The PFA Team of the Year was announced earlier today, and as usual, plenty of eyebrows are being raised as a result.
The inclusion of Paul Pogba has caused the most indignation, with many questioning how a player who has only turned up for a short spell in the season is worthy of a place in the selection.
Although it might be a longshot, Liverpool has Burnley as their last hope to win the Premier League from Manchester City by the end...
Pogba’s inclusion is one of several strange choices, with many questioning how several stars have failed to make it into the eleven.
Of course, awards are a subjective matter, so there will always be debate regardless of the recipients. However, we’ve decided to take a look at several players who really should have been in this year’s team.
Mohamed Salah
From PFA Player of the Year, last season to not even making the team this year. It's been quite the fall for Mohamed Salah and one he's not deserving of.
The Egyptian is currently joint-top of the goalscoring charts with 19 and, including assists, has the joint-top goal contributions in the league alongside Eden Hazard and Raheem Sterling.
Those two facts alone should give him an automatic place in the team. Factor in that he's also playing a pivotal role in Liverpool's title challenge and it's baffling that he doesn't make it in.
Teammate Sadio Mane has a spot despite being worse than Salah in every metric this season. Salah's exclusion seems to be down to people voting when he was out of form and nothing more. It can't be because of his numbers, that's for sure.
Eden Hazard
This is the first time the PFA Team of the Year doesn’t have a London based player in it, and Eden Hazard will be wondering how.
The Belgian has had another superb campaign, despite Chelsea’s struggles, and currently sits joint top of the goal contributions charts with Salah and Sterling.
Hazard has managed 16 goals and 13 assists this season. No player has managed more assists than him this season.
That total puts him 11 assists ahead of Mane and nine contributions more than him overall. How Hazard has been left out is anyone’s guess.
Heung-min Son
Okay, so Heung-min Son hasn’t had a great campaign when it comes to goalscoring or assists.
His 19 in total, 12 goals, and seven assists, mean he sits 15th on the overall list, but his contributions go way beyond that.
While he may have contributed fewer goals than the likes of Raul Jimenez or Callum Wilson, Son has had a far more significant impact than those players this season.
The South Korean has stepped up and filled the Harry Kane void on several occasions, scoring big goals and keeping Tottenham in contention. His performances have been consistently brilliant, and while the goals and assists aren’t there, that deserves recognition.
Christian Eriksen
Quite how Paul Pogba has ended up in the team of the year ahead of Christian Eriksen is anyone’s guess.
While the Frenchman has shone in short bursts, Eriksen has been consistently brilliant for much of the campaign.
With Kane struggling for fitness Spurs have needed someone to step up, and that has often been the Danish midfielder.
He’s got 18 goals this season, only four fewer than Pogba, and been far more consistent than the Manchester United midfielder. Few would argue against him being in ahead of the Frenchman.
Alisson Becker
The battle to be the goalkeeper in this year’s PFA Team of the Year was always going to be between Alisson Becker and Ederson Moraes. In the end, Brazil’s number two prevailed over Brazil’s number one.
It has been a fantastic season for Alisson following his move from Roma in the summer. He has conceded the fewest number of goals in the league so far and also has one clean sheet more than his compatriot. Both goalkeepers have also been excellent with their feet and have initiated several counter-attacks (some of them leading to goals) with their excellent distribution.
In the end, one person had to miss out and that was Alisson. The only plausible explanation is that Alisson had a fantastic defence in front of him which may have taken attention away from his excellent work.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Aubameyang has consistently found the back of the net through the season with Arsenal. Though Arsenal’s away day struggles have seen not mark a proper bid for the title, Aubameyang has scored as much as the forwards of Manchester City and Liverpool.
Mohammed Salah, Sergio Aguero and Aubameyang are tied on 19 goals in the race for the Premier League’s golden boot. Aubameyang has also contributed five assists while scoring varied goals from tap ins to stunners.
Lucas Digne
Everton had a massive job on their hands last summer. They needed to find a replacement for Leighton Baines. They did that with the capture of Lucas Digne.
The former Barcelona man has hit the ground running at Goodison Park, firmly establishing himself as a key player and Premier League star.
The full-back has been one of the most creative players in the league, despite playing at full-back, and put in many impressive performances.
He doesn’t get in this team because of Andy Robertson, which is fair enough given the Scot’s assist total. If Digne played in a team with a front three as potent as Liverpool’s, though, he’d be a shoo-in for the team of the year.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Just because you don’t play for a top team does not mean you haven[‘t been the best player in your position all season.
Look at Aaron Wan Bissaka, the Crystal Palace right back has been hugely impressive shutting down the right wing against far more glamorous players, including you Leroy Sane (see above).
This season he’s made 120 tackles with a 69% completion rate and is third in the list for both tackles and interceptions this season.
In fact the 21-year-old has made more tackles than any other full back in the league, if that’s not worthy of a spot then we’re not sure what is.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
In a spluttering Everton team, Gylfi Sigurdsson has individually been their outstanding performer.
The ice-cool Icelandic midfielder has provided the fire in midfield when necessary and has shown his laser-guided right foot to be a very useful weapon.
Sigurdsson has scored more league goals than both Son and Roberto Firmino this season and he has the most goals of any player outside the top six bar Jamie Vardy.
The fact that many of them have been absolute bangers is all the more please.
If it’s not going to be Pogba, then we think Sigurdsson could be the man in midfield.
