Premier League Team of 2019: Only one member of Liverpool's front three makes cut
As we build up to the end of the year and prepare for the start of another, it's time to reflect on the last 12 months in the Premier League. Liverpool have remarkably taken 98 points from a possible 111 in the Premier League in 2019, losing only one of 37 matches in the competition. They pushed Manchester City all the way for the title last season and it's been all steam ahead in this campaign, as they look to build on their current 13 point lead at the top of the table in 2020.
Eden Hazard was certainly the star man in the Premier League during the first half of 2019 but he left Chelsea to join Real Madrid in the summer. His departure paved the way for another Belgian to emerge as the division's best, as we will touch on later. Considering those to have made at least 20 appearances in the Premier League in 2019, here is our team of the year with additional information about their Football Index share prices.
Goalkeeper: Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham) - 6.97 rating
Football Index share price - £0.31
There hasn't been a lot to cheer about for West Ham this year and they wil enter 2020 with a new manager in charge after re-appointing David Moyes to replace Manuel Pellegrini over the weekend. Lukasz Fabianski, however, has at least been a reliable performer for the Hammers and his absence through injury earlier this season was a huge blow for the club. Of goalkeepers that have made at least 20 appearances in the Premier League in 2019, Fabianksi averaged the most saves per game (3.8).
Right-back: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) - 7.49 rating
Football Index share price - £6.73
Trent Alexander-Arnold has astonishingly developed into a match winner from right-back for Liverpool. The 21-year-old registered more assists than any other player in the Premier League in 2019 (17), a staggering return from his position. His delivery continues to amaze, particularly as he is capable of setting up goalscoring chances almost anywhere. Unsurprisignly, the England international finishes the year with the most accurate crosses in the league (84).
Centre-back: Joel Matip (Liverpool) - 7.39 rating
Football Index share price - £0.62
Joel Matip's performances have gone under the radar for Liverpool due to some of the displays by the men around him. Alexander-Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk tend to get all of the praise but Matip has arguably been as good as the latter in 2019. The 28-year-old impressively won 76.1% of the aerial duels he contested in the league this calendar year and also averaged 5.1 clearances per league game.
Centre-back: Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool) - 7.40 rating
Football Index share price - £2.59
Virgil Van Dijk edges team-mate Matip as the best WhoScored rated centre-back in the Premier League this year. While Matip has struggled to stay fit for prolonged periods, Van Dijk has been the model of consistency, featuring in every league game for Liverpool this year. The 28-year-old boasts an impressive aerial duel success rate of 75.2% and was dribbled past just three times in 37 appearances. Van Dijk completed the most passes in the division (2673), while chipping in with six goals.
Left-back: Lucas Digne (Everton) - 7.21 rating
Football Index share price - £1.68
Liverpool are denied a complete shut out in defence by Lucas Digne, though we at least remain on Merseyside. Digne ranked second behind Alexander-Arnold for most accurate crosses (81) in the Premier League in 2019 and has replaced Leighton Baines as Everton's first-choice left-back superbly. The 26-year-old notably played a direct hand in six league goals in 2019 and ranked second of all defenders for most key passes (78).
Right wing: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) - 7.51 rating
Football Index share price - £6.80
Raheem Sterling edges out Mohamed Salah for a place on the right wing in our best rated XI. The Manchester City winger has developed into a terrific goalscorer under Pep Guardiola, illustrated by a return of 19 goals in 36 games, one more than Salah. Overall, the England international played a direct hand in 24 goals in the league in 2019. Furthermore, Sterling had more touches of the ball in the opposition penalty box (344) than any other player in the Premier League this calendar year.
Central midfield: James Maddison (Leicester) - 7.38 rating
Football Index share price - £4.92
2019 was only James Maddison's first complete year as a Premier League player and he impressively slots straight into midfield. Maddison was one of only two players to reach three figures for key passes in the Premier League in 2019 (101) and the 23-year-old ended the year with a direct hand in 14 goals in 36 appearances.
Central midfield: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 7.72 rating
Football Index share price - £5.46
Kevin De Bruyne finished 2019 as the WhoScored Player of the Year in the Premier League. The Belgium international required the fewest minutes per key pass (one every 22.7 minutes of action) and ranked second for the most assists in the division (14). De Bruyne also contributed eight goals in that time, ranking ninth in the league for fewest minutes per shot (one every 27.6 minutes of action). Furthermore, no player picked up the WhoScored Man of the Match award more times than De Bruyne (8).
Left wing: Sadio Mane (Liverpool) - 7.54 rating
Football Index share price - £3.18
Sadio Mane finished 2019 as the second top scorer in the Premier League (24) and one of only two players to reach at least 30 goal involvements for the year (30).
Striker: Jamie Vardy (Leicester) - 7.29 rating
Football Index share price - £1.52
Jamie Vardy sensationally finished 2019 as the top scorer in the Premier League (29) and he remained top of the pile even when you factored in assists as well (34). Of his goals, five were scored against the established top-six. The veteran striker is a nightmare for defenders because he can be kept quiet all game but still pop up with a goal. In fact, of players that made at least 20 appearances in the Premier League in 2019, Vardy averaged the fewest touches per goal (one goal for every 29.3 touches).
Striker: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) - 7.30 rating
Football Index share price - £1.76
Of players that made at least 20 appearances in the Premier League in 2019, only one player required fewer minutes per shot than Aguero (one every 22.4 minutes). Furthermore, Aguero had the best minutes-per-goal ratio in the division (one every 100.9 minutes of action). Injuries disrupted another calendar year for the Manchester City striker, but Aguero still netted 22 times in 32 league appearances.
