B/R's 2025-26 Premier League Team of the Season

Now that the dust has settled on another Premier League campaign, it's time to reflect and look back at the outstanding players of the season.

The B/R Football writing team, consisting of Calum Rogers, Leo Collis, and Nick Akerman, put this starting XI, along with a manager, in a 4-4-2 formation. It may come as no surprise that plenty of Arsenal players were selected.

So, who made it?

Read on here.

Goalkeeper: David Raya, Arsenal

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On the rare occasions that Arsenal's formidable back-line was breached, opponents still had to get past David Raya. That wasn't a particularly easy assignment.

The Spaniard pulled off some unbelievable saves during the campaign, including a crucial stop from Matheus Fernandes in the Gunners' nervy 1-0 win against West Ham United late in the season. With Manchester City breathing down their necks in the title race at that point, that intervention may well have sealed the club's first title for 22 years. 

The 30-year-old has picked up his third Golden Glove in succession after 19 clean sheets, emphasizing his importance to a squad that has gradually worked its way to top-flight glory.

His nimble reflexes, willingness to leave his box to stop counter-attacks before they become deadly, bravery in aerial battles and one-on-ones, and awareness to bounce back quickly to thwart second chances, have all been crucial as Arsenal grabbed the best defensive record in the division.

Raya's mentality to release the ball rapidly after gathering it up also put the Gunners on the front foot, launching attacks while opponents were out of formation. 

With Arsenal not exactly the highest-scoring champions, they often had to work within fine margins to pick up crucial points. Raya was a huge factor in ensuring they didn't slip to damaging draws. 

-Leo Collis

Right Back: Jurriën Timber, Arsenal

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Jurriën Timber played a major role in Arsenal getting over the line this season, despite missing the latter weeks of the campaign through injury. 

The Dutchman's versatility adds so much to Arsenal's play; he's able to slot in as a traditional right-back, move centrally, and most prominently this campaign, push into the midfield. 

Some defenders can look out of place when given more responsibility on the ball. Not Timber. His assurance in possession adds calmness to the Gunners' play, often letting his colleagues reset, breathe, and go again. Mikel Arteta's team haven't looked quite as in control without him.

Three goals and five assists in 28 starts also indicates that, while Timber's coolness defines his game, he's also a potent attacking threat that needs to be dealt with.

-Nick Akerman

Center Back: William Saliba, Arsenal

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While Gabriel is the vocal leader of the Arsenal back line, William Saliba is almost invisible by comparison, and that's not exactly a criticism.

The Frenchman goes about his business with quiet efficiency, bringing effortless positional awareness, astute defensive instincts, and a coolness that verges on nonchalant. 

Remarkably, he's also one of the Premier League's most accurate passers, with his 92.9 percent completion the fourth-highest in the division, according to WhoScored. 

That composure helped get the Gunners out of tough situations at the back, relieving pressure and enabling the team to maintain possession and progress up the field.

Saliba might go under the radar during 90 minutes, but that's simply because he does his job so well. He can stop attacks before they even develop, and if the back line is put under duress, he mops up cleanly. In 31 Premier League games this season, he picked up just two yellow cards. 

It might have taken Saliba a little time to settle in North London, but the wait was definitely worth it—for both him and the club.

-Leo Collis

Center Back: Gabriel, Arsenal

The $30 million Arsenal gave Lille for Gabriel Magalhães looks like a bigger bargain with every passing season.

The Brazilian was colossal during the campaign, coming up huge on multiple occasions in the face of some of the world's best attacking talents. According to WhoScored, he made 34 blocks (fifth-highest in the league) and 182 clearances (20th most), on the way to title glory. 

There's a lot to be said for the value of aura in center backs, and Gabriel has it in bucketloads. He commands the back line with authority, presents an imposing figure at 6'2", and rarely looks flustered even under the most intense pressure. 

He was also a key part of Arsenal's dominance at set-pieces, scoring three times as the Gunners packed the box to take advantage of dead-ball opportunities—including a crucial late winner against Newcastle United in September. He even provided four assists, the same as Gabriel Martinelli and more than both Kai Havertz, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. 

The Arsenal back line was sensational as a whole throughout the season, but Gabriel is undeniably the standout member. While Virgil van Dijk was once the gold standard among Premier League defenders, that mantle has arguably been passed on to the 28-year-old.

-Leo Collis

Left Back: Nico O'Reilly, Manchester City

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Nico O'Reilly arguably entered the season as something of an afterthought after Rayan Aït-Nouri joined Manchester City from Wolverhampton Wanderers for nearly $43 million. An ankle injury to the Algerian left-back in September opened the door for the now-21-year-old, though, and he sprinted through it and didn't look back.

The City academy product emerged as one of the team's most consistent players, typically at left-back but also with a spell in a midfield box-to-box role. O'Reilly's athleticism and size allow him to be effective defensively and a significant attacking threat in possession regardless of what position he plays. 

Manager Pep Guardiola made O'Reilly an important part of game plans, and his ability as a box presence became a key factor in his team's late (and ultimately unsuccessful) title charge.

With nine goals and six assists in all competitions, O'Reilly made sure he is unlikely to ever be an afterthought in his career again.

-Calum Rogers

Center Midfield: Declan Rice, Arsenal

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While emerging from West Ham United's academy, many tipped Declan Rice to be a future superstar. With his first Premier League title, he might have finally achieved that status.

The 27-year-old was immense all season long, providing steel and guile in the center of the park, alongside a tendency to come up with important goals or assists. Of note, he scored twice in 17 minutes as Arsenal came from behind to win against Bournemouth in January.

