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There may have been no fans for most of this particular Premier League season, but that hasn’t stopped us from doing some brilliant work.
With the campaign now a third of the way through,Sportsmail has picked the standout players so far and with scores countless it may come as no surprise that attacking players dominate the line-up.
It’s Chelsea who lead the defense, in stark contrast to the 2019-2020 season, which conceded 54 goals.
Liverpool and Manchester City have been the teams to beat in recent years but only one of Jurgen Klopp’s stars makes the cut and there is no place in Pep Guardiola’s roster. But who will attack the impressive Tottenham duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min in attack?
Sportsmail has selected the outstanding players for the team for the 2020-2021 season
Goalkeeper – Alex McCarthy
Southampton’s # 1 is possibly the most improved goalkeeper in the Premier League.
McCarthy has conceded four goals from 11 games. Only Aston Villa’s Emilano Martinez and Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris saved more, but they fired fewer shots and made fewer saves.
His distribution has also improved, finishing second on the most passes made by goalkeepers – Arsenal’s Bernd Leno is at the top with 432.
There were a couple of contenders, but McCarthy’s progress means he gets the nod.
Alex McCarthy has been a rock for Southampton and has made huge improvements this season
RIGHT BACK – Reece James
Reece James’ Chelsea career began when he fired a rocket shot against Brighton on the opening day of the season.
He has since cemented his place as Frank Lampard’s first choice by ousting captain Cesar Azpilicueta and making his England debut in October.
With his dangerous cross, the 20-year-old would have more than three assists if the Chelsea strikers had been more clinical in front of goal.
James was just as good on the defensive, helping the Blues conceded four goals (five total).
Tariq Lamptey and Trent Alexander-Arnold were also impressive, but James just barely survived the right-back fight.
Reece James was solid in defense and posed a major attack threat for Chelsea
BACK TO THE CENTER – Thiago Silva
Eyebrows went up when Lampard signed the 36-year-old for a free transfer this summer. How would he deal with the requirements of the Premier League? Would he be fit enough? Was he able to overcome the language barrier?
If we extinguish that baptism of fire in West Brom, Silva would be calm, composed, and the perfect leader in Chelsea’s defense.
The Brazilian was exactly what the blues needed and it’s no surprise that he has fired far fewer shots since he started.
The center-back makes an average of 93 passes per game – the most of any defender in the league, despite having only played seven of Chelsea’s eleven games. He also helped score four goals and has only conceded two goals since his debut at West Brom.
Thiago Silva has given the blues defense experience, leadership and calm this season
CENTER BACK – Wesley Fofana
Fast, aggressive and determined, Fofana has felt at home in three countries in Leicester since joining the club in October.
He kept Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang calm in only his second game, which he followed with dominant appearances against Leeds and Wolves.
He was caught for the first goal in the defeat to Fulham but did an excellent read of the game for such a young player. The future looks bright for the French.
Leicester signed Wesley Fofana this summer and has quickly settled into the last three
BACK LEFT – Andy Robertson
Robertson has been the only Liverpool defender not to have spent time on the sidelines this season. He was again Mr. Reliable for Jürgen Klopp.
The left defender was the Reds’ most creative player with four assists and six big chances. He also had the most touches of any top division player.
Robertson was one of the few players not to blame for Liverpool’s beating at Aston Villa and has been arguably one of the club’s most consistent players this season.
Andy Robertson has been reliable for Jurgen Klopp and is Liverpool’s most creative player
DEFENDING CENTER – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Southampton’s Hojbjerg summer signing may have been under scrutiny amid the excitement over the arrival of Bale and Reguilon from Real Madrid.
But the Dutchman has been an integral part of Jose Mourinho’s squad this season, providing protection for the foursome by abandoning the game and bringing the ball forward.
Rodri is the only midfielder to have scored more passes than Hojbjerg this season, but Manchester City have an average of 60 percent possession in league games, compared to Spurs averaging 50 percent.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has become an integral part of Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham team
MIDFIELD ATTACKS – Son Heung-min
The South Korean was so good this season that he would likely make it to any team in the world by now.
Sohn has 11 goals and has already reached his record for the 2019-2020 campaign.
He owes Harry Kane to accomplishing most of his goals, but his own finish was fatal and he’s repaid his teammate with a few assists of his own.
If Spurs can stay at the top of the table, he may battle the Spurs captain for Player of the Year award at the end of the season.
Son Heung-min has scored 10 goals and three assists in 11 games this season
MIDFIELD ATTACK – Bruno Fernandes
Where would Manchester United be without him?
Fernandes has temporarily led Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team this season. His seven goals and four assists kept United within reach of the top four.
The Portugal international has been directly involved in 14 league goals this season.
His contribution from the penalty spot has sometimes led people to overlook his other strengths. Fernandes has created eight great opportunities this season, second only to Kevin De Bruyne (10).
Manchester United are within reach of the top 4 thanks to Bruno Fernandes
MIDFIELD ATTACK – Jack Grealish
The captain of the Aston Villa was a pleasure to see and his achievements are rewarded with five goals and five assists.
Gareth Southgate told the 25-year-old he needed to improve his numbers to force his way into the English team. He responded with style and got his chance with three international starts in November.
Only Son and Fernandes have made more contributions to attacking midfielders with Grealish with five goals and six assists.
Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish was a delight with five goals and five assists
STRIKER – Harry Kane
With nine goals in eleven games, Tottenham’s captain is more clinical than ever. But it’s another side of his game that has earned him the most praise this season.
The 27-year-old has 10 assists, which is the highest performance he has ever had in a Premier League campaign – with Son being the main beneficiary.
Kane has also made an important defensive contribution to Spurs this season. Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville joked that the striker had more touches in his own penalty area than his opponent this season.
While that’s not exactly the case, he has had more tackles this season than center-back Eric Dier.
Harry Kane has eight goals and ten assists, which is any player’s greatest contribution
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