It has been another memorable Premier League campaign, with plenty of fine individual performances.
Here, the PA news agency picks out 11 players who have impressed over the 2022-23 season.
Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Gunners stopper Ramsdale has enjoyed a stand-out campaign. The 25-year-old, who recently signed a new long-term contract, produced a string of fine saves to help rescue positive results which would otherwise have seen Arsenal’s title bid fade much earlier. England international Ramsdale has kept 13 clean sheets heading into the final weekend to rank among the Premier League’s best goalkeepers.
Kieran Trippier (Newcastle)
View this post on Instagram
Signed from Atletico Madrid during January 2022, full-back Trippier, continued his integration this season to become one of the key voices in the Magpies dressing room as Eddie Howe’s transformed squad pushed towards a top-four finish. As well as offering a threat from free-kicks, the England defender also provided an outlet on the overlap to supply Newcastle’s marauding forward line. Trippier, voted Newcastle’s player of the season, also topped the statistics for crosses.
William Saliba (Arsenal)
View this post on Instagram
Frenchman Saliba – who had loan spells at former club Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille – enjoyed a superb debut season in the Premier League before a back injury curtailed his progress in mid-March and in turn perhaps also derailed Arsenal’s title drive. The Gunners won almost 80 per cent of the 27 league matches in which Saliba played, conceding an average of just under a goal per game, which showed how much of a key part of the defence he was.
Lewis Dunk (Brighton)
Long-serving club captain Dunk played an integral role in the progress under new Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi, which resulted in his recall to the England squad for the first time in five years. Revelling in a quarter-back role at the centre of defence, Dunk has proved a key link in Brighton’s fast transition style which won so many plaudits. The 31-year-old has produced more than 3,200 completed passes this season – which set him top of the overall league statistics – as Brighton secured European qualification for the first time in the club’s history.
Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
England left-back Shaw has excelled under new United boss Erik ten Hag this season. Shaw’s consistency and versatility has also seen him deployed in the centre of United’s defence when required.
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Gunners captain Odegaard has led by example this season, both creatively and clinically as he weighed in with 15 Premier League goals. The Norway playmaker was always on the front foot looking to make space for those around him or often finding a slide-rule pass when nothing appeared on.
Declan Rice (West Ham)
View this post on Instagram
The Irons may have been scrapping for points to stay clear of the relegation battle for much of the Premier League campaign, but midfielder Rice tackled every game full on as if they were in a title charge. The England midfielder also played an integral part in helping David Moyes’ side reach the final of the Europa Conference League.
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Belgium captain De Bruyne passed a century of Premier League assists this season, becoming only the fifth player to do so. The 31-year-old again tops the domestic statistics so far with 16 as his regular supply line to City’s forwards continued to pay dividends. De Bruyne also played a central role in City’s run to the Champions League final, scoring a fine equaliser away to Real Madrid the first leg of the semi-final.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Another instrumental player in Arsenal’s drive to the top of the table which had looked to set them on course for a first title since the ‘Invincibles’ 2003-04 campaign. However, the 21-year-old’s influence drifted over the final weeks of the campaign as the Gunners’ championship dream faded, with the last of his 13 league goals coming in the 3-3 draw against Southampton. Nevertheless, Saka was still one of the stand-out players of the season.
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
While it may have been another turbulent season for Tottenham, Kane continued to try to push the team on with 28 Premier League goals. Kane became Spurs’ all-time record scorer when his 267th strike for the club in the 1-0 win over Manchester City during February saw him pass the long-standing mark of Jimmy Greaves. The 29-year-old also went ahead of Wayne Rooney as England’s leading scorer and overtook the former Manchester United striker in total Premier League goals, sitting now behind only Alan Shearer.
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Haaland has enjoyed a remarkable first season after moving to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund. Any questions over how the 22-year-old would adapt to the hustle and bustle of Premier League football were soon put to bed as he scored a record nine goals in his first five games, with hat-tricks against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest. Haaland’s staggering return – his current tally of 36 in the Premier League is another record – helped fire City to the title once again as well as into the finals of both the FA Cup and Champions League, with Pep Guardiola’s side now chasing the treble.
Kompany targeting Champions League top eight despite stuttering start
Vincent Kompany is eyeing a place in the top eight of the new Champions League format with Bayern Munich despite back-to-back losses in the competition.
Bayern welcome Benfica to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, hoping to recover from defeats to Aston Villa and Barcelona, the first time they have failed to win consecutive games in the competition since April 2017.
Kompany's started their Champions League campaign with a 9-2 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb, but have since plummeted down the new league table.
They find themselves 23rd after three matches. However, they have fared better in the Bundesliga, sitting three points clear at the top of the table after nine games.
"What we know is you have to win around six (of eight) games to reach the top eight," Kompany said.
"You have to win three games and that should be enough for the playoffs. My goal is to reach the top eight."
Bayern last failed to reach the Champions League knockout stages in 2002-03, finishing bottom of a group that featured Deportivo La Coruna, Lens and Milan.
But despite their stuttering start in the competition so far, Kompany said the new format plays no role in the team's planning.
"I don't want to think too far ahead because we have enough games," Kompany said.
