2014/15 Premier League PFA Team of the Year - Probable XI

The EPL has entered the home stretch with just a handful of games left to play. While the Top 4 and title contenders are pretty much set in stone, teams still have a mathematical chance of either winning the title or qualifying for the Champions League.The 2014/15 season saw a number of new signings, especially from La Liga, and they have proved their quality time and again. With the PFA awards around the corner, we take a look at who could make it to the Team of the Year based on this season’s performances.Note: We have used a 4-3-3 formation to pick this team and all stats are taken from WhoScored.

#1 Goalkeeper: David De Gea

The Spanish shot stopper has been one of the crucial players who have helped Manchester United to the top four this season. With a string of important saves on a number of occasions, De Gea has been the difference between scoring no points to claiming at least one point or all three for the Red Devils.

De Gea has started all 31 matches so far and has never been substituted. In these games, he has made a total of 79 saves – 9 saves in the six-yard box, 42 inside the penalty area and 28 outside the box.

The 24-year-old is already a primary target for Real Madrid who see him as the heir to Iker Casillas and Manchester United will hope he puts pen to paper soon with his contract expiring at the end of next season.

#2 Right Back: Branislav Ivanovic

The Serbian right back has had a stellar season with the Blues – in both attack and defence. The 31-year-old has not just been restricted to a defensive role and can even be seen inside the opposition’s box when Chelsea are on the attack.

Ivanovic has played all 30 games this season and has an enviable record of 4 goals and 4 assists! Defensively, he has already made 71 tackles and 30 interceptions while also blocking 18 crosses. He also has a pass success rate of close to 82%.

This has already been Ivanovic’s best season in a Chelsea shirt with consistent performances in the Champions League as well. The Blues have already won the League Cup and look well set to win the Premier League title come May.

#3 Centre Back: John Terry

The ex-England captain was said to be on the wane but all those doubts were put to rest this season. His numbers are almost similar to the ones he posted when he first came to Chelsea a decade ago. That is how consistent the 34-year-old has been this season.

Having played all 30 league games so far, the defender has marshalled his back line which has seen the Blues lose only two games all season. He has made a total of 38 tackles, 25 interceptions and blocked 23 shots on goal. With a pass success of almost 90%, he is the best defender to have to win the ball and initiate attacks.

Blues fans will be happy to note that he has signed a new one-year deal that will keep him at the club till the end of the 2015/16 season. With this kind of form and fitness, there’s no reason to call for his retirement anytime soon.

#4 Centre Back: Jose Fonte

One of the fairy tales of this season has been Southampton’s run in the EPL. Having had a clearance sale last summer, not much was expected of new boss Ronald Koeman with the players at his disposal. But he took up the challenge and the Saints now find themselves fighting for a spot in Europe.

The foundation for this run of form was laid thanks to the Saints’ defence. They are still the meanest defence in the league having conceded only 22 goals. By contrast, EPL leaders Chelsea have conceded 26 having played a game less. And Jose Fonte’s leadership has been the key.

In 30 games, he has recorded 64 tackles, 93 interceptions (more than 3 per game) and blocked 17 shots. The Portuguese defender also has a pass success of 84%.

#5 Left Back: Ryan Bertrand

Another Southampton defender makes the list and it’s tough not to include Ryan Bertrand. He has had a breakout season in the EPL and has made his move to the south coast permanent. The ex-Chelsea full back has found more playing time under Koeman and he has made it count.

In 27 appearances, Bertrand has made 38 tackles, 51 interceptions and blocked 22 crosses. He also has a pass success of 80% and makes at least one successful cross per game. He also has 2 goals and 2 assists to his name.

The 25-year-old signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the Saints and it looks like he will be the mainstay in their defence for seasons to come.

#6 Defensive Midfield: Nemanja Matic

One of the key players in Chelsea’s utter domination of the EPL is the big man in the centre of the park – Nemanja Matic. The Serbian international has bossed the midfield and has forged a fruitful partnership with Cesc Fabregas.

Matic’s importance to the side came to the forefront when Chelsea lost their first game in the league in December against Newcastle United at St James Park. The 26-year-old midfielder has played 28 games (he missed games because of a suspension) so far and even has two goals and an assist to his name. He has made 22 tackles, 58 interceptions and blocked 56 shots, passes and crosses.

