Danny Murphy names 3 Liverpool and 2 Arsenal stars in his PL Team of the Season so far
Danny Murphy has named Liverpool and Arsenal stars in his Premier League Team of the Season so far.
We are at the midway point of the campaign which has built intriguingly. Jurgen Klopp's Merseysiders sit top of the league, with Mikel Arteta's men recently dropping off the top down to fourth.
Liverpool and Arsenal have been two of the strongest sides in the league this season. Thus, it stands to reason that they are well represented in Murphy's Team of the Season so far.
The former Anfield hero chose Merseyside duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk in defense. He lavished praise on Van Dijk bouncing back to form while hailing Alexander-Arnold's exploits this season. He told talkSPORT:
"I think Van Dijk has got back to his best and that's why I've put him in, he's a huge reason why Liverpool are sat at the top of the table."
Van Dijk has made 18 appearances in the league, helping his side keep six clean sheets. Klopp's newly-appointed captain has also chipped in with three-goal contributions.
Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold has flourished with two goals and three assists in 18 games. Murphy touched on this:
"I'm going Trent, just because I think he's impacted games more than any other full-back which is very hard to do. I know he goes into the midfield position, he has impacted games positively more than any other full-back."
The Liverpool duo are joined in Murphy's defense by Arsenal's William Saliba. The French youngster has shone yet again after impressing last season, and Murphy lauded him:
"Saliba has gone up again, he's going to be a superstar that kid, he's so cool and calm, quick, good on the ball."
The Gunners' other star who earned their place in Murphy's Team of the Season is Declan Rice. The England international has bedded into Arteta's midfield seamlessly, popping up with some vital goals:
"Declan Rice because he's adapted to life at Arsenal."
Murphy mentioned Arsenal's Bukayo Saka as an option for the right wing but couldn't look past Liverpool's Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian superstar has been in electric form, bagging 14 goals and eight assists in 20 games:
"[Mohamed] Salah on the right cause he's got 14 goals, that position although there's [Bukayo] Saka and there's [Jarrod] Bowen, he still tops them all consistently with his numbers so I want match winners in my team."
Murphy's Premier League Team of the Year so far:
- [GK] Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Trent Alexander-Arnold
- William Saliba
- Virgil van Dijk
- Destiny Udogie (Tottenham)
- Declan Rice
- Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
- Mohamed Salah
- Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth)
- Son Heung Min (Tottenham)
Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal to improve after surrendering top spot to Liverpool
The Gunners encountered a disappointing December which saw them drop off the top of the Premier League. They've lost three of their last five games, including their last two games on the bounce.
Their latest setback came at Craven Cottage when they lost 2-1 to Fulham. Arteta was furious with his side's performance and urged them to improve (via Arsenal's official website):
"We need to improve. We want to win games and in order to do that we have to improve with players, so that after 20 league games we have the chance to be the best in the league with these players. They are really good and we’re going to continue to go with them."
Liverpool displaced the north Londoners at the top of the table and have been enjoying a stellar season under Klopp. They've won 13 of 20 league games, with just one loss coming in a controversial 2-1 defeat to Tottenham.