Premier League XI of the season so far: Andre Onana takes his place in goal

Sarah Winterburn

We’re 13 games into the Premier League season and this is the XI that has wowed so far.

We have used WhoScored ratings as a guide. No players with fewer than six starts are included.

 

GOALKEEPER: Andre Onana (Manchester United)
Replacing Guglielmo Vicario between the sticks is Onana, propelled there by a man-of-the-match performance against Everton, who had six shots on target but found the Cameroonian equal to every one.

As we said here, ‘No Premier League keeper has kept more clean sheets than Onana this season. No Premier League keeper has a better saves percentage. So absolutely don’t believe yer da when he says the Manchester United keeper is a clown.’

 

RIGHT-BACK: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United)
Six Premier League assists in 13 games and not too shabby defensively either.

 

CENTRE-BACK: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
A couple of Premier League assists help the algorithm but it’s his prowess in the air that earns him his place here; only Ethan Pinnock earns more. Add an impressive pass completion percentage and some vital blocks and he is rightly ensconced in this XI.

 

CENTRE-BACK: Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest)
The algorithm likes a busy boy and Boly is a busy boy – making more tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks than most defenders should. Nowhere near the Forest starting line-up right now but the fans would largely like to see him back.

 

LEFT-BACK: Vitalii Mykolenko (Everton)
Made more successful tackles from left-back than any other player this season and he has only played in nine Premier League games. He’s also lobbed in a couple of goals as the Toffees have become a better attacking force this season.

 

CENTRE MIDFIELD: Rodri (Manchester City)
The best in the world in his position? Quite possibly. Casually added goals to his repertoire while posting a 94% pass completion rate and doing all the dirty defensive work too. Too dirty v Forest, mind.

 

CENTRE MIDFIELD: James Ward-Prowse (West Ham)
The set-piece king. Those five assists (and two goals) get him in this team ahead of Declan Rice, though it does not get him near the England team ahead of Jordan Henderson. Sigh.

 

RIGHT WING: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Four goals and five assists this season but it’s defensive work that keeps him way ahead of Mo Salah here.

 

ATTACKING MIDFIELD: James Maddison (Tottenham)
The most creative player in the Premier League this season. He has also logged three goals and five assists. What a signing. Shame he is broken.

 

LEFT WING: Jeremy Doku (Manchester City)
Casually claimed four Premier League assists v Bournemouth to earn him a rare 10.00 rating on WhoScored. Then dribbled past 12 Liverpool players because that is completely normal behaviour for a 21-year-old.

 

STRIKER: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
You just cannot argue with 14 Premier League goals in 13 games. Nor with all these other ridiculous statistics.

F365 Features Bukayo Saka

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