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With 2018 coming to a close, Sportskeeda has decided to felicitate a few of the beautiful game's top performances/performers of the year.
The English Premier League has seen a range of top players perform at the highest level across the whole calendar year, treating fans all over the world to some top quality and entertaining Football.
So here, I'm trying to curate the best playing XI from across the Premier League with the focus on performances in this Calendar year (2018). Note that players who transferred to Premier clubs this cummer or players that transferred away from a Premier League club this Summer will not be considered because they didn't play the entirety of 2018 with a Premier League club. We will also be going with a 4-4-2 formation for this team, as it suited all the players shortlisted
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The Playing XI below is a product of Stats and opinions. But mainly opinions. So here goes, the Premier League's Best XI of 2018.
Goalkeeper- Ederson (Manchester City)
The Brazilian signed for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in 2017 for a then British record £35 Million fee from Benfica. Ever since his arrival, the Brazilian International has been a solid custodian for Manchester City, and aside from his excellent keeping skills, Ederson's distribution is also widely praised. Ederson in some ways has changed the trend for keepers and what we demand from them as players.
You can argue that David De Gea should be here ahead of Ederson given that De Gea is probably a more talented keeper. But, Ederson is a representation and clear-cut example of a modern-day keeper who has further forced other top English Clubs to rethink their keeper strategy. Since Ederson's arrival, Premier League clubs have broken all shackles and gone all out to get quality Goalkeeper's on their side. Ederson's transfer and performances have created a ripple effect of sorts and the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool have spent enormous amounts of money to get Kepa and Alisson to their respective clubs. 2018 will be remembered as the year in which keeper's finally got their due and Ederson started the trend.
Left Back- Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)
Marcos Alonso may not be the favourite at this position, but since arriving from Fiorentina in 2016, the Spaniard has scored 15 Goals and assisted 9. His defensive numbers are pretty impressive as well, with 225 tackles at a success rate of 69%, 302 clearances and a 171 clearances. Pretty impressive for a full-back who is constantly criticised for his defensive abilities.
Alonso in recent times has had a few bad games and has struggled on both the defensive and offensive front. But given that this is an overall 2018 performance based article, look no further than Marcos Alonso. Furthermore, the Spaniard even takes set pieces from Chelsea and is pretty accurate at curling in free-kicks over the wall and into the back of the net. Hopefully, the Spaniard can shake off his bad vein of Form in recent games and come back stronger.
Centre Back- Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)
The best centre-back in the league right now, by a mile and a half. Virgil Van Dijk has led Liverpool's backline out of a crisis. Exactly this time last year, pundits were calling Liverpool's defence the most shambolic in the league and fans of the club had accepted that in order to win games they would need to outscore the opposition.
Enter Virgil Van Dijk, the media, pundits and opposition fans criticise the 'Inflated' £75 Million Liverpool pay for him. One Year Later, the Reds have the best defence in the League and Van Dijk has taken Liverpool from an entertaining Top 4 Club to title favourites. For that transition, I think we can all agree that £75 Million is an absolute bargain. Van Dijk will most certainly take the Liverpool armband in the near future and boy wouldn't he be a great leader?
Centre Back- John Stones (Manchester City)
England's Future, Man City's prodigal defender and just a solid, solid centre-back. At the Start of the 2016/17 season when John Stones was the talk of the town and the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City were in a rat race to sign the then Everton Centre-Back valued at £50 Million, I was appalled at sheer inflation of young untested centre-back's transfer fee.
When Manchester City completed the transfer, paying 50 million quid for Stones, we were all still a little sceptical. 2 Seasons on and he's a Premier League Champion, League Cup winner and World Cup semi-finalist. John Stones is probably one of the only no-nonsense defenders of his generation, at a time when all 11 players want to get forward, Stones is probably one of the few centre-backs who drops deep and unapologetically does his job week in week out.
Right Back- Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Kyle Walker was a critical piece in Pep Guardiola's Title winning team, probably the one part of the puzzle that fit everything together. Pep Guardiola has always had a quality right-back at every club he's managed at Barcelona he had Dani Alves at Barcelona and Philipp Lahm at Bayern Munich. But when Pep arrived at Manchester City, he lacked quality full-backs.