According to WhoScored, he made a total of 63 key passes during the season, the joint-fourth most in the league. The England international's ability to make game-breaking passes helped unlock stubborn defenses that sat back against the Gunners, making a huge difference to a team that won eight games by a 1-0 scoreline. 

His ability to snuff out attacks before gracefully progressing the ball through the center of the park is a joy to watch, and his leadership qualities shone through during a season when club captain Martin Ødegaard missed plenty of games through injury. 

With a Champions League final on the horizon, a victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest could put Rice squarely in the conversation for the Ballon d'Or. 

-Leo Collis

Center Midfield: Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United

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Consider what Bruno Fernandes was put through earlier in the season, and then consider what he achieved. A hapless Ruben Amorim bolted the Portuguese creator into a defensive midfield role because he didn't think he could play alongside Kobbie Mainoo. 

Man United fans will be thanking the stars above that Amorim's project came to an end and Michael Carrick had the brains to make things simple again. Bruno was restored to a more attacking position, Kobbie stepped into the side and United began to fly towards a third-place finish that is well ahead of the hierarchy's plan.

Bruno's record-breaking run of 21 assists in the division, one more than previous holders Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry, was achieved under half a season of circumstances that just didn't want him to succeed. He's a world-class footballer who is nowhere near as respected as he should be.

-Nick Akerman

Right Wing: Antoine Semenyo, Manchester City

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Antoine Semenyo's season is best summed up by the fact he started at Bournemouth and ended at Manchester City without losing any of his momentum.

Semenyo scored 10 goals and provided three assists for the Cherries before Pep Guardiola came calling. It seemed likely that he would go into a rotational role at the Etihad Stadium, as Pep typically embeds players slowly. 

The Ghana international ended that chatter immediately, starting 17 matches for the runners-up, scoring seven and assisting once in the Premier League, not to mention scoring a ridiculous goal to win the FA Cup against Chelsea.

Semenyo's directness and confident finishing meant that, if City didn't snap him up, plenty of others were waiting. There's no bigger compliment, especially during the expensive winter window.

-Nick Akerman

Left Wing: Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa

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We are perhaps cheating by shifting Morgan Rogers out to the left in a 4-4-2 after he spent the season as Aston Villa's No. 10. The performances of Igor Thiago and Erling Haaland necessitated a two-man front line, though, so concessions had to be made.

Morgan Gibbs-White was another contender for this role after scoring 15 league goals for Nottingham Forest. However, Rogers got the nod after providing 10 goals and six assists for a team that finished fourth in the Premier League and won the UEFA Europa League.

The most impressive aspect of Rogers' output is that a lot of it came down to solo brilliance. He effectively ran his own Goal of the Season competition with spectacular strikes against Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, West Ham United and Manchester United, all games Villa won by single goals too.

Without Rogers' contributions, his team's season could have looked quite different.

-Calum Rogers

Center Forward: Igor Thiago, Brentford

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It takes a hell of a season for Brazil to call up a striker who doesn't play for one of their domestic sides, or an elite European club. Igor Thiago's lethality gave Carlo Ancelotti no choice. After 22 goals in the Premier League he simply had to be on the plane to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Some may forget Thiago missed nearly all of his debut season with the Bees after a serious knee injury. The Ivan Toney replacement has slotted in brilliantly since returning to full fitness in his second year at the club, and only trailed Erling Haaland in the goalscoring charts under Keith Andrews' tutelage. 

He's a fine reminder that a focal point can make a huge difference to teams that are crammed with creativity. A little bit of a throwback, morphed with Brazilian flair that has the potential to produce outrageous things, such as his goal against Man United. Brentford simply wouldn't work without Thiago's quality in the box.

At 24 years old it's exciting to think about what he could achieve in the future, and if Brentford can stop him from joining a Champions League club before too long.

-Nick Akerman

Center Forward: Erling Haaland, Manchester City

Finishing as Premier League top scorer for the third time in four years with 27 goals, Erling Haaland still shows no signs of slowing down. The Norwegian is on pace to shatter the league's scoring records if he stays healthy.

Even with a new manager set to arrive at Manchester City, it's difficult to imagine Haaland struggling to maintain his scoring record. Strikers with his size, speed and strength will almost always be a handful, but the 25-year-old also possesses that habit all prolific goalscorers have of being in the right place at the right time.

Despite often being painted as simply a beneficiary of City's potent attack, the club has dropped off enough over the last two years to miss out on consecutive league titles for the first time in Guardiola's reign. Haaland, though, has still scored 49 league goals between those seasons.

As long as he stays in Manchester, Haaland's name will likely be pencilled into these teams before the start of every season.

-Calum Rogers

Manager: Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth

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There were a lot of contenders for this award. Mikel Arteta won the Premier League with Arsenal and led them to a UEFA Champions League final. Unai Emery secured a top-four spot with Aston Villa and won the UEFA Europa League. Régis Le Bris made Sunderland one of just five promoted teams in Premier League history to qualify for European football through the league.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola wins out for us, though. The Spaniard lost his starting center-back pairing of Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid) and Ilya Zabarnyi (Paris Saint-Germain) prior to the season along with left-back Milos Kerkez (Liverpool). In January, star forward Antoine Semenyo headed for Manchester City.

You only need to look at the clubs buying those players to recognise the quality that departed, and yet Iraola just kept beating the odds to lead the team to Europa League qualification for the first time in its history. 

Most impressively, Bournemouth didn't lose one of their 17 games following Semenyo's departure. The tactical intelligence to overcome that gap in the team is impressive enough, but Iraola's motivational skills would also have been key to ensure the team didn't lose focus.

Iraola will leave big shoes to fill for incoming manager Marco Rose after the expiry of his contract, and it's exciting to think what he could achieve with a bigger budget at his next club.

-Calum Rogers