It’s that time of year again where everyone releases their pointless lists of rankings for the season we’ve just seen. Not ones to miss out, here is the first of several pointless lists to round off a thrilling 22/23 premier league season.
The scope here is simple – the best XI assembled from players who were new signings for their respective clubs ahead of the start of the season. A few of these names are not unfamiliar with the league but their contribution to their new clubs needs to be recognised! Some attempt has been made to create a plausible XI with some artistic license here and there.
GK: Nick Pope
The base of the best defence in the league – just 29 goals conceded all season with 13 clean sheets so far.
DEF: Akanji, Martinez, Mee, Botman
Akanji has arrived at Man City during a season of tactical upheaval and system change and has been asked to perform a number of different roles in the back-line both in back 3s or 4s. He’s played the most minutes in the premier league this season out of all their defensive options and his technical ability on the ball is what’s propelled him so high up Pep’s pecking order. (Ake has impressed me the most but doesn’t fit into this team).
Lisandro Martinez has taken to the league very well and formed a formidable partnership with Varane for much of the season. If United were to drop out of the top 4 this season, the absence of Martinez through injury since GW31 would be high on the list of reasons.
Brentford are currently sitting on a +15 goal difference swing compared to their season tally for 21/22. Ben Mee’s impact has been transformative and it can’t be overestimated how helpful this was that it happened instantly. Brentford were putting in assured performances and getting deserved results from the off which has kept them completely separate to the relegation scrap which has enveloped the entire bottom half of the table. 10 clean sheets & 3 goals sees Mee out-scoring the likes of Van Dijk and Robertson as it stands.
The success of the afore mentioned Pope is also largely down to the strength of the defensive unit at Newcastle as a whole. Burn, Schär and Tripper were there before the summer and the big-money move for Botman seems shrewd business. He’s barely touched the waiver pile all season and many draft managers will have been pleased to grab him as he currently sits as a top-10 defender in terms of overall FPL points.
MID: Casemiro, Palhinha, Gibbs-White
Very few predicted the impact Casemiro would have on United, with many seeing it as part of some grand European farewell tour, but he’s here to play. Naturally not a massive consideration for Draft FPL but a player I’ve enjoyed watching in the league this year.
Another one who hasn’t been a massive consideration for draft managers is João Palhinha for Fulham. £20million signing in the summer looks a bargain in hindsight and it’s been hard to take your eye of his performances whenever you watch Fulham play. He wins everything in the air and has an edge to him which puts fear into opponents (demonstrated by the league-leading yellow card total of 12).
Big money move for Gibbs-White from boyhood club Wolves over to Nottingham Forest. He’s played the most minutes for Forest this season and has so far produced 5 goals and 7 assists (10 assists if you go by FPL scoring rules). In terms of FPL points, he’s (so-far) out-scored the likes of James Maddison, Jarrod Bowen, Alexis Mac Allister, Grealish, Foden and Mahrez.
FWD: Isak, Jesus, Haaland
It’s a shame we haven’t seen a full season of Alexander Isak but what a revelation he’s been for the Magpies. If Newcastle are currently in phase 1 of their transformation, Isak looks like somebody that can be there through phases 2, 3 and beyond! 10 goals from 18 appearances is a great return with many established premier league strikers lucky to ever hit double-figures for the year. Isak will no doubt be a topic of hot debate for our 23/24 draft rankings.
Whatever happens over the final couple of weeks, Arsenal have had an unbelievable season considering where many were predicting them to finish last summer. 10 goals and 6 assists is a good campaign and we have to give him some slack as he missed 12 games through injury at a crucial point in the season.
A monster, a goal-scoring monster. 35 league goals including 4 hat-tricks and it’s hard to see how he wouldn’t improve upon that next year as he continues to settle and city nail down their patterns of play. Very few took him first overall in the draft, but wherever you took him you got amazing value. Still 4 games to play to see if he can hit the 300-point FPL total. It’s amazing that Kane and Salah have managed to post somewhat comparable totals when you consider how dominant Haaland has been in the golden boot race, which has managed to keep draft leagues competitive and honest.
Complete XI:
