The last ten years of the Premier League have been packed with plenty of talent. The league has seen more than its fair share of world-class talent, both domestic and foreign, pass through the country.
Thus, with the decade about to end in a days’ time, we at SPORTZCRAAZY have taken a trip down memory lane to come up with what we think is the best Premier League eleven of the decade.
Manager – Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
Under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage, Manchester City has become a behemoth. In the three and half seasons that has managed City, the Citizens have gone on to win seven trophies. He also became the quickest manager in Premier League history to get to 100 wins, a feat he achieved in his 134th match. Guardiola also led City to become the first English club to register 100 points in a Premier League season. Considering all of this, Guardiola is the automatic choice to manage the Premier League side of the decade.
FORMATION: (4-2-3-1)
GOALKEEPER – David de Gea (Manchester United)
Ever since David signed for the Red Devils in 2011. he has always been in contention for the best goalkeeper in the world debate. being a consistent performer for whatever team he has played be it at club level or in an international level. De Gea has always succeeded. Although he made errors immediately after his arrival in English football in 2011, he grew in stature over the next couple of years with his sharp reflexes and mastery of one on one situations. For his consistency, De Gea beats Petr Cech to a place in our XI.
DEFENCE
RIGHT-BACK – Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City)
The Argentinian right-back Pablo Zabaleta has cemented himself in both Manchester City and Premier League folklore over the last ten years or so. Being a vital part of the City squad that became one of the best teams in the world, Pablo provided balance with being rock-solid in defence while also posing attacking threat when going forward. Physically gifted, combative, his tenacity and work rate enables him to consistently make things difficult for opposition attackers. Zabaleta won two Premier League titles and a host of other honours with the Citizens before leaving for West Ham and thus edges out Kyle Walker for a place in this team.
CENTRE-BACK – Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)
Kompany had all the classic attributes of a central defender wherein he read the game well, was strong, timed his tackles well and was good in the air, but more than that he was a great captain and leader, exuding calmness and authority over 11 years at Manchester City. Tough tackling and fierce leadership was his forte and are undoubtedly the first choice as a centre back in this team.
CENTRE-BACK – Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Scarcely can one player transform a club so utterly as Virgil van Dijk has done for the current titleholders? The missing piece of Jurgen Klopp’s jigsaw, Virgil led the Reds to their sixth Champions League title and now is on a journey in becoming the finest centre-back to grace the English game since the turn of the century. A fierce leader, he is known for his tough tackling and last-ditch challenge. Van Dijk is a good reader of the game, is strong and good in the air and times his tackle to perfection. Playing in the Premier League since 2015, he was initially with Southampton before his transfer to Liverpool.
LEFT-BACK – Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Such is his consistency and versatility that although he is primarily a right-back yet in our team he finds a place at left-back. He can play in any position at the back four and can excel in most of them. Primarily a defensively-minded player, the Spanish fullback also poses attacking threats. Although not the most physically gifted, his tenacity and work rate enables him to consistently make things difficult for opposition attackers.
MIDFIELD
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER – Yaya Toure (Manchester City)
The ultimate marauding central midfielder, Yaya Toure has to have a place in this team. A more of a box-to-box midfielder, Toure has a knack of scoring world-class goals. He can play deep, can play high and with pace, power and ability to just glide past a defender with the ball at his feet, Toure has struck 79 goals for the Citizens across his eight seasons at the club.
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER – N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
A consistent performer since his arrival in the Premier League, his energy and work rate in the holding midfield position played a massive part in the biggest fairytale the Premier League has ever seen with Leicester City lifting the 2015/16 Premier League trophy. He then went to Chelsea and brought the same energy and quality to their midfield thus helping the Blues lift the Premier League a season later. A good reader of the game, Kante definitely needs to be chosen in the team.
RIGHT WINGER – Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
With pace, creativity, vision and the ability to hold the ball while attacking, Raheem Sterling is a player of immense potential. Whilst at Liverpool, Raheem had the tendency to snatch at chances or make the wrong decisions, however, since his move to Manchester City he has become much calmer and incisive. Currently, Sterling is the reigning Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year holder, the PFA Young Player of the Year and holds down a place on the PFA Premier League Team of the Year too and thus he finds a place in this squad.
ATTACKING MIDFIELDER – David Silva (Manchester City)
Over the years, the Premier League has seen some of the very best midfield talents, however, David Silva is a bar above the rest and is arguably the best player in Premier League history. Blessed with a low centre of gravity due to his diminutive stature, Silva is able to turn opposition players swiftly and smoothly, thus enabling him to find and exploit gaps on the pitch which other players may not be able to. He is also an exceptional passer and almost seems to glide across the pitch at times. Perhaps more of a traditional number 10, he is equally comfortable slightly deeper in midfield as well. Silva is considered the architect of four Manchester City title wins.
LEFT WINGER – Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
One of the most individually-talented players, Hazard set the Premier League alight for seven years before finally moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019. During his time at Stamford Bridge, he lit up the league with his dazzling runs down the left-wing while also scoring some truly phenomenal goals. His close technical ability and capacity to generate goals from nothing have enabled us to select him in this team.
ATTACK
STRIKER – Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Although there is heavy competition from the likes of Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez, Kane or Jamie Vardy for this spot, Aguero gets the selection on the grounds of consistency over a protracted period. The diminutive striker is a giant in terms of stature on the football pitch and has managed 20 or more goals in the Premier League in six of his eight full seasons at City with his lowest goal return coming in the 2012/13 season in which he managed 17 goals as he was plagued with injury.
