With it being the festive season, our writers have taken a look back at the start of the 2024-25 Premier League season and have chosen a starting XI of the best performers so far.
Some of the names would presumably make everyone’s team: your Salahs, your Sakas, your Palmers. Chris Wood and Moises Caicedo were also chosen by most of our writers, but Manchester City’s recent drop-off has meant even Erling Haaland has been left out.
But who would make your team? Leave your starting XIs, and your reasoning, in the comment section below.
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Who’s in, who’s out and why?
The thing that really struck me was how many Nottingham Forest players I found myself considering. Only two made my lineup, but Ola Aina, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Alex Moreno, Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White were all worthy of consideration. That is the sign of a team that is playing well.
The hardest part was realising so many of the best performers have been right-sided forwards: Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Dejan Kulusevski, Bryan Mbeumo. How many, realistically, can you squeeze into even a notional lineup? I went for three, with Saka shoehorned into a left-wing role, but leaving out Kulusevski and Mbeumo feels harsh.
It feels odd to disregard the league’s joint-leading goalscorer, but Erling Haaland, after a blistering start, is now not playing well in a Manchester City team that has gone off the boil. Wood is a far-worthier choice right now.
As well as Forest’s central-defensive duo, Virgil van Dijk and William Saliba have been excellent for Liverpool and Arsenal respectively, but I’ve gone for their less-heralded partners, Ibrahima Konate and Gabriel. Trent Alexander-Arnold has played well enough (not least defensively) to edge out Aina.
Finally, I settled on Antonee Robinson before his man-of-the-match performance for Fulham at Anfield. I had him in my Premier League team of last season and he has gone up another level since then.
Oliver Kay
Who’s in, who’s out and why?
There may be some handwringing as to who takes the right-wing spot out of Salah and Saka. I’ve chickened out and selected both. Palmer and Wood complete the front four. The Chelsea playmaker is an insouciant talent who takes great pride in discombobulating defences, while the Nottingham Forest man is a wonderful reminder of how classic centre-forward play will never go out of style.
Caoimhin Kelleher might not add to his Premier League appearances for a while, but he’s proven an outstanding deputy goalkeeper, and so gets the nod ahead of Matz Sels in this XI. Special mention to Nikola Milenkovic, a centre-back who loves to defend, and Antonee Robinson, a left-back excelling in an age where there’s a dearth of left-backs.
Many of my colleagues and readers of this piece will come to the same central midfield pivot. One of the great tactical joys of this season has been watching Gravenberch adjust, and then flourish as a holding midfielder. As for Caicedo, he’s proving to be worth every penny of his transfer fee to Chelsea. The Ecuadorian is one of the shrewdest midfield manipulators around.
Carl Anka
Who’s in, who’s out and why?
Mark Flekken has adapted to a slightly different role this season under Thomas Frank at Brentford, with a greater focus on building out from the back. No goalkeeper has attempted more passes than Flekken this season and he has largely performed well.
The leadership and quality of Van Dijk is partnered with the towering presence of Milenkovic, who has toughened up Forest’s defence immeasurably. Either side of them is Bournemouth’s energetic Milos Kerkez — who elite clubs should be looking at in the summer — and the versatile, technical quality of Noussair Mazraoui, who is one of the few Manchester United players that can be pleased with their start to the season.
The press-resistant Gravenberch is a shoo-in alongside Caicedo, who has adapted brilliantly to the demands of Enzo Maresca’s style of play. Palmer is also a non-negotiable pick with his effortless ability to score or create from anywhere. Leaving Saka out is difficult, but Salah’s 13 goals and nine assists put him in the same category as a guaranteed pick.
On the left wing, Alex Iwobi might not be everyone’s choice but he has shown himself to be incredibly adaptable on both flanks — forming some excellent attacking triangles with Emile Smith Rowe and Antonee Robinson.
Leading the line is Forest’s Wood, who has already reached double figures this season. People sleep on just how technically strong he is, but he is thriving in Nuno Espirito Santo’s team as so much more than a target man.
Mark Carey
Who’s in, who’s out and why?
What’s striking when picking this team is the omission of any Manchester City players — with Haaland the only one who can count himself unlucky to miss out.
In goal, Mads Hermansen has been excellent in a struggling Leicester side and his performances have helped keep them bobbing above the relegation zone. Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk have been back to their imperious best in Arne Slot’s well-oiled machine at Liverpool, while Milenkovic has been instrumental to Forest’s revival under Nuno. Antonee Robinson, Fulham’s flying left-back, has had an outstanding season, registered two assists at Anfield and kept Saka at bay earlier this month.
