Premier League round-up: Hazard and Salah feature in all-star 2018 best rated XI

With 2019 fast approaching, now is the perfect time to take stock of the last 12 months and run through the Premier League Team of the Year for 2018. Based on players that have made at least 20 appearances over the calendar year, here is the best rated Premier League XI:

Goalkeeper: Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham) - 6.93 rating

West Ham’s recruitment hasn’t always been their strong point but Lukasz Fabianski has proved an astute signing from the Hammers. Fabianski is arguably one of the best goalkeepers outside those playing for the top-six clubs and has proved that since joining West Ham from Swansea over the summer. Despite the fact Swansea were relegated last season, Fabianski was still immense for them and things would have been a lot worse had it not been for the Poland international. In fact, it’s no surprise that Fabianski has made the most saves in the Premier League in 2018 (130).

Left-back: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool) - 7.10 rating

Liverpool have spent huge sums of money in recent transfer windows but will struggle for better value for money than the £10m they paid Hull for Andrew Robertson in the summer of 2017. The Scotland captain has been a pillar of consistency at left-back in 2018 and has come to epitomise everything great about this Liverpool side under Jurgen Klopp. Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho even said watching Robertson play made him tired, such the tenacity and energy in his performances. Reliable in defence, Robertson is also important further forward and he registered seven assists in 31 league appearances in 2018.

Centre-back: Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham) - 7.25 rating

2018 was another year where Jan Vertonghen underlined his status as one of the best defenders in the Premier League. The 31-year-old was only dribbled past nine times in 25 Premier League appearances, didn’t make a single error leading to an opposition goal and was part of a defence that kept nine clean sheets over the course of the year. Tottenham have just triggered an extra year in Vertonghen’s contract and he is certainly deserving of that and then some.

Centre-back: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) - 7.39 rating

Virgil van Dijk is not only one of the best defenders in the world but you can easily make a case that he is one of the best players on the planet on current form. The Netherlands international has almost single-handedly transformed Liverpool’s defence into one of the finest around. Van Dijk has kept 18 clean sheets in 34 Premier League appearances in 2018, at least five more than the next centre-back. Winning an aerial duel against Van Dijk is an achievement in itself. The Liverpool defender won an impressive 73.7% of his aerial duels in 2018.

Right-back: Aaron Wan-Bisakka (Crystal Palace) - 7.32 rating

Aaron Wan-Bisakka has been a revelation for Crystal Palace since making his first-team debut in February. Manchester City have already been linked with a move for the 21-year-old and it would not be a surprise if he made a big money move sooner rather than later. Wan-Bisakka is one of the first names on the Palace team-sheet now, emphasised by the fact the youngster has completed the most tackles and interceptions combined in the Premier League this season (118). It says something about his level of performances in 2018 that Liverpool starlet Trent Alexander-Arnold cannot get in the best rated XI.

Left midfield: Eden Hazard (Chelsea) - 7.83 rating

It’s little wonder why Chelsea are desperate to keep Eden Hazard out of Real Madrid’s clutches and even willing to make him the best-paid player in the club’s history to do so. Hazard finishes 2018 as the highest rated player in the Premier League and arguably one of the best in the world. Only three players were directly involved in more Premier League goals than Hazard in 2018 (28), while the Belgium international completed at least 38 more dribbles than any other player (144). When you consider the areas Hazard tends to carry out his dribbles and the frequency, it’s even more impressive that in 2018 he completed 74.2% of them. Furthermore, Hazard won the WhoScored Man of the Match award at least five more times than any other player in the Premier League this year (12).

Central midfield: Fernandinho (Manchester City) - 7.45 rating

Any questions about Fernandinho’s value to Manchester City have been answered over the Christmas period, where City’s title challenge has potentially crumbled without the Brazilian available to protect their defence. Failing to find some back-up for the 33-year-old has really come back to haunt Pep Guardiola’s side. City’s win record in the Premier League in 2018 with Fernandinho reads 24 wins in 31 matches and only three defeats. Fernandinho has only failed to start six league games this year and City lost two of them, both this season during the Christmas period.

Central midfield: David Silva (Manchester City) - 7.46 rating

It didn’t seem possible that David Silva could get any better but Pep Guardiola has managed to elevate his game to another level. Despite having to cope with some off-field problems, the former Spain international has been on a different level to some of his Premier League colleagues this year. The 32-year-old has scored 10 goals and provided five assists in 27 league appearances in 2018 with an impressive conversion rate of 20.4%. Despite his slender frame, Silva also won possession in the attacking third in the Premier League on 21 occasions.

Right midfield: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) - 7.53 rating

Raheem Sterling is the penultimate Manchester City player in our best rated XI for 2018. The England international has developed into one of the best in the Premier League under Pep Guardiola and his finishing has noticeably improved leaps and bounds under the tutelage of the Spaniard. Sterling scored 14 goals in 31 league appearances in 2018, which is impressive when you consider six of the seven players above him in the list are strikers and natural goalscorers. Finally, only Leroy Sane (14) provided more assists than the 24-year-old in the Premier League in 2018 (13).

Striker: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) -  7.67 rating

Sergio Aguero is the fourth and final Manchester City player in our best rated XI for 2018 after another year of sheer class from the Argentine. Aguero fired City to the Premier League title last season with nine goals in nine appearances in 2018 and has helped himself to another nine so far this season. Keeping Aguero fit for as long as possible will surely help Guardiola’s side close the gap on Liverpool in the Premier League this season. Of players that made at least 10 Premier League appearances in 2018, no one scored a goal more frequently than Aguero (one every 104.5 minutes of action).

Striker: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 7.73 rating

Rounding off the best rated XI is now arguably the player that will fire Liverpool to the Premier League this season. Bizarre suggestions Salah would be a one-season-wonder have well and truly been answered this year, with the Egypt international the joint top goalscorer in the Premier League alongside Harry Kane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (13 goals). Salah scored the most Premier League goals in 2018 (28) and factoring in assists as well, the 26-year-old played a direct hand in 10 more league goals than any other player (40).