In the second of our Big 5 league reviews, the Premier League All Star Team from last season shows no team was overly dominant in terms of stand-out performers; Arsenal and Man City were the main suppliers, with three players apiece, though champions Man United contributed two. The rest were scattered evenly throughout four other sides in what looks an intimidating XI:
Joe Hart deservedly won a place in our Premier League XI, as the Man City keeper chalked up 18 clean sheets to win the “Golden Gloves” award. Hart played in every one of City’s 38 games and conceded just 33 goals, making them joint-best defence with Chelsea. He made a total of 111 Saves on his way to 2 Man of the Match awards and a match rating of 6.89.
Bacary Sagna made 33 starts for Arsenal, the right-back helping them to 13 Clean Sheets. In possession Sagna impressed, with a 87% Pass Accuracy and 0.73 Key Passes but picked up just 1 Goal and 3 Assists for the season. He was solid at the back for the Gunners, winning 67% of his Aerial Duels and making an average of 2 Tackles, 1.8 Interceptions and 4.2 Clearances, for an overall rating of 6.98.
Nemanja Vidic made 35 starts for Man United and proved his worth at both ends of the pitch, scoring 5 Goals and helping his side to 15 Clean Sheets. Vidic’s danger in the opposition box is shown in his 0.5 Shots per game and his distribution was impressive; an 81% Pass Accuracy brought him 1 Assist. It was his defensive contribution that excelled, though; Vidic won 67% of Aerial Duels and averaged 2.1 Tackles, 2.6 Interceptions, a fantastic 9.5 Clearances and 0.9 Blocked Shots per game, for a match rating of 7.18.
Vincent Kompany was as important to Man City as Vidic was to United and his stats are remarkably similar, goal threat aside. Kompany started 37 games and was a key factor in City picking up those 18 Clean Sheets. His contribution going forward was minimal, with just 1 Assist all season, though his Pass Accuracy -86%- was exceptional. Kompany picked up 2 Man of the Match awards for performances that included 70% Aerial Duels won, 2.7 Tackles, 2.4 Interceptions, 9.1 Clearances and 0.9 Blocked Shots per game.
Leighton Baines was an ever-present for Everton last season, playing every minute of their 38 league matches. The left-back’s set pieces and occasional penalty duties saw him score 5 Goals and pick up a brilliant 11 Assists, the club’s highest and fourth-top in the league. Baines’ threat going forward is further backed up by 0.7 Successful Dribbles per match, a Pass Accuracy of 80% and an average of 1.95 Key Passes. At the back, he was equally impressive, with 2.2 Tackles and 2.7 Clearances per game to help the Toffees to 9 Clean Sheets. Baines was awarded 1 Man of the Match and average 7.09 per game.
Nani has an outstanding season for Man United, starting 31 games and scoring 9 Goals from 3.1 Shots per game, the most of any of the champions’ players. The winger also picked up most Assists (14) and made more Key Passes (2.36) than any of his team mates. When it came to Successful Dribbles, he was, once again, the best United player, with an average of 2.5, and in addition to a 80% Pass Accuracy, he helped out defensively, with 1.6 Tackles and 1 Interception per game. Nani picked up 6 Man of the Match awards for a rating of 7.52.
The signing of Rafael Van der Vaart proved an inspirational move by Harry Redknapp, as the Dutchman took the league by storm in his debut season. Van der Vaart started 28 games for Spurs and proved to be their main goal threat; he finished the club’s top scorer, with 13 Goals from an average of 2.9 Shots per game. He was their main creative force, too, with 8 Assists and an average 2.39 Key Passes, with an 84% Pass Accuracy. Van der Vaart also made 0.7 Successful Dribbles and 2.1 Tackles per game, as he picked up 6 Man of the Match awards and a rating of 7.46.
Cesc Fabregas’ season was plagued by niggling injuries, with the Arsenal playmaker managing 22 starts for the season. Fabregas’ passing was, as always, mightily impressive, as he averaged 2.88 Key Passes per game, a ratio better than any Gunners player. He was subsequently joint-top for Assists (11), though his finishing was poor, with just 3 Goals from an average 2 Shots per game. Fabregas made 1.6 Tackles per game but was also Arsenal’s Most Fouled player, 2.2 times on average. Cesc won 2 Man of the Match awards and had a season rating of 7.46.
Florent Malouda started 33 of Chelsea’s games and was their top performer in a season that saw Carlo Ancelotti’s side fail to retain their league title. With 13 Goals, the Frenchman was his side’s top scorer and averaged 1.8 Shots per game. Malouda made a fantastic 3.08 Key Passes per game but was rewarded with a mere 4 Assists all season. His Pass Accuracy (85%) was first class and he tormented plenty back-fours with 1.5 Successful Dribbles per match. Malouda was awarded 7 Man of the Match awards and rated 7.41 for the season.
Carlos Tevez scored 20 of Man City’s 60 Goals, demonstrating just how key he is to their success. In his 30 starts last season, Tevez averaged 2.8 Shots and 1.71 Key Passes per game, as he also picked up 6 Assists. He averaged more Successful Dribbles (2) than any City player and had a Pass Accuracy of 83%. The Argentine won 8 Man of the Match awards and averaged 7.48.
Robin Van Persie had an incredible season for Arsenal; the forward played virtually no part in the first half of the campaign but went on to score 18 Goals in just 19 starts for the Gunners. Van Persie had 3.4 Shots per game and was a real threat with his distribution, too; 1.76 Key Passes produced 7 Assists. With a 80% Pass Accuracy and 0.7 Successful Dribbles per match, the Dutchman picked up 8 Man of the Match awards and was the highest-rated Premier League player last season, averaging 7.53 per match.