Vambdlmrsu
1050
Pogba inclusion to that list is a disgrace and a sign that the list lack fairness
devbat52
705
I am wondering the PL chose Pogba to appreciate him or to insult him😂😂
manavzack
232
I guess premier league wants to help man united by keeping pogba on thr list to increase his market value for selling him this summer
eloksjoseph
224
I still don't understand how pogba got into that team, PFA needs VAR
Dadbnsuz
184
Ederson Wan-Bissaka V Dijk Laporte Robertson Wijnaldum (can play CDM, otherwise Fernandinho) Eriksen B. Silva Sterling Son Aguero
DiegoBading10
179
Eden Hazard v Sadio Mane this season: •Goals: 16 - 18 •Assists: 13 - 1 •Pass success: 84% - 79% •Key passes: 89 - 40 •MOTM: 13 - 5 •Dribbles: 182 - 97 •Goal contributions: 29 - 19 Daylight robbery. https://t.co/1xGVlJpSji
RoverSanil
70
Best player in EPL is not in TOTS , it's a disgrace Even though Chelsea had poor performance but hazard was brilliant in every game. It's a shame, Its a disgrace
The_Bishop
67
Hazard and Son has been very impressive for their respective teams ,don't know why they weren't included , maybe just a deliberate attempt to dishonour their hard work
Abooodz
66
This is a joke 😂 Salah not in the team ! Ok salah not in the team we will forget But Hazard not in the team ! Fine we will just leave it Son is not in the team 😂😂😂 Alison is not in the team 🌞 I am not in the team 😂 It’s unfair
Kudainyz
60
In every corner of a wise man there's foolishness, the English FA you are arguably wrong with the list, how can Auba and M.sala who are joint top scorers with visible goal contributes not in the so called list and in all fairness equally, Hazard merits to be in there.
Divyansh26
60
Allison Becker not included in the list seems a little bit bizzare to me he is by far the best goalie right now in the PL with 18 clean sheets so far the only keeper to keep the most no.of clean sheets in his debut season.......... Ederson has been good but The defence lineup mostly consists of Liverpool players Including VVD,TAA,Robertson and seeing Allison name not here is a bit of disappointing really cause he has been the best goalie this year at EPL .......... You'll never walk alone💪......
Impartial1
59
This argument will go on and but hazard exclusion form the team does change a thing because the world still see his as one of the best EPL players and a world class
Brizzy_Lxxvii
58
I still don't get why everyone is trashing pogba like he can't play shit... please check stats before u insult a player. I know you guys think he's shit coz most of his goals have come from penalties but have u guys forgotten the likes of Gerrard and lampard who've scored 10 PL penalties in a season. When u check most PL stats this Season u'll see pogba's name in at least the top 20(If not top 10 or top 5). Even if you feel he doesn't deserve to be in the TOTY it should be because other people deserve it too and that's how it always is. Just because Man Utd have lost 7 of the last 9 games doesn't mean anything. No matter what you ungrateful man utd fans say, he has been the club's best player this season but y'all keep blaming him for our losses coz there's no Mourinho to blame. You guys have forgotten Captain young who commits the errors or our shitty Centre backs and Midfielders like Fred who gives possession away cheaply or Rashford who has the worst decision making in football or Solskjaer who plays Lukaku as a winger or Even Woodward and the man united board who dont know shit about football and signing players. We keep blaming the coaches Pogba and Sanchez but have u asked yourself why. Although one way or the other the coaches and captains should be to blame but still the main utd problem starts from the board of directors. And if there's an Hierarchy of man United's problems Pogba would be at the bottom and the fact that y'all keep insulting him is highly unfair. I'm even sure most man united fans don't know Sanchez has 3 Pl assists despite the little play time he's getting how do we know whether he's going to perform or not when we never start him and then bring him off the bench when we're 2 or 3 nil down. My two points are 1. There are a lot midfielders that deserve to be in the TOTY and Pogba is one of them 2. Most Man u fans are ungrateful and make the mistake of blaming the wrong individuals for our failures
DavidNwannukwu
57
no offense to pogba but the guy he doesn't deserve it even de bruyne who came back from injury is more consistent than him all of a sudden boom Toty we have eriksen and sigurdson yet they went for pogba nice one PL
laebilmz
56
Even I was surprised from the comments that weren’t attacking the absence of the highest goal scorer (19 goals) & influential goal contributor (26 goals incl 7 assists) the Egyptian king Moooooo Salaaaaaahhhh !
Ziunpsu
54
Actually this is strange enough for me! Hazard? Salah? Son? of coz Son this is one his best season, he has played his best to help Tot, the same to Salah without forgetting Hazard with a lot of assists, motm and 16 goals.... then why not in the EPL team of the year..... I doubt the mental states of those who are concerned with the selection
Hecadksuy
41
the selectors of PFA players for team of the year are either blinded by favouritism or with blinkers on, how a player like Pogba, can even be selected, he is even worst than Ballotteli, who at least tried to attack or defend
sayantanpatra
35
The list is incomplete without Eden Hazard... 😕...Eden is the best player of EPL... he has scored 16 goals with 13 assists (most assist) and most key passes.... And he did not get chance in the PFA 11!!!! That's not fair.....
Kezcipstu
32
This selection isn't best players or those who had fared better than other in d overall context but d crux of the matter is from a specific position of play....for instance goal keeping can only be drawn from d best of d goal keepers in d season ,in d same vain is other position of plays...no doubts salah, hazard, etc mentioned were prolific but how many of them play from pogbas position bearing in mind that a team of 11 players must emerge with every position represented. I think that is d argument beside a whole of factors are factored inn ....the motivation aspect,d brilliance n technical execution of d roles etc Do not just be biased bc u are of other colours , Pogba is a special.kind of player given a great scenario, he is practically the driving machine Manchester United team has,this inputs is louded, u can't judge him with players with almost a fantastic team mates each making d roles easier.... I urge u to be an analysts than sentimental .