23, has emerged as one of the tidiest midfielders in England this term.
The left-wing spot also differs between the two. Neville’s pick, Bryan Mbeumo, has softened the loss of Ivan Toney with his in-front-of-goal exploits, while Morgan Gibbs-White (picked by Carragher) has been all-crucial to his side’s push for Champions League football next season.