Premier League Power Rankings: Picking Top XI of the Premier League Season
When thinking of the Premier League team of the season, people tend to think of players like Gareth Bale, Nani, Samir Nasri, Dimitar Berbatov, Vincent Kompany and Javier Hernandez.
Well, in this list, none of them have made it into the Premier League team of the 2010/11 season.
This is not the PFA Team of the Year, where footballers pick their mates or players they want to be on the same team as next season.
Instead, this is Bleacher Report's Premier League Power Rankings, selecting the real best team of the EPL campaign.
Enjoy!
GK: Joe Hart (Manchester City)
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As legendary as Edwin Van Der Sar has been for Manchester United in 2010/11, the best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season is Joe Hart.
The Manchester City shot-stopper has kept the most clean sheets of any Premier League keeper, with 18 in the league this season. He's also made the most saves, saving City on 111 different occasions, and has been an ever-present in the Citizens' line-up, playing a full 38 league games this season.
Thanks to Hart's contributions, not only have City automatically qualified for the UEFA Champions League and won the FA Cup, they've also got the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League, conceding only 33 goals.
RB: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
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Chelsea have the best defensive record in the Premier League this season with Manchester City, and part of that was down to defensive utility man Branislav Ivanovic.
Deployed as a right-back for most of this season, Ivanovic's efforts to combine decent attacking prowess with defensive discipline seem to have gone somewhat unnoticed.
Going forward, he's scored four goals and made four assists this season in the Premier League, while defensively, the Blues concede less than a goal a game when he plays and keep a clean sheet every four matches with Ivanovic in defence.
CB: John Terry (Chelsea)
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Speaking of Chelsea's great defensive Premier League record, captain John Terry has also been an influential player at the back for the Blues.
With Terry holding fort in defence, Chelsea concede just 0.85 goals per game and win 73 percent of their matches when the England international plays. He's also scored three times this season and made an assist.
Away from statistics, his commanding leadership and control over his defence, as well as his great technical ability in the tackle, leave John Terry has one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League this season.
CB: Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)
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Pictured here towering above almost everyone else in the penalty area, Nemanja Vidic has been absolutely sensational for Manchester United this season.
Deservedly named the 2011 Premier League Player of the Season, Vidic's tackling ability, eye for intercepting passes and unmatched aerial ability (which have led to his five goals in 2010/11) have been crucial in his team's title success.
He has the highest tackle success rate in the top-flight and has made the most interceptions with 94, seven higher than the next best centre-back.
LB: Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
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Perhaps it's due to Chelsea's water-tight defence and ability to score multiple goals at the same time which has seen three of the Blues defenders make up this back four.
Left-back Ashley Cole, arguably the best in the world alongside Patrice Evra, may not have got on the score-sheet this season, but he has made three assists, and more importantly, done his job at the back.
Chelsea keep a clean sheet once every four games when he's playing, concede less than a goal a game and avoid defeat 80 percent of the time he's in the Blues' line-up.
DM: Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
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Without doubt, 19-year-old Jack Wilshere has been a revelation in the Premier League this season, bringing more of an English steel to Arsenal this season.
Having made his debut for the full England team and played more matches than any other player at Arsenal in 2010/11, Wilshere has made himself an integral part of manager Arsene Wenger's plans.
From a very central midfield role, Wilshere has scored twice this season and made nine assists, making another five key passes to directly set up goals and another 40 which have played a key part in chances being converted, with a pass completion rate of 86 percent.
Along with his tackle success rate of 74 percent, this makes Wilshere the most efficient box-to-box midfielder in the league.
CM: Scott Parker (West Ham United)
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In a West Ham team devoid of determination or any sign of life, Scott Parker was the one bright spark in an otherwise very dull Hammers side.
An energetic box-to-box midfielder with possibly the best stamina in the Premier League, Parker was the reason West Ham didn't concede more points and embarrass themselves further, as he made 116 completed tackles with a success rate of 77 percent, the highest in the league for a midfielder.
And going forward, he scored five vital goals with three important assists and covered more ground in nearly every game he played compared to his teammates.
CM: Charlie Adam (Blackpool)
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Said to have a £16million price tag on his head, Blackpool talisman Charlie Adam looks set to move onto better things, with Liverpool and Manchester United supposedly lodging bids.
And why not? The Seasiders playmaker has scored 12 league goals this season, a ratio of one every three games, he's made 11 assists and scores more than once in every five attempts he has on goal.
Considering he played for Blackpool side with the least amount of successful touches this season (skewering his pass completion rate) yet still managed to lay on 11 assists, make 62 key passes (the second highest in the Premier League) and make 1,275 successful passes (fifth highest), Charlie Adam really has had an outstanding season.
He's also won 59 tackles, the best of any midfielder this season, and created 62 goal-scoring chances for his team, the third highest in the league.
AM: Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur)
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Rafael van der Vaart, besides Javier Hernandez at Manchester United, has been the buy of the season in the Premier League.
Lighting up White Hart Lane, the flying Dutchman has scored 13 goals this season for Tottenham Hotspur, averaging a record of almost one every other game, and has chipped in with eight assists, making his £8million price tag seem like a bargain.
With Rafael van der Vaart in the team, Tottenham statistically are set to go four games, three of which are wins, before suffering defeat.
CF: Robin Van Persie (Arsenal)
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Ever since bouncing back from injury and finding his form in the Premier League, Arsenal star Robin van Persie has been a revelation.
Ten goals in the last 12 games for the Netherlands international has been the bright spark in an otherwise dim end to the Gunners' season, with the Dutchman netting 18 league goals in total from 25 matches.
The most prolific record in the league in terms of goals to games ratio, van Persie has also been the most consistent, scoring in seven out of his last eight matches and scoring one or more goals in 52 percent of his total league games played.
CF: Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)
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Ending the Premier League season joint-top goalscorer with Dimitar Berbatov on 21 goals, Carlos Tevez has been the lynchpin in the Manchester City attack this season.
Having made more two more assists for his team than Berbatov has for his side (and having played a game less), Tevez has arguably been the most valuable striker in the league this season.
He scores more consistently than Berbatov, while Manchester City have won more games with Tevez in the side than Manchester United have won with their £30.75million Bulgarian striker.
While not necessarily better than Dimitar Berbatov, Tevez has had more of an impact for his team this season and will be a huge blow for all at Manchester City if he does leave Eastlands this summer.
