Arguably the greatest goalkeeper of all time, Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon has been a busy man recently having broken the Serie A clean sheet record on the weekend before he penned a heartfelt letter to the goal he’s defended for the past 25 years.
Needing just over three minutes to break the record against Torino on Sunday, Buffon went 974 minutes without conceding a goal and added a further 44 minutes to the record, but finally conceded a late goal in a 4-1 win.
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But Buffon’s latest endeavour will leave the red halves of Manchester and Liverpool red-faced as the legendary goalkeeper failed to name a single Manchester United or Liverpool player in his best Premier League XI.
Speaking to ShortList, Buffon instead heavily favoured Manchester City and Arsenal players in an attack-minded 4-3-3 formation, with two Chelsea players and one Tottenham playing making up the rest of the XI.
Here is Buffon’s XI:
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart
Choosing Joe Hart as his first choice keeper, Buffon praised the England and Manchester City number one for his consistent improvement over the years and labelled him as “one of the top three goalkeepers in the world”, something we’re sure Hart would love to hear from the Italian legend.
What Buffon said:
“The Premier League has a lot of top-class goalkeepers, but I have been watching Joe for many years and he has just kept on getting better and better. For me he is now one of the top three goalkeepers in the world.”
Defence: Azpilicueta – Koscielny – Kompany – Zabaleta
It’s hard to argue with Buffon’s choice of defenders, though his pick of Azpilicueta at left-back is questionable considering Chelsea’s horror run of form earlier in the season. Despite their poor run, Buffon praised Azpilicueta for his reliability.
“Chelsea are not enjoying their best season, but this is another defender who you can always rely on to give you a good performance,” Buffon said.
Picking Koscielny and Kompany as the two centre-backs, Buffon claimed the two players were the best defenders in the league and said Kompany’s recent spell on the sidelines highlighted his importance to Manchester City.
What Buffon said:
(On Koscielny) “The sort of defender that, as a goalkeeper, you are confident in. Calm on the ball, very strong and, most of all, composed in all he does. Along with Kompany, he is the best central defender in England.”
(On Kompany) “Probably the best defender in England and Manchester City have missed him. To get him back at this stage of the season is so important for them.”
Choosing Zabaleta at right back, Buffon said the Argentinian was often under-rated due to the fact his consistent performances have now become expected of him.
Buffon on Zabaleta:
“One of those players that you know will always give you a good performance. They can be overlooked so often, because people just expect them to have a good game, it has become normal.”
Midfield: Ozil – Cazorla – Silva
With a midfield made up of Mesut Ozil, David Silva and Santi Cazorla, the German would have been an easy choice for most due to his 18 assists and five goals in 38 appearances this season. Praising Silva for his ability to change games, Buffon also complimented Cazorla for his similarities to former teammate Andrea Pirlo, though admitted “no one can be compared” to the Italian legend.
“It can take time to adjust to a new league, but this season I think he (Ozil) is showing the player that he was at Real Madrid. Arsenal still have a chance in the league, and a big part of it is because of Ozil,” Buffon said.
Strikers: Aguero – Kane – Costa
Picking a formidable attacking lineup, the decision to have Harry Kane lead the line was an obvious one, with the Spurs striker racking up 21 goals in 31 league appearances this season.
“Over the last year he has been the standout player in English football. He just keeps getting better and better, and at the age he is what he can go and achieve in the game is up to him,” Buffon said.
Also choosing Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa to play alongside Kane, Buffon said Manchester City “must” keep Aguero fit if they want to win the Champions League, and labelled Costa as a player “defenders hate to play against” due to his physical nature and temperament.
While Buffon decided against selecting any Manchester United or Liverpool players, it doesn't really come as a surprise due to United’s recent fall from grace and Liverpool’s inability to demonstrate any consistency this season.