Walker arrived at the start of the 17/18 Season for £50 million and his effect was immediate. Walker almost played like a second winger and often dropped into Midfield positions as well. But when Manchester City would lose possession of the ball the 28-Year-Old English International would sprint back to his position in no time and more often than not, win the ball back. To go with the Title, Walker was very impressive at the World Cup as well.
Central Defensive Midfielder- N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Undoubtedly football's nicest man. N'Golo Kante's story is probably one of the most inspiring sporting stories around, from a Ligue 2 Player in France to a two-time Premier League winner, FA Cup Winner and a World Champion. N'Golo Kante's story is one that should be retold again and again.
Kante doesn't make this team because of his humbling story. He makes it because he is the best ball-winner in the World and he is the kind of player who gives his all for the team. A clear-cut example of his quality can be seen right now, Kante is playing out of his preferred CDM position since the arrival of Jorginho. Despite the difficulties of his new position, no one has seen him sulk or look uncomfortable in this advanced role and through his grit and determination, Kante is turning into a great offensive Midfielder as well.
Left Midfield- Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Considering the year Manchester City had, are you even surprised to see a fourth player on this list? Raheem Sterling, in my opinion, has been Manchester City's most improved player in 2018. Considering Sterling was all set to Manchester City's fall guy and was rumoured to have been a part of a potential trade for then Arsenal forward, Alexis Sanchez. One year later and Sterling has been involved in the most number of goals for his club.
He slots in at the left side of midfield in this team and possesses the lethal qualities to exploit full-backs and also regularly pitches in with Goals from time to time. Raheem Sterling has come a long way since being a scrawny prodigal teenager at Liverpool. Sterling is now a key player for Guardiola's Manchester City and Gareth Southgate's England.
Central Attacking Midfield- Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Eden Hazard has grown into arguably the best player in the Premier League not only because of his talent but just the sheer visual joy of what he brings to the league. Eden Hazard has gone from Chelsea's most talented player to becoming the sole goalscoring source for the club. As the Chelsea try to sort out their striker problem, Hazard has slotted in with 10 Goals and nine assists which is incidentally the best goal involvement tally for any player in the Premier League this season.
The Belgian captain had a brilliant 2018, leading his country to a third-place position in the World Cup, the best position achieved by a Belgian team. Hazard will play right behind our two strikers in the traditional number 10 role which gives him the freedom to operate the way he wants to with the creative freedom that makes him so lethal.
Hazard scored his 100th and 101st Chelsea Goal recently and fans of Chelsea and the Premier League will be hoping there are many more to come.
Right Midfield- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mo Salah will be running down this wing, and the Egyptian King makes this side no questions asked. Mohamed Salah is every Liverpool fan's hero and every Chelsea fan's constant reminder of the fact that he was the "one that got away". Salah has had a brilliant 2018, finishing as the PFA Player of the Year, Premier League top scorer and a Champions League finalist.
Salah was directly involved in 40 Goals in 2018 (Scoring 27 and assisting 13) which is the most for any Premier League player and 4th best in Europe's top 5 Leagues only behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. The Egyptian has had a fairytale year, almost single-handedly guiding Egypt to the World Cup and becoming one of the most lethal Goalscorers in World Football.
Salah returned to the Premier League with a point to prove and boy oh boy did he make a solid impression.
Striker- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang(Arsenal)
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is the greatest striker Arsenal have signed since Thierry Henry. The former Borussia Dortmund Forward has been sensational for Arsenal, not only for Unai Emery but was also impressive under Arsene Wenger during the fag end of last season.
Arsenal have had a striker problem for years and in a span of less than two years, they have resolved that issue with the acquisition of Aubameyang and Lacazette. The Gabon international has been racking up the goals having scored 25 times in 2018, considering he moved to Arsenal in January which is the hardest time for a player to move and settle into a Club, Aubameyang did not only settle down fast but also began to dominate. He is everything you want in a striker and more.
Striker- Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Who other than Harry Kane to round up this list? The England Captain is an example and representation of what this new Generation of English players stand for and also is also a Goalscoring Machine of the highest quality. There is no Goalscorer in England who is as clinical or consistent as Harry Kane.
Kane isn't only a brilliant striker but is also a brilliant example of a team player who gives it his all everytime he takes the field. It's his team player qualities that made him England captain and it's his consistent hard work and work rate that has made him not only one of the best in the Premier League but one of the best in the World. Expect Kane to dominate the Goalscoring charts for seasons to come.
