The start of 2025 marks just about the halfway point of the 24/25 Premier League season, and what a season it has been thus far.

We have been blessed with some riveting narratives, including huge managerial switches and unlikely suspects battling it out for the European spots.

Currently in 6th place, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have experienced an unthinkable regression. 

At the same time, Premier League newcomer Arne Slot has surprised all pundits by instantly adjusting to the pace of English football. 

Consequently, he has guided his new Liverpool side to the top spot at Christmas.

The current bottom three of the Premier League comprise of all the newly promoted teams from the EFL Championshiplast season. 

Ipswich Town, Southampton and Leicester further accentuate just how difficult the jump is from the second tier, even for previous Premier League champions.

In addition, the usual ‘Big 6’ candidates like Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have struggled for form, allowing Fulham, Bournemouth, and Nottingham Forest to flex their technical abilities in pursuit of a top-half finish.

With this in mind, we thought it would be interesting to do a Premier League Team of the Season So Far data analysis to highlight 11 players who have been the most impactful after the opening 19 matches.

The following team features a mixture of Premier League superstars alongside some more underappreciated figures who have certainly elevated their game throughout the current campaign.

While the following team is by no means set in stone, it gives us a great indication of which players have shone based on a data-driven approach to quantifying their success.

We will revisit this squad at the end of the 2024/2025 Premier League season and see if anything has changed.

Goalkeeper: Matz Sels - Nottingham Forest 

So far this season, the Premier League has been littered with amazing shot-stoppers, with Jordan Pickford and David Raya also battling to claim the first spot in our Premier League Team Of The Season.

However, we have instead opted for Matz Sels of Nottingham Forest between the sticks. 

The Belgian has excellently epitomised Forest’s defensive strength with resilient performances this campaign.

Sels has recorded an impressive figure of only 1.00 goals against per 90 so far, ranking him within the 90th percentile of Premier League goalkeepers.

Although Nottingham Forest is still conceding an average of 10.85 shots per 90 minutes, the Belgian goalkeeper ranks within the 84th percentile with a 75% save percentage.

Forest have managed to achieve a league-leading eight clean sheets with Sels between the sticks, as his 42.1% clean sheet percentage certainly signifies evidence to support his inclusion.

Despite Sels taking the plaudits on this occasion, we felt it was important to highlight a member of the excellent Forest defensive unit. 

Their concession of just 19 goals from 19.8 xGA allowed them to dispel narratives surrounding defensive fortune or overachievement.

While Sels’ defensive actions are much more limited to his own penalty area than those of Robert Sánchez at Chelsea, the Belgian is supremely confident that his side is limiting their opposition to just 0.099 xG per shot—second only to Arsenal so far this season.

Right-Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold - Liverpool

It will come as little surprise to see Trent Alexander-Arnold named as the selection for best right-back so far this Premier League campaign.

A man who has certainly grabbed the headlines this week ahead of a potential transfer away from Liverpool to Real Madrid, Alexander-Arnold has offered an assured progressive figure within Arne Slot’s new side.

His 7.81 progressive passes per match rank him within the 99th percentile for right-backs across Europe’s top 5 leagues, with his inevitable advanced positioning allowing him to craft 4.05 shot-creating actions per 90 (97th percentile).

For this reason, Alexander-Arnold has become heavily associated with his attacking performances season after season, but it is essential to highlight how his defensive actions have improved under Slot.

Trent is now successfully completing 2.20 tackles per 90 whilst also performing an impressive 5.22 ball recoveries per 90.

Whilst his ability to limit the progress of opposition wingers and full-backs has been placed under severe scrutiny for some time now, Alexander-Arnold has reduced the frequency that he is dribbled past, from 2.41 to 1.84 per 90 when comparing this season and the previous campaign.

Potential defensive deficiencies were one of the reasons why the likes of Ola Aina almost received top honours. 

Still, the supreme attacking nature of Alexander-Arnold allows him to consistently operate as one of the Premier League’s most prized creative assets.

Right Centre-Back: Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool

Another beneficiary of Arne Slot’s introduction at Liverpool would be his fellow Dutchman Virgil van Dijk, who constantly reminds Premier League fans why he is one of the best central defenders in world football.

