Premier League champions Manchester City and runners-up Arsenal have a combined nine players named in the 2022-23 Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Premier League Team of the Year.
The Citizens managed to fend off strong competition from the Gunners to claim their third successive English top-flight title before completing a historic treble by lifting the FA Cup and Champions League.
Erling Haaland is one of five Man City players to be named in the prestigious annual XI, and the striker has also been named the 2022-23 PFA Player of the Year after an exceptional debut campaign on the blue side of Manchester.
The 22-year-old scored a remarkable 52 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions for Pep Guardiola's side, including a record-breaking 36 goals in 35 Premier League appearances.
John Stones, Ruben Dias, Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne have also been selected in the lineup after making a significant contribution to Man City's treble-winning triumph.
PFA Premier League Team of the Year!
— Professional Footballers' Association (@PFA) August 29, 2023
🔴 @AaronRamsdale98
🔵 John Stones
🔵 @rubendias
🔴 William Saliba
⚫️ @trippier2
🔵 @KevinDeBruyne
🔵 Rodri
🔴 Martin Ødegaard
⚪️ @HKane
🔵 @ErlingHaaland
🔴 @BukayoSaka87 #PFAawards #PFA50 pic.twitter.com/Tidh91ASlk
While Stones showed his versatility as both an invaluable defender and midfielder last season, Dias excelled at the heart of City's backline and has been rewarded with a second successive selection in the PFA XI.
Rodri established himself as one of the best Premier League midfielders and as one of City's most important players last season, and the Spaniard played more minutes than any other Citizens star across all competitions, scoring a number of crucial goals along the way including the match-winner in the Champions League final.
De Bruyne, meanwhile, is named in the PFA XI for a remarkable fifth time and for the fourth year running after registering a Premier League-high 16 assists as well as scoring seven goals last season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have four players named in the Team of the Year including star attacker Bukayo Saka, who has been named the 2022-23 PFA Young Player of the Year.
The 21-year-old was a standout performer for Mikel Arteta's side last season, scoring a career-high 15 goals and registering 11 assists in 48 appearances across all tournaments - becoming one of only two Premier League players, along with Liverpool' Mohamed Salah, to register double figures for both goals and assists.
© Reuters
Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has been selected between the sticks after keeping 14 Premier League clean sheets, only bettered by Golden Glove winner David de Gea, while William Saliba and Martin Odegaard have also be selected in the XI, with the duo being recognised for their integral roles in the Gunners side that finished second in last season's top flight.
Following three years out on loan, Saliba immediately settled into the Arsenal backline last season and was a mainstay in Arteta's side, making 27 league appearances, before an injury towards the end of the campaign proved to be a key factor behind the Gunners' drop off in form.
Odegaard was another key cog in Arteta's machine, and the Gunners captain led by example as he notched up an impressive 15 goals and eight assists from midfield – only Gabriel Martinelli (also 15) scored as many league goals as the Norwegian for Arsenal last season.
Saliba, Stones and Dias are all joined in the back four by Newcastle United right-back Kieran Trippier, who played in all 38 Premier League games as the Magpies secured an impressive top-four finish, contributing with seven assists as well as being part of a defence that conceded a league-low 33 goals.
The only other non-Man City or Arsenal player to make the XI is former Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane, who has since joined Bayern Munich after scoring a joint-career best 30 Premier League goals in 38 matches.
2022-23 PFA PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE YEAR IN FULL:
Goalkeeper: Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), John Stones (Manchester City), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), William Saliba (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Rodri (Manchester City) Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Attackers: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Oliver Thomas
