Five players from champions-in-waiting Manchester City have been named in the Professional Footballers’ Association Premier League Team of the Year.
Having been confirmed as champions on Sunday after second-placed Manchester United lost 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion, the Etihad celebrations continue with the choice, by their fellow professionals, of defenders Nicolás Otamendi and Kyle Walker, midfielders Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva and forward Sergio Agüero as part of a three-man attack.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, currently leading the Premier League scoring chart on 30 goals, accompanies Agüero and Tottenham’s Harry Kane, who has scored 26 league goals, in that attacking line-up.
See Blow!!
The PFA Team of the Year 2017/18 ?? Man City (5)
⚪ Spurs (3)
? Chelsea (1)
? Liverpool (1)
? Man Utd (1) pic.twitter.com/KZ4LWl59Q4— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) April 18, 2018
Only the goalkeeper David de Gea was named from United, while fourth-placed Tottenham boast three selections in Kane, playmaker Christian Eriksen and central defender Jan Verthongen.
Completing the line-up, and despite last season’s champions’ disappointing title defence, Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso was named in a team he failed to make last year when losing out to Tottenham’s Danny Rose.
Alonso held off strong competition from left-backs such as Liverpool’s Andy Robertson and Tottenham’s Ben Davies.
On Sunday, the overall winner of the PFA Player of the Year award will be unveiled, with De Bruyne, De Gea, Kane, Silva and Salah all nominated, along with City winger Leroy Sané, surprisingly omitted from the Team of the Year.
Championship Team of the Year
GK John Ruddy (Wolves); RB Ryan Fredericks (Fulham), CB Sol Bamba (Cardiff), CB Willy Boly (Wolves), LB Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham); MID James Maddison (Norwich), MID Rúben Neves (Wolves), MID Tom Cairney (Fulham); FWD Bobby Reid (Bristol City), FWD Leon Clarke (Sheffield United), FWD, Matej Vydra (Derby County)
League One Team of the Year
GK Dean Henderson, (Shrewsbury); RB Nathan Byrne (Wigan), CB Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn), CB Dan Burn (Wigan), LB Amari’i Bell (Blackburn); MID Bradley Dack (Blackburn), MID Erhun Oztumer (Walsall), MID Nick Powell (Wigan); FWD Danny Graham (Blackburn), FWD Jack Marriott (Peterborough), FWD Will Grigg (Wigan)
League Two Team of the Year
GK Marek Stech, (Luton); RB Jack Grimmer (Coventry), CB Alan Sheehan (Luton), CB Mark Hughes (Accrington), LB Dan Potts (Luton); MID Jorge Grant (Notts County), MID Luke Berry (Luton), MID Sean McConville (Accrington); FW Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe), FW Billy Kee (Accrington), Danny Hylton (Luton)