"We have to win against Benfica. I don't want to spend too much time thinking about what could happen in January.
"No one knows how it will work. We only know we want to win tomorrow. We play at home. That is my only goal."
Bayern, however, have every confidence of getting their European campaign back on track, with the German outfit boasting an impressive record against Benfica.
They have played 12 major European matches against Benfica and have never lost (W9 D3).
But Bruno Lage's side will be looking to buck that trend, having beaten Atletico Madrid and Red Star Belgrade so far, but they did lose to Feyenoord last time out.
"We have a lot of confidence going into this game. We will always adapt and take the steps that are right for the team," Kompany said.
"But to say we will change everything is not serious. We just want to win again at home.
Benzema: Mbappe must adapt to Madrid role and forget 'best in world' Vinicius
Kylian Mbappe must learn to play as a central striker at Real Madrid because he cannot displace Vinicius Junior on the left wing.
Those were the words of Los Blancos' second-highest scorer of all time, Karim Benzema.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 14 appearances in all competitions for Madrid since his move from Paris Saint-Germain, but has failed to score in his last five games.
The 26-year-old has been deployed in a more central role since under Carlo Ancelotti, as opposed to the wide role where he enjoyed success with the Parisiens.
"The problem, in my opinion, is that [Mbappe] is not a central striker, even with the national team, every time he plays as a number nine he doesn't feel right, because that's not his position," Benzema said on Spanish television show El Chiringuito.
"On the left, he's got a guy who's at the same level as him, Vinicius, so there is a problem.
"You can't play Vinicius as a number nine or on the right, because when he plays on the left he makes the difference in every game.
"Mbappe isn't a real number nine. People ask a lot of him and he's under a lot of pressure, this isn't Paris Saint-Germain."
The France captain has underperformed his expected goals (xG) figure in LaLiga by 1.75 this term, recording a shot conversion rate of just 18.18% from his 33 total attempts.
He has also missed seven big chances, with only Real Betis duo Abde Ezzalzouli and Vitor Roque (both eight) and Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski (11) wasting more in LaLiga.
In Madrid's last game, a 4-0 Clasico defeat, Mbappe recorded just 27 touches. Only Aurelien Tchouameni (24) registered fewer among those who started the encounter.
Benzema also endured a difficult start to life in the Spanish capital, netting just nine goals in his 33 appearances in all competitions in his debut season after his move from Lyon.
He would, however, go on to become one of Madrid's best ever players, scoring 354 times in 648 outings, a total that puts him behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (450) in the club's history.
Benzema won 25 major honours during his time at the club, also scooping the Ballon d'Or in 2022, and had some advice for his compatriot moving forward.
"Don't give up, because I don't think he's going to push Vinicius to move. He's the best player in the world at the moment," Benzema added.
"Mbappe needs to get it into his head that today he's a number nine, and forget about the left flank for a while."
Mbappe will be back in action for Madrid on Tuesday when they face Milan in the Champions League.
Luis Enrique in awe of Simeone energy ahead of reunion
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique was full of praise for his former rival Diego Simeone as he prepares to go head-to-head with the Atletico Madrid boss in the Champions League.
PSG and Atletico, who reached the semi-finals and the quarter-finals respectively last season, will face off on Wednesday having both won just one of their three league-phase games.
A home victory would boost PSG, currently 19th with four points, while Atletico, languishing in 27th on three, are aiming to recover from back-to-back losses.
PSG have never faced Atletico in the Champions League before but Luis Enrique's Barcelona defeated Simeone's Atletico side nine times in their 14 meetings between 2014 and 2017, drawing twice and losing three times.
Luis Enrique led Barca to a Champions League and LaLiga double in 2014-15 followed by another league title the following year.
"We've played against each other as players and then as managers. I admire Simeone, when a coach can stay for so many years at a top club it means he is great because that is such a difficult thing to do," Luis Enrique told reporters on Tuesday.
Simeone has managed Atletico for 13 years, guiding them to two LaLiga titles and two Europa League crowns, though the Madrid side had considered hiring Luis Enrique prior to Simeone's arrival.
"I had given my word to another club. If I had gone to Atleti, I would not have stayed half as long as Simeone because I don't have the energy as him," added Luis Enrique.
"They are lucky to have found Simeone as a coach. You need a lot of energy, to be able to convince all your players over the long-term."
PSG, having lost Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid in the close season, have just two goals in their three Champions League games, beating Girona 1-0 but drawing 1-1 with PSV and losing 2-0 at Arsenal.
"I have no doubt we can improve in defence and attack, whether it is with the defender duos of Marquinhos and Willian Pacho, or Milan Skriniar and Lucas Beraldo, or in the midfield," Luis Enrique said.
"I understand you want to discuss individual players, but we analyse things from a broader perspective.
"What interests me is to always generate goalscoring opportunities and to arrive in the penalty area because you have managed to be stronger than your opponent.
"That is my objective as a coach: to always generate opportunities."
Close-season signing Matvey Safonov, who kept a clean sheet in their opening win against Girona, might replace number one goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose mistakes proved costly at Arsenal and against PSV.
"You will find out tomorrow. After a good cup of cappuccino, I will decide who the goalkeeper is," Luis Enrique said.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
