Honestly, the 2025/26 campaign has been a bit of a fever dream. We’ve seen Arsenal pull ahead with a defensive steel we haven't seen in North London for decades, while Manchester City is looking surprisingly human despite Erling Haaland still doing, well, Haaland things. Choosing a premiership team of the season at this stage—mid-January 2026—is basically an exercise in splitting hairs. Every week someone new decides to be world-class.
Take the Manchester Derby that just happened today, January 17th. Manchester United just blanked City 2-0 at Old Trafford. Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu? Those aren't the names City fans expected to be haunting their nightmares, yet here we are. It’s that kind of year.
The Goalkeeper: Beyond the Clean Sheets
It’s easy to just look at the Golden Glove standings and hand the trophy to David Raya. With 10 clean sheets for Arsenal, he’s the obvious choice, right? Mikel Arteta’s side has only conceded 14 goals in 21 games. That is absurdly good. But if we’re talking about "impact," you kind of have to look at what’s happening at the Stadium of Light.
Robin Roefs. Nobody had "Sunderland's Dutch keeper becomes a brick wall" on their bingo card. For a promoted side to be sitting comfortably in the top half (8th place!), you need a keeper who saves points. Roefs has been doing that. He faced a barrage against City and Spurs and somehow came out looking like prime Lev Yashin.
Then there's Jordan Pickford. Everton are hovering in 12th, but they’d be in a relegation scrap without him. Stats show he’s prevented roughly 8.5 goals more than the average keeper would have conceded. It's a toss-up, but for a premiership team of the season that actually reflects reality, Raya's consistency in a title-chasing side usually wins out.
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The Defense: Arsenal’s Wall and the City Shift
Arsenal's backline is essentially a cheat code. Gabriel Magalhaes is basically a striker at this point with his three goals and two assists, but it's his "over my dead body" defending that stands out. He’s the first name on the sheet.
Beside him? Things get interesting.
James Tarkowski at Everton is still a blocking machine. He’s leading the league in shots blocked. It isn't pretty, but it’s effective. However, Jurrien Timber has been the real revelation at right-back. He’s finally injury-free and playing like a man possessed. Six goal involvements from a defender who actually knows how to defend is a rare commodity.
Over at City, things are weird. Pep has been using Nico O'Reilly at left-back, and the kid has responded with a goal and three assists. He even booked a plane ticket to the World Cup with England because of it.
- LB: Nico O'Reilly (Man City)
- CB: Gabriel (Arsenal)
- CB: Cristian Romero (Spurs) - Even if Spurs are struggling in 14th, he's been their only consistent performer.
- RB: Jurrien Timber (Arsenal)
The Midfield: The Engine Room
If you aren't talking about Declan Rice, are you even watching football? He’s the heartbeat of that Arsenal team. Since Martin Zubimendi arrived to handle the deeper duties, Rice has been allowed to roam. He’s carrying the ball further than any other midfielder in the league. 310 progressive carries! He's basically a one-man transition.
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Then you've got Bruno Fernandes. People love to hate on his antics, but the numbers are stupid. Most assists (8), most chances created (56), and he’s currently topping the FotMob ratings with a 7.92. After United’s win over City today, his stock has never been higher. He’s the reason they just jumped into the top four.
And we can't ignore Moises Caicedo. Chelsea are in 6th, and while they've been inconsistent, Caicedo has finally looked like a £100m player. He’s second in the league for interceptions. He’s essentially a vacuum cleaner in the middle of the park.
The Attack: Haaland and the "Others"
Look, Erling Haaland has 20 goals in 21 games. He’s a cyborg. He’s the quickest player to 100 Premier League goals, hitting the milestone in December. Even when he’s "quiet," he’s terrifying. He occupies two defenders just by existing. He’s the lock for the striker position in any premiership team of the season.
But the wingers? That’s where the fun is.
Antoine Semenyo at Bournemouth has been a revelation. 10 goal contributions for a team in 15th is massive. There are rumors of a £65m move to City or Liverpool for a reason. He’s direct, powerful, and honestly a nightmare to mark.
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On the other side, Bukayo Saka remains the gold standard for reliability. He’s not always the flashiest, but with four goals and three assists, he’s the reason Arsenal are six points clear at the top.
Why the "Supercomputer" is Worried about City
While our team of the season is loaded with talent, the "Supercomputer" stats suggest a shift. Arsenal currently has a 68.7% chance of winning the league. City has slipped to 24.4%. Why? Because while their stars like Phil Foden and Haaland are performing, their defensive depth has taken a hit.
The Surprise Package: Sunderland's Swiss Heart
Granit Xhaka returning to the Premier League to play for Sunderland was the weirdest transfer of the summer. But it worked. He’s been the "adult in the room" for a young Sunderland side. With five assists and a 7.17 rating, he’s proving that age is just a number. He won't make the final XI over Rice or Bruno, but he’s the first sub on the bench.
The Actionable Verdict
If you're looking at who will finish the year in the actual PFA Team of the Year, keep your eyes on these three factors:
- The Arsenal Health Factor: If Gabriel or Rice gets a knock, the whole structure changes.
- The Semenyo Transfer: If Bournemouth sells their star man in the next two weeks, expect them to tumble toward the relegation zone.
- The United Surge: Ruben Amorim has United playing a very specific, high-intensity style. Watch Patrick Dorgu—his goal today wasn't a fluke. He’s a name to remember for the second half of the season.
The race for the premiership team of the season is usually won in February and March. Arsenal has the lead, but with City playing them on April 18th, nothing is settled. For now, the "All-Star" XI looks like a blend of North London dominance and some very surprising outliers from the bottom half of the table.
To stay ahead of the curve, watch how teams handle the "fixture congestion" in late January. Arsenal's depth is their greatest strength, but the rise of players like Igor Thiago (16 goals for Brentford!) shows that the scoring talent in this league is deeper than just the usual suspects at the top.