Man City, Arsenal players lead Premier League team of 2023

It has been a year of incredible achievements and records, with Manchester City completing a Champions League-Premier League-FA Cup treble and Erling Haaland rewriting the history books by scoring 52 goals in his first season at the club, but 2023 n It's not just Pep Guardiola's team.

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As the year draws to a close, Arsenal and Liverpool are once again battling for the title, while Aston Villa have emerged as surprise contenders under manager Unai Emery. Many teams and players have exceeded expectations and been consistent from January to December. As 2023 draws to a close, who makes the team of the year?

Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez, Aston Villa

The Aston Villa goalkeeper has a powerful presence in Unai Emery's team, which has undoubtedly been boosted by his role in Argentina's World Cup triumph in 2022. Martinez has not only been a goalkeeper impressive for Villa, but he has become a leader. Beyond that, the reason Emery's team has managed to play such a high defensive line this season is due to Martinez's anticipation behind the back four.

Éderson, Alisson Becker and Nick Pope have all had good years, but no goalie has been as crucial to his team as Martinez.

Defender: Kyle Walker, Manchester City

Manchester City were set to lose their right-back to Bayern Munich over the summer due to a delay in offering the 33-year-old a new contract. But after playing such an important role in City's success last season – remember how he outplayed Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr in the Champions League semi-final – Walker was finally rewarded with a three-year contract .

The England full-back improves with experience, and his strength and pace make him the best in the business, although his Wolf of Wall Street-style contract suggests he won't take up acting as a profession anytime soon.

Defender: William Saliba, Arsenal

Arsenal were five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after Saliba helped the Gunners to a 3-0 win at Fulham on March 12, but that proved to be Arsenal's final game of the season. the French international due to a back injury. and his absence derailed the team's title attempt.

Arsenal would win just five of their last 11 league matches without Saliba, losing three times, and the loss of the centre-back underlined how important he is to Mikel Arteta's side. Throughout 2023, Saliba has been the standout defender in the Premier League, and his return to action this season is one of the main reasons why Arsenal are title challengers once again.

Defender: Ezri Konsa, Aston Villa

Konsa has been an ever-present in the Premier League for Villa in 2023, with his form for Emery's side earning him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad. With Tyrone Mings out for most of this season due to injury, Konsa has been exceptional at both centre-back and right-back for the surprise title challengers, forming a strong defensive axis with Pau Torres and Diego Carlos.

Villa have stunned Manchester City and Arsenal with 1-0 wins at Villa Park this season, and Konsa was unfazed in both games.

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Why Dan Burn was above all other Premier League LBs in 2023

Mark Ogden explains why he opted for Newcastle's Dan Burn as the Premier League's best left-back in 2023.

Defender: Dan Burn, Newcastle United

It has not been a vintage year for left-backs, with Andy Robertson and Luke Shaw at times affected by injuries and losses of form, and neither Arsenal nor Manchester City are operating with a specialist on the left side of defence. But one left-back who has excelled and been a key figure in his team is Newcastle's Burn.

The 31-year-old epitomizes manager Eddie Howe's success in getting significant improvements from players – Miguel Almirón and Joelinton are other examples – and Burn is top of the list. Released by Fulham in 2016, Burn seized his big chance at Newcastle and played in the Carabao Cup final and Champions League this year.

Midfielder: Rodri, Manchester City

The Spanish midfielder is arguably the most important player in the Premier League: if he doesn't play, Manchester City can't win. Rodri has missed three league matches and a Carabao Cup tie due to suspension this season and City have lost all of them.

The 27-year-old capped a stellar 2022-23 campaign by scoring the winning goal against Inter Milan in the Champions League final, but the defensive midfielder's value to Pep Guardiola's side has become even more clear in its absence.

Midfielder: Declan Rice, Arsenal

A talismanic figure who led West Ham to Europa Conference League glory – the club's first trophy since 1980 – before making a £105m move to Arsenal in the summer. Rice proved to be the complete midfielder for the Hammers with his leadership, goalscoring, box-to-box energy and defensive ability and he helped take Arsenal to another level during his brief stay at the Emirates .

At 24, Rice will only get better and Arsenal now have their most dominant midfielder since the days of Patrick Vieira almost 20 years ago.

Midfielder: Martin Odegaard, Arsenal

The Arsenal captain has now become the midfield creator that Real Madrid identified when signing Odegaard as a 16-year-old in 2015. Throughout last season, goals and creativity Odegaard helped keep Arsenal's title race alive before Manchester City eventually brought the Gunners back, but despite last season's disappointment, the Norway international has stepped up his efforts further this season with the help of summer recruit Rice.

Odegaard scored an impressive 15 league goals last season (with seven assists) and he has already scored four goals this time around, with two assists.

Forward: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool

Liverpool rejected a £150million offer from Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad in the final hours of the summer transfer window and made it clear no price would tempt them to part ways with Salah. Even though Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League and without silverware last season, Salah still made a significant contribution. Prior to Liverpool's Carabao Cup quarter-final against West Ham on December 20, Salah had scored 28 goals and registered 17 assists for Liverpool in 2023.

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Forward: Erling Haaland, Manchester City

The Manchester City striker scored 52 goals in all competitions in his first season at the Etihad and his tally for 2023 alone was an incredible 44 goals ahead of the Christmas matches. Haaland has won a hat-trick and broken numerous goalscoring records since signing for City – notably eclipsing Alan Shearer and Andy Cole by erasing their tally of 34 goals in a Premier League season and setting a new high mark of 36 .

The former Borussia Dortmund striker has confirmed his status as a global superstar and the player most likely to succeed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the biggest name in football.

Forward: Son Heung-Min, Tottenham Hotspur

When Harry Kane left Tottenham for Bayern Munich in an £82million move in August, the big question was how would Spurs cope without their most prolific goalscorer? Kane was always going to be irreplaceable, but Son Heung-min has reached another level since the England captain's departure and his goals and performances have helped propel Ange Postecoglou into the title race.

Son has already registered 10 goals and four assists for Spurs in the league ahead of the Christmas matches, taking South Korea's international tally for 2023 to 17 goals and eight assists in the league.