Whilst the underlying defensive metrics often fail to convey the Dutchman’s defensive qualities due to Liverpool enjoying the majority of possession throughout matches in 24/25, van Dijk’s dominating presence has been an imperative feature of Liverpool’s success in the Slot system.

In the attacking phase, van Dijk typifies the ball-playing outlet that supports the aforementioned Trent Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool’s other key progressive stars, with a pass completion percentage of 96.5% and 95.6% for short and medium passes, respectively.

But when Liverpool are out of possession, van Dijk really comes into his own.

The Dutch central defender ranks within the 96th percentile for aerial duels won percentage (74.7%), highlighting his importance when duelling against some of the league’s most physically savvy centre forwards.

His calming and controlling presence has been vital when aiming to bed in more inexperienced defenders like Conor Bradley or Jarell Quansah, and the ability to break up play with 1.78 interceptions per 90 (89th percentile) would definitely support that notion.

The increase in offensive responsibility and dependency on bringing the ball out of defence has been a welcomed addition for Liverpool fans and is one of the key reasons van Dijk has been selected for our team.

Left Centre Back: Gabriel Magalhães - Arsenal

It is only fitting that we include one of Arsenal’s world-class central defenders, especially considering they have transformed the way in which the Gunners have operated in front of goal.

With Mikel Arteta’s side faltering slightly in front of goal compared to their previous seasons, they have relied on set-piece magic, with Gabriel providing some timely goal contributions with his aerial threat from corner kicks.

The impact of these headed goals cannot be understated and have once again propelled Arsenal towards the top of the table when other title challengers have faltered.

Arsenal’s central defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba provides a resolute and solid barrier in front of David Raya. 

The Brazilian completes 1.86 blocks per 90 minutes.

This has ultimately allowed Arsenal to significantly minimise the threat of opposition attacking sequences, recording the lowest expected goals per shot against figure of any side in the Premier League.

Arsenal’s ability to dominate the territory battle has allowed Gabriel to showcase his talents higher up the pitch. 

He averages 9.08 touches per 90 minutes in the opposition’s half.

This, in turn, has transformed Gabriel into an effective central defender on both sides of the ball, with an increased number of carries into the final third and the confidence to successfully take on opposing pressors to enhance Arsenal’s build-up play.

The tactical trend from the current season in which Arsenal have been able to manipulate the opposition's defensive structures when responding to their aerial success is a huge reason why Gabriel was a clear selection alongside van Dijk in our team.

Left-Back: Antonee Robinson - Fulham

Having stood out as one of the only exciting members of the USMNT in the 2024 Copa América, Antonee Robinson has continued to impress with his well-rounded performances in the Premier League.

It seems to have been the year in which the usual suspects are not exactly performing at an elite level, allowing the likes of Robinson and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez to stand out and attract the attention of Europe’s best.

Robinson’s 7 Premier League assists have been beneficial for Marco Silva’s team, with the American full-back exhibiting his dominance as he flies down the left flank.

He represents one of Fulham’s key attacking outlets, not only with his 3.26 progressive carries per match but also being the recipient of 7.58 progressive passes per 90- the most of any left-back in the Premier League this campaign.

For all of his creative threat and attacking presence in the final third, Robinson also consistently offers defensive reassurance within his own third, with a greater proportion of successful tackles in his own defensive territory.

His 4.74 tackles and interceptions per match would signify how important he has been to Fulham’s overall defensive strength.

Fulham currently sit tantalisingly close to the European spots, and some favourable matches are on the horizon.

Defensive Midfielder: Moisés Caicedo - Chelsea

It would appear as though a switch in tactical system and manager has worked like magic for one of the Premier League’s most expensive transfers.

Moisés Caicedo spent the majority of last season burdened by his incredible transfer fee after his move from Brighton. 

He joined a Chelsea side that struggled to establish a true identity and ultimately failed to achieve its goals.

However, Enzo Maresca has appeared to allow Caicedo to flourish in a more flexible midfield role, allowing him to showcase his defensive solidity alongside increased frequency to be impactful in the attacking phase.

His game's energetic, ground-eating nature is an infectious trait, owing a lot to his increased desire to perform and prove his doubters from last season wrong.

