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Six Manchester City superstars find their place in the PFA Team of the Season

By Nikhil Venkat Sai

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 23: Fernandinho of Manchester City lifts the Premier League Trophy with team mates Benjamin Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, Ederson and Sergio Aguero as Manchester City are presented with the Trophy as they win the league following the Premier League match between Manchester City and Everton at Etihad Stadium on May 23, 2021 in Manchester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 23: Fernandinho of Manchester City lifts the Premier League Trophy with team mates Benjamin Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, Ederson and Sergio Aguero as Manchester City are presented with the Trophy as they win the league following the Premier League match between Manchester City and Everton at Etihad Stadium on May 23, 2021 in Manchester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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Manchester City have had a very successful season despite the FA Cup disappointment and the UEFA Champions League heartbreak. Though the Premier League champions could not secure a treble, the manner in which the English champions won the Premier League is praiseworthy.

Following a very slow and erratic start to the 2020/21 season, very few expected City to bounce back the way they did. The Cityzens upped their game come December/ January and went unbeaten for a record 28 games, registering 21 wins in the process which was pretty much title-deciding.

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Having said that, a huge amount of credit must go to the duo of John Stones and Ruben Dias who formed a wall at the back and were instrumental in the record run. The likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho too had their best seasons in recent years and in short, it was a team effort that won the Cityzens that Premier League and the Carabao Cup.

The PFA have released their Team of the Season (Goal) and there are six Manchester City players in a team that looks balanced in all aspects.
Here’s how the team looks:

Goalkeeper

PORTO, PORTUGAL – MAY 28: Ederson of Manchester City looks on during the Manchester City FC Training Session ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester City FC and Chelsea FC at Estadio do Dragao on May 28, 2021 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
PORTO, PORTUGAL – MAY 28: Ederson of Manchester City looks on during the Manchester City FC Training Session ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester City FC and Chelsea FC at Estadio do Dragao on May 28, 2021 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) /

Ederson gets the nod in goal and rightly so. The Brazilian had a wonderful season, having kept 19 clean sheets across 36 appearances and rightly securing the Golden glove for the second consecutive time.

Defenders

Joao Cancelo, though is tipped to leave the Cityzens this summer, had one of his best seasons in recent times. The Portugal international was handed a bit more attacking freedom by Pep and the fullback responded by scoring twice and assisting on three occasions.

Manchester City’s Portuguese defender Ruben Dias (L) celebrates with Manchester City’s English defender John Stones after the final whistle during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on February 27, 2021. – Manchester City won the match 2-0. (Photo by Gareth Copley / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by GARETH COPLEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester City’s Portuguese defender Ruben Dias (L) celebrates with Manchester City’s English defender John Stones after the final whistle during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on February 27, 2021. – Manchester City won the match 2-0. (Photo by Gareth Copley / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by GARETH COPLEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

At the Center of the backline (no surprises about this one) there is the rock-solid duo of John Stones and Ruben Dias. Stones and Dias have complemented each other really well this season and Stones has managed to give his career at Manchester City a lifeline this season. Ruben Dias’ inclusion shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, given that he bagged the prestigious FWA award.

At the left-back, we have Manchester United’s Luke Shaw who like Stones, also managed to revive his career this season and has been one of the best full-backs this season, if not the best.

Midfielders

Manchester City’s Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (L) chats to Manchester City’s German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan as he is substituted during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on January 20, 2021. (Photo by Martin Rickett / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by MARTIN RICKETT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester City’s Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (L) chats to Manchester City’s German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan as he is substituted during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on January 20, 2021. (Photo by Martin Rickett / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by MARTIN RICKETT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Kevin De Bruyne makes the cut here. The Belgian has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world in the last six years. The 29-year-old scored six times in the Premier League and assisted 12 times this season.

Ilkay Gundogan was the unlikely hero for City in the tricky period of December and January as the Germany international hit a purple patch and did well record 17 goals across all competitions. The 2020/21 season has been the best for Gundogan in terms of his goal-scoring numbers.

GDANSK, POLAND – MAY 26: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United during the UEFA Europa League Final match between Villarreal CF and Manchester United at Stadion Energa Gdansk on May 26, 2021 in Gdansk, Poland (Photo by Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
GDANSK, POLAND – MAY 26: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United during the UEFA Europa League Final match between Villarreal CF and Manchester United at Stadion Energa Gdansk on May 26, 2021 in Gdansk, Poland (Photo by Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images) /

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes is also on the team and there should be no real surprise about his selection. The 26-year-old has some serious numbers to back his case. With 18 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League from 37 appearances, the Portugal international has established himself as the go-to man at Old Trafford.

Forwards

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MAY 23: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Anfield on May 23, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MAY 23: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Anfield on May 23, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /

Mohammad Salah carried the Liverpool attack in the middle part of the season when the defending Premier League champions seemed to have lost their way and weren’t even in the reckoning for the UEFA Champions League spot. Salah finished a very productive season with 22 goals and 5 assists as Jurgen Klopp and his men finished the season third-placed.

Harry Kane is the undoubted striker in this line-up. The Englishman is currently in the form of his life and it is real shame that Kane, despite his heroic efforts of notching up 23 goals and 14 assists this season, couldn’t lift Spurs to a European position. The Lillywhites finished just outside the Europa League spots and will play the first-ever UEFA Conference cup.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 23: Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur talk following the Premier League match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at The King Power Stadium on May 23, 2021 in Leicester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 23: Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur talk following the Premier League match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at The King Power Stadium on May 23, 2021 in Leicester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Heung-min Son has been the perfect partner for Harry Kane in many ways. The South Korean finished the season with an impressive tally of 17 goals and 10 assists.

The duo of Kane and Son recorded 40 goals and 24 assists between them.

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