2020 was the most bizarre year in living memory.
In the Premier League, there was a three-month hiatus to deal with the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, a summer program in June and July to make up for lost time and then a whole new season that turns out to be more impossible to predict that already.
Taking into account the calendar year as a whole, which includes performances from the second half of last season as well as the first half of this season, here is a look at the Premier League team of the year for 2020. …
Alisson (GK): Liverpool have missed Alisson in his recent injury absence, especially with an injury ravaged four times. Got his award with a Premier League winner’s medal last season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (RB): Although still defensively suspect at the time, Alexander-Arnold has further underscored his status as the best attacking right-back in the world over the past 12 months.
Conor Coady (CB): Of all the Premier League clubs for the whole of 2020, only Spurs and Manchester City have conceded less than Wolves – but neither had a stable defense. Coady has been a constant for Wolves and played for the England squad himself.
Virgil van Dijk (CB): Top center-backs have been relatively scarce in 2020 as good defense has come out the window. That’s why Van Dijk is still up there, despite having a bad start to the season before succumbing to a long-lasting injury.
Andrew Robertson (LB): Like Alexander-Arnold on the right, Robertson continued to thrive on the left and arguably was more consistent than his friend and teammate.
Jordan Henderson (CM): Premier League 2020 winning captain, FWA Footballer of the Year, BBC Sports Personality of the Year finalist, and the man again spearheading another challenge for Liverpool’s 2020 title / 21.
Kevin De Bruyne (CM): That’s 15 Premier League assists this calendar year for De Bruyne, whose role as Manchester City’s chief creator has grown even more pronounced since David Silva left.
Bruno Fernandes (AM): Comparisons to Eric Cantona are increasingly appropriate given the scale of the impact Fernandes had at Manchester United in 2020 – a direct contribution to just over half of the team’s Premier League goals during this period.
Mohamed Salah (RW): As well as helping Liverpool cross the finish line in the second half of last season, Salah has scored 13 goals in 14 appearances so far in 2020/21. Overall, the Anfield hero has 23 Premier League goals and nine assists to his name this calendar year.
Jamie Vardy (ST): Crowned last season with the Premier League’s first Golden Boot award of his career and recorded the same number of direct implications in goals (26) as Harry Kane in 2020 – but Vardy’s side are higher in the table at time of writing.
Jack Grealish (LW): Aston Villa had the Grealish talisman to thank for their time in the Premier League last season and are thriving in the relative comfort of the mid-table due to their impact so far in 2020/21.
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