Caicedo remains combative as Chelsea's single pivot, completing 6.14 ball recoveries per match alongside an impressive number of successful tackles and aerial duels.

The Ecuadorian midfielder can effectively deny opposition progress within the middle third, as Caicedo has ranked within the 88th percentile for dribblers tackled this season (64.4% success).

From these positions, Caicedo has facilitated crucial counter-attacking opportunities for the Blues. 

He has used his attacking desire and energy to complete 6.84 passes into the final third.

Central Midfielder: Ryan Gravenberch - Liverpool

Much like Moisés Caicedo, we have featured another midfielder who is now excelling after a change in tactical system and manager.

From a player who struggled for minutes under Jürgen Klopp, Ryan Gravenberch has evolved into a key component of Arne Slot’s midfield at Liverpool.

Gravenberch is operating at an incredibly high level alongside Alexis Mac Allister. 

His tactical flexibility and mobility are crucial to Liverpool’s ball progression.

Considering Liverpool’s commitment to fast-paced build-up play, which aims to target progression along the flanks, Gravenberch has been able to adapt from his initial ‘number 6’ positioning to create impactful overloads out wide.

After being dropped into Slot’s possession-based system, Gravenberch has seen a huge increase in passing accuracies at all levels, additionally performing 4.97 passes into the final third per match to unlock Liverpool’s elite attacking talents.

His physical stature helps to create an important complementary double-pivot when out of possession, as he is able to successfully perform a high frequency of aerial duels (83.3% success rate) alongside his unique lateral movement to engage in ground duels.

Even though it may seem as though Gravenberch had fallen into Slot’s lap after Liverpool failed to sign Martín Zubimendi in the summer window, the Dutchman has showcased his talents as a press-resistant and progressive player who now looks to be an indispensable member of the Reds’ midfield.

Attacking Midfielder: Cole Palmer - Chelsea

It was a no-brainer whether Cole Palmer would feature in our Team of the Season So Far. 

The Chelsea star is more of an advanced midfielder on the right side of a 4-3-3.

This represents a switch under Enzo Maresca tactics that has allowed Cole Palmer to more consistently affect the game from central areas instead of operating as the inverted right winger we saw under Mauricio Pochettino.

Palmer was always the player who looked to shoulder the majority of Chelsea’s attacking responsibilities. 

Still, this is much more enhanced with a centralised position that allows Palmer to interact with both wingers and lone strikers.

The following graphic depicting Palmer’s penetrating carries this season can also shine light upon Chelsea’s ability to be unpredictable in their attacking sequences.

With no clear preference as to where Chelsea’s most influential attacker will enter the penalty area, the opposition's defensive confusion has allowed Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson to elevate their game this season.

Palmer’s multifaceted approach to attacking has been formed on the back of intelligent, creative play but also a keen desire to be direct and utilise his composed ball-striking.

The English superstar has recorded 5.54 total shot-creating actions per 90 this season and is also in the 96th percentile for non-penalty expected goals and assists combined per match (0.83).

With 18 goal contributions in 19 matches, Palmer is certainly a non-negotiable selection as he continues to operate at an elite level for Chelsea.

This season, the difference is that the increased team cohesion and comfortability in Maresca’s system has allowed Chelsea to push on for a title challenge as we enter 2025.

Right Winger: Mohamed Salah - Liverpool

The right-wing position is perhaps the most fiercely contested at present, with Bukayo Saka incredibly unlucky not to feature in our team.

But it was always going to be Mohamed Salah, wasn’t it?

The Egyptian has blessed the Premier League with his attacking prowess year after year.

Still, an unthinkable 30-goal contribution in 18 matches signifies that he is operating on a whole new level under Slot.

Salah has experienced a positional adaptation in a more possession-based side, with less reliance on his energetic bursts in behind the defensive line.

This boosts his energy preservation, allowing him to fire on all cylinders later in the match. 

Salah now favours more targeted starting positions to be impactful in and around the 18-yard box.

In many ways, Salah is expanding his attacking game into more of an all-rounder like the aforementioned Cole Palmer, with Salah breaking a Premier League record for the most matches in which a player has scored and assisted (8).