Chelsea’s current league position is largely attribute to the 6’4” midfielder and his ability to control the midfield, win the ball back, initiate attacks and pose a threat in set pieces.

#7 Central Midfield: Cesc Fabregas

While many predicted a return to the club where he made his name in the Premier League, it wasn’t to be. Cesc Fabregas did come back to London, but he would sign for Chelsea and not Arsenal. And he picked up where he left off in the EPL.

He started the season with a flurry of assists that immediately questioned Arsene Wenger’s decision not to re-sign him. He gave Chelsea's attack a new dimension, one it lacked last season and Frank Lampard was never missed.

Fabregas currently leads the assists chart with a whopping 16 assists apart from the 2 goals in 27 appearances. Although he has faded a bit in the second half of the season, he is still key to keeping the ball ticking in the Blues midfield. Witha pass success of 86.4% to boot, he has been Mourinho's trump card this season, releasing the pressure on Eden Hazard and Oscar to create goalscoring opportunities.

#8 Attacking Midfield: Santi Cazorla

Santi Cazorla is quite possibly the one player no football fan in the world can hate (he even made our list). The Spanish international rose to fame after he moved to Arsenal in 2012 and has been the mainstay in the Gunners' midfield, pulling the strings in their beautiful passing game.

The 30-year-old midfielder has 7 goals and 8 assists in 30 appearances (26 starts) so far. His pass success rate is 88% and has also made 65 key passes in the league this season.

He has played in a a variety of roles from attacking midfield to central midfield to even playing as a left forward if the need arose. But he thrives in the CAM role behind the forward line and has 5 goals and 6 assists when he is deployed there. Arguably one of Wenger’s most important signings in the past few years, Cazorla has helped Arsenal from being just another Top 4 side to one that fights for trophies.

#9 Forward: Eden Hazard

The Belgian forward has upped his game this season and has been the driving force for Chelsea in a season where they have looked like serious contenders to win trophies. Last season, he had 14 goals and 7 assists in the league. This season, he is already on 12 goals and 7 assists and it doesn't look like he will finish the season with these numbers.

The 24-year-old won the PFA Young Player of the Year award last season and is in contention to win the big one this season. He has taken 62 shots on goal and made 145 successful dribbles this season.

Known to be a big game player, he will relish the matches coming up against Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal as the Blues seek to win their first title since 2010.

#10 Forward: Alexis Sanchez

The Chilean forward has undoubtedly been the signing of the season in the Premier League. With Theo Walcott suffering an ACL tear last season which ruled him out for months, Arsenal needed someone with pace and an eye for goal and they got that in Alexis Sanchez.

The 26-year-old set the league on fire scoring goals for fun in the initial months. He had already scored 10 goals even before the halfway stage of the league season. After 27 appearances, he is currently on 14 goals and 8 assists (20 goals in all competitions). He has taken 88 shots on goal and has successfully dribbled past his opponent 98 times this season.

His versatility allows Wenger to play him either on the left or the right, occasionally even leading the line in the absence of Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck. In fact, a majority of his goals have come when he is involved in the central part of the pitch. Showing no signs of fatigue after making the switch to the Premier League, Arsenal have found a player they can always depend on for goals – either from open play or set-pieces.

#11 Striker: Harry Kane

This was the toughest decision to make with three in-form strikers currently playing in the Premier League. Diego Costa has the same number of goals and assists as Kane while Olivier Giroud has a better minutes-per-goal ratio than both (14 goals even though he missed three months of the season).

But for his consistency and ability to score crucial goals winners against the top sides, Kane gets the nod as the starting striker in this team. Moreover, with Costa’s season in doubt because of a hamstring injury, Kane may very well surpass him in the race for the EPL Golden Boot. Also, Costa has only one other goal (Capital One Cup), barely playing in the other competitions while Kane has scored 27 goals in all competitions this season – a testament to his fitness levels.

With 19 goals and 3 assists, which includes 22 points coming from his goals (an EPL high), it seems like whatever he touches turns to gold. In fact, he needed just 79 seconds to score on his England debut.

Substitutes: Forster, Clyne, Skrtel, Schneiderlin, Silva, Coutinho, Costa

Team of the Year – 2014/15