Gravenberch has seemingly solved the longstanding No 6 problem at Liverpool with his deft touches and ability to wriggle out of tight squeezes, Caicedo has finally found his rhythm at Chelsea while team-mate Palmer is so good he now models for Burberry. Special mention to Matheus Cunha, who has sprinkled some magic in a woeful Wolves side, who narrowly missed out.
Up front, Saka has been sublime and edges out Brentford’s Mbeumo, Wood’s goals have put Forest on an unlikely Champions League charge, while Salah has been the Premier League’s outstanding player.
Tom Burrows
Who’s in, who’s out and why?
With less stability in front of him this season than last, David Raya has been called upon more frequently and has stood up to the task. He’s been one of the league’s most reliable keepers so far and is capable of pulling out some real show-stoppers.
Milenkovic has been a crucial cog in Forest’s sturdy back line and Van Dijk has been excellent for Liverpool, rising to the challenge of having more responsibility to play out from defence and build Liverpool’s attacks under Slot. Robinson has been a standout performer, continuing his impressive attacking contribution from last season, but also impressing with his defensive duties — against Arsenal, he was crucial to restricting the threat of Saka and co. Alexander-Arnold remains one of the standout right-backs in the league, despite his form dipping slightly.
Caicedo’s ball-winning capabilities and ability to see danger have been key to Chelsea’s resurgence this season, while Palmer has established himself as the kind of player capable of changing a game at any point. Anderson isn’t a name I’d have expected to include at the start of the season, but his versatility (he has largely been used as a defensive or left midfielder before being shifted into the No 10 role to cover for the injured Morgan Gibbs-White) and proficiency in all of those roles wins him a spot on the left of midfield. Though arguably, his performances as a 10 indicate that is where he can really thrive.
I’ve put Saka on the left of my front three, which isn’t ideal, but I can’t leave him out and Salah has edged that spot on the right with his performances. The striker position is interesting. Haaland is the league’s top-scoring striker, but form-wise others are standing out more. Wood is more than worthy but I’ve gone for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa who has made losing Ivan Toney far less painful for Brentford than it might have been.
Sarah Shepherd
Who’s in, who’s out and why?
Flekken has been key to Brentford’s smart start while Trent Alexander-Arnold gets in for his early-season form. Van Dijk is the best version of imperious, so of course captain confident makes it. Joining him in defence is Gabriel, who has a similar air of confidence to his play. They would make a mean partnership.
I’ve tried to give flowers to some who might not receive them otherwise, which is why Bournemouth’s Kerkez makes the cut along with Mikkel Damsgaard of Brentford. Kerkez is crafty, sassy and not afraid of anyone when battling up and down the wing. Meanwhile, Damsgaard is so intelligent on the ball and glides through the pitch knitting together play after play. Both are a lot of fun to watch.
Then onto the more predictable picks. Gravenberch would be voted as Liverpool’s best player so far this season had it not been for the ridiculous form and vision of Salah. Both make it in. And I couldn’t leave Saka out, so I did the right thing and stuck him on the left. Wood’s performances have ensured him a spot in so many teams. And with that Harry Kane-like finishing and reliability, he has more than earned it.
Caoimhe O’Neill
Who’s in, who’s out and why?
There is an element of cheating here. Strictly speaking, any self-respecting team of the season so far should be lined up in either the dominant formation of the time (probably 4-3-3, still) or the one that has had the most influence on the campaign (the 4-2-3-1 deployed by Slot’s Liverpool and Nuno’s Forest, among others).
Instead, I’ve borrowed the system that Ruben Amorim holds so close to his heart, largely because it means I can just about squeeze in Salah and Saka. I feel intensely guilty to have left out Milenkovic, Iwobi, Sels and Carlos Baleba; Antonee Robinson could easily have made it ahead of Kerkez.
Though this wasn’t part of the assignment, I’ve decided this team is playing away from home; if we were on more familiar territory, Wissa and Mbeumo would have made the cut. Of the ones who have made it and who are not just quite obvious — Palmer? Really? What a shock — there are two themes: Konate, central to Liverpool’s good start, is one of those players who does not get the praise outside his own fanbase that he warrants; Kepa Arrizabalaga, Gravenberch and Wood all prove quite neatly the perpetual truth that there is no such thing as a bad player, just a good player in the wrong context. Their prominence this season has been heartening.
Rory Smith