Salah has recorded a league-leading 9.73 touches in the opposition’s box per 90, which has allowed him to then convert these opportunities into 0.70 non-penalty xG per match.

Figures like these have eclipsed all other wingers in the league and are a huge reason why Liverpool have generated a 6-point cushion at the top of the table.

There is little to be said about Mohamed Salah that we haven’t already come to understand, but under Arne Slot, Salah has appeared to be much more of a target for progressive passes and long passes over to the right flank.

This continues a trend across the Premier League, where sides have looked to bypass their midfield to protect against ball losses in the middle to defensive thirds. 

This has allowed Salah to receive an average of 11.89 progressive passes per 90 minutes.

With these being converted into 3.58 penalty area carries per 90, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect Salah to continue this rich vein of form and shatter more Premier League records.

Striker: Alexander Isak - Newcastle

It may be surprising not to see Erling Haaland once again spearheading the attack in a ‘best of’ Premier League XI, but his recent decline in output and form has allowed another elite striker to take the reigns.

Alexander Isak has emerged as one of the best Premier League strikers, especially with his 10-goal contributions in the month of December.

With 16 G/A in 17 matches altogether, Isak represents a much more well-rounded and impactful striking option when compared to other high-performing strikers like Chris Wood.

Alexander Isak’s attacking talents begin with a desire to engage in 1v1 attacking scenarios. 

His effectiveness is portrayed through his 1.70 successful take-ons per 90 minutes, with a 47.3% success rate when trying to dribble past his opposing defender.

At 6'4”, Isak is a clear aerial presence for hold-up play, which only adds to the uniqueness of his profile.

Unlike other top strikers in the Premier League, Isak looks to be influential in the creative elements of Newcastle’s chance creation, with the Swedish striker recording 1.96 key passes and 0.26 assists per 90 this season.

Isak’s explosive movement can also be used when attacking from the left flank, allowing Newcastle to unsettle defences with subsequent runs from Anthony Gordon through the middle. 

This further emphasises Isak’s positional versatility.

Left Winger: Matheus Cunha - Wolverhampton Wanderers

The majority of the players within our team have been utilising their talents at the top end of the table, but Matheus Cunhais certainly doing all he can to save Wolves from the threat of relegation.

His ability to quickly reach double figures in Premier League goals has earned him some much-needed points in a bleak period for Wolves, and he has operated as the only real beacon of hope.

Cunha has operated as more of a left-sided attacking midfielder under Gary O’Neil's tactics and now looks to continue in a similar role for new boss, Vítor Pereira.

But whilst operating in a team that is currently sitting in 17th place, Cunha has had to dig deep and showcase a resilient nature when out of possession, which is depicted nicely by his 0.75 tackles per 90 in the defensive third.

His tackles and clearances also rank within the 84th and 79th percentiles, respectively, which also provides an important picture of how Cunha has maintained his desire to relieve pressure for his Wolves side off the ball.

This commitment naturally translates effectively into more attacking scenarios, where we see Cunha recording 3.17 carries into the final third per match.

It is clear that Cunha is an incredibly ball-dominant character. 

His tendency to want possession is supported by his excellent ball control and ability to manipulate the opposition's defensive structure with his dribbling prowess.

Regarding effectiveness inside the penalty area, Cunha is currently achieving 0.58 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, which is a huge difference from his 0.32 xG per 90 minutes.

While this would often be attributed to attacking fortune and unsustainable underlying numbers, Cunha operates in a unique circumstance where the ability to convert scarce attacking opportunities only adds to his value and importance.

After his recent appointment, Pereira is looking to instil a winning culture at Wolves. 

It will certainly be interesting to see whether Cunha opts to continue in a fierce relegation fight or instead uses his talents to a European contender after some justified positive publicity. 

Conclusion

As we conclude our data-driven Premier League best XI thus far, we must reiterate that these selections are merely subjective and that a multitude of supreme talents missed out.

It has been an incredibly exciting Premier League season so far, where the introduction of more elite summer additions has allowed the level of quality to significantly increase.

The Premier League has long been considered the ‘best league in the world’, and as we enter the second half of the season, it is once again providing some excellent talking points and trends.

It will be interesting to revisit this squad as we build of 2024/2025 Premier League Team Of The Season at the end of the season.