Premier League Team of the Year 2022

 The English top flight saw some emphatic performances in the last year

The 2022 season appeared to be the crown jewel of football, with the most exciting sporting events taking place in the football calendar year, from the World Cup to the Champions League and the Premier League title decided on the final day, with City winning the title after one of the best comebacks against Aston Villa.

And it was another season of triumph and disappointment for Premier League players. Players with the highest performance helped their club reach key goals, and with their exploits this year we have built the best eleven Premier League squad of 2022 based on their statistics and performance.

Goalkeeper: Alisson

Liverpool seemed to be on track to become the first Premier League club to achieve a quadruple, but instead, they merely won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. Despite a solid season, Alison put in a class performance in 2022, keeping more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper (22). And, according to Opta, the Brazilian goalkeeper surrendered just 11 fewer goals than expected (27 goals conceded from 37.8 xG on target faced).

Right back: Kieran Trippier

Newcastle United has gone from being in concern about relegation at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season to finishing the 2022 year in the top three. And due to their few additions, they were the driving factor in changing the club's fate. The signing of Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid proved rewarding since he is one of three full-backs who have averaged two or three opportunities created per 90 minutes in the Premier League (2.4).

Centre back: Thiago Silva

Silva's durability has been crucial for Chelsea this season; the 38-year-old has performed more minutes compared to any other Blues player this season (2,531). The Brazilian has transcended his age by becoming the only center-back to reclaim the most possession per 90 minutes in 2022 - (7.2 recoveries per 90 - min. 1,500 minutes played).

Centre back: Gabriel Magalhaes

Gabriel Magalhaes, another Brazilian who has excelled in the Premier League, is one of just two players who have appeared throughout every Premier League game for Arsenal, alongside Bukayo Saka. The Brazilian has scored the majority of goals from corners (9), more than any other player in the league, and has carried the ball the most (6,467m), exceeding any other defender in the Top Division.

Left-back: Joao Cancelo

Joao Cancelo has been a key player for the Citizens this season, and his offensive abilities have helped City score the most goals in 2022. Cancelo is the third most productive fullback to make the most progressive passes (41), after only Trippier (47) and Alex-Ander Arnold (41). (57).

Defensive midfielder: Rodri

Rodri's steadiness has helped Manchester City keep a constant flow in the game and seamless ball distribution in all instances. His serenity on the ball benefited City in building the game without disturbance, as well as in attacking and defensive duties.

He had the most passes in 2022 (2,677) and is the only midfielder with the lowest lost possession rate (min. 1000+ touches), relinquishing the ball with only 9.7% of his total touches.

Centre-midfielder: Declan Rice

Rice has blossomed into a superb defensive midfielder, and it's no coincidence that many teams want to sign him. The midfielder has stayed true to form, assisting the team in all aspects. He runs everywhere and makes instant interceptions whenever the ball is lost, recording the most recoveries (302) of any other player in the league. And his ball-holding has seen him make the most ball carries of 10+m (183) by any player in the top tier in 2022.

Attacking Midfielder: Kevin de Bruyne

The Belgian has had another fun ride, with the midfielder creating the majority of contributions and chances. The 31-year-old has generated the most chances in the league (100), with 16 of them being converted, and only Harry Kane has 35 more engagement in goals than De Bruyne (29) in 2022.

Attacking Midfielder: James Maddison

His outstanding performance in 2022 earned him a well-deserved call to the FIFA World Cup. Also, Maddison's remarkable performance has elevated his position in the Premier League, as he was the only second midfielder to have the most goal involvement (23) in 30 league matches for Leicester City after De Bruyne (29).

And his goal-scoring accuracy has been top-notch as well, with six goals coming from outside the box and three arriving from freekicks, the most scored by a top-flight player in 2022.

Striker: Harry Kane

Conte's arrival gave the Three Lions captain assurance, as he boasted 26 goals and 21 non-penalty goals, along with the most assists and strikes overall (34), of any attacker this year.

And the player was also involved in the most patterns of play that resulted in 229 shots or a goal, 37, behind Kevin De Bruyne's 234 sequences. The 29-year-old striker and playmaker has made an all-round performance for Spurs.

Striker: Erling Haaland

Since joining Manchester City, the 22-year-old has been on a record-breaking rampage, and even without considering his 2022-21 records, he has eclipsed half of 2022 forwards. Manchester City have signed a striker who won't rest until he has achieved his objective. Haaland is the first player who has scored the most goals (25) in the quickest amount of games (20) under the Spanish boss, with Messi coming in second (28).

Only Tottenham's Harry Kane has more goals (26+) in 2022 than the Norwegian (20+). Considering this year's World Cup interruption, Haaland's (21) Premier League strikes are the most by any player before the turn of the year.