It’s been a year full of amazing achievements and records, with Manchester City achieving a Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup treble, and Erling Haaland rewriting the history books by scoring 52 goals in his first season at the club, but 2023 isn’t just about that. It was about Pep Guardiola’s team.
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As the year draws to a close, Arsenal and Liverpool are competing for the title once again, while Aston Villa have emerged as surprise contenders under Unai Emery. Many teams and players have exceeded expectations and been consistent from January through December, so as 2023 comes to a close, who will be named Team of the Year?
Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez – Aston Villa
The Aston Villa goalkeeper is a commanding presence in Unai Emery’s squad, which has undoubtedly been enhanced by his role in Argentina’s World Cup win in 2022. Martinez has not only been an impressive goalkeeper for Villa, he has emerged as a leader. Furthermore, the reason Emery’s side have been so successful at playing so defensively this season is Martinez’s anticipation behind the back four.
Ederson, Alisson Becker and Nick Pope have all had good years, but no keeper has been as decisive for his team as Martinez.
Defender: Kyle Walker 2 Manchester City
Manchester City were on the verge of losing 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 an important role in City’s treble success last season – remember how he dominated Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior in the Champions League semi-final – Walker was eventually rewarded with a three-year deal.
The English full-back improves with experience, and his strength and pace make him the best in the business, despite his Wolf of Wall Street style. Reveal the contract It was suggested that he will not enter the acting profession anytime soon.
Defender: William Saliba 2 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 over Fulham on March 12, but that proved to be the France international’s last game of the season due to a back injury. His absence hampered the team’s quest to win the title.
Arsenal would win just five of their 11 league games without Saliba, losing three times, and the loss of the centre-back highlighted just 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 a big reason why Arsenal are in the running for the title once again.
Defender: Ezri Konsa 2 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 sidelined for most of this season through injury, Konsa has been outstanding at both centre-back and right-back for the surprise title contenders, forming a strong defensive pivot with Pau Torres and Diego Carlos.
Villa have stunned Manchester City and Arsenal with 1-0 wins at Villa Park this season, and Konsa has been quiet in both matches.
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Why has Dan Byrne outperformed every other team in the Premier League in 2023?
Mark Ogden explains why he picked Newcastle’s Dan Byrne as the best left-back in the Premier League in 2023.
Defender: Dan Byrne 2 Newcastle United
This year has not been a good one for left-backs, with Andy Robertson and Luke Shaw both injured and out of form at times, and neither Arsenal nor Manchester City working with a specialist on the left side of defence. But one left-back who has excelled and been a key figure for his team is Newcastle’s Burn.
The 31-year-old exemplifies manager Eddie Howe’s success in convincing players to make significant improvements – Miguel Almiron and Joelinton are other examples – and Byrne is at the top of the list. After being released by Fulham in 2016, Byrne got his big break at Newcastle and played in the Carabao Cup and Champions League finals this year.
Midfielder: Rodri 2 Manchester City
The Spanish midfielder is arguably the most important player in the Premier League – when he’s not playing, Manchester City can’t win. Rodri has missed three league matches and one Carabao Cup match due to suspension this season, all of which City lost.
The 27-year-old capped off an impressive 2022-23 season by scoring the winner against Inter Milan in the Champions League final, but the defensive midfielder’s value to Pep Guardiola’s side has become even more apparent in his absence.
Midfielder: Declan Rice 2 Arsenal
A talisman figure led West Ham to Europa League glory – the club’s first title since 1980 – before moving to Arsenal for £105m in the summer. Rice has shown himself to be a complete midfielder for the Hammers through his leadership, goals, energy on goal and defensive ability, and he has helped take Arsenal to another level in his short time at the Emirates Stadium.
At 24, Rice will improve, and Arsenal now have the most dominant midfielder since the days of Patrick Vieira almost 20 years ago.
Midfielder: Martin Odegaard 2 Arsenal
The Arsenal captain has now matured into the midfield creator that Real Madrid identified when signing Odegaard as a 16-year-old in 2015. Throughout last season, Odegaard’s goals and creativity helped sustain Arsenal’s title challenge before Manchester City eventually overcame it. At the Gunners, but despite last season’s disappointment, the Norwegian international has stepped up again this season with the help of Rice, who signed in the summer.
Odegaard scored an impressive 15 goals in the league last season (with seven assists), and has already scored four goals this time around, with two assists.
Striker: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
Liverpool rejected a £150m bid from Saudi club Al-Ittihad in the final hours of the summer transfer window and made it clear that no price would tempt them to part with Salah. Even with Liverpool finishing fifth in the Premier League and missing out on any silverware last season, Salah made a huge contribution. Ahead of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against West Ham on 20 December, Salah had scored 28 goals and provided 17 assists for Liverpool in 2023.
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Gab & Juls Premier League Half Season Awards
The pair of Gab and Jules pick the best player of the Premier League half of the season, who surprised them the most and was their biggest disappointment.
Attacking line: Erling Haaland 4 Manchester City
The Manchester City striker has scored 52 goals in all competitions in his first season at the Etihad, and his tally for 2023 alone stands at a staggering 44 goals ahead of the Christmas games. Haaland has won a hat-trick and broken several goal-scoring records since signing for City – most notably surpassing Alan Shearer and Andy Cole by erasing their record of 34 goals in a single Premier League season and setting a new record of 36 goals.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker has confirmed his status as a global star and the player most likely to succeed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the biggest name in the game.
Attacking line: Son Heung-min, Tottenham Hotspur
When Harry Kane left Tottenham for Bayern Munich in an £82m transfer in August, the big question was how would Spurs deal with the absence of their most prolific goalscorer? Kane was always irreplaceable, but Son Heung-min has stepped up to another level since the England captain’s exit and his goals and performances have helped propel Ange Postecoglou into the title race.
Son has already scored 10 goals and four assists for Tottenham in the league ahead of the Christmas games, taking the South Korea international’s total for 2023 to 17 goals and eight assists in the league.
