Premier League Player of the Year favourites & team of the 2024-25 season so far
As we edge closer to April, the 2024-25 Premier League season is very much hotting up.
We’re into the final run-in, in terms of breaks, and Liverpool hold a comfortable lead at the top of the table. The Reds are 12 points clear of second-placed Arsenal, with nine games left to play. Nottingham Forest are a four three points back, before a big battle for the top four.
Just five points separate fourth-placed Chelsea and Bournemouth in 10th, with no side really taking control.
Just like the Premier League title race, there is a standout favourite to be named PFA Player of the Year. And it will be no surprise to anyone that Liverpool’s Mo Salah is leading the charge.
The Egyptian leads the races for both the Golden Boot and Playmaker Award, proving crucial to Liverpool’s title challenge. He’s already won the award twice, in 2017-18 and 2021-22, and is odds-on to become the first player to be named Player of the Year three times.
Who are the PFA Player of the Year award favourites?
2024-25 Premier League team of the season so far
Here’s our Premier League team of the season so far based on the Squawka Score, featuring a number of the players at the forefront of the PFA Player of the Year chase. We added a minimum of 1,305 minutes to be eligible — half of the available minutes this season.
GK: Mads Hermansen
Club: Leicester City
Squawka Score: 71%
Mads Hermansen has conceded 47 goals in 22 league games this season, keeping just one clean sheet. But Leicester City would be in a much worse position without him. The Dane has prevented 0.11 goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, which is a decent return. He also sits in the top five for saves made at 84, despite having the second-fewest amount minutes among that select group.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Club: Liverpool
Squawka Score: 77%
This shouldn’t be any surprise. It was close between him and Pedro Porro, but Trent Alexander-Arnold has been the best right-back in the Premier League this season. The Englishman has shown that he can do it both in defence and attack, adding the former to his game. Alexander-Arnold ranks well for tackles won at 1.96 per 90, alongside 1.25 interceptions and only 0.88 goals conceded. Of course, he’s strong in attack too, creating 0.58 big chances per 90 and completing 7.84 passes into the final third — both more than any other right-back.
CB: Virgil van Dijk
Club: Liverpool
Squawka Score: 73%
No shocks here, right? If anything, Virgil van Dijk seems to be getting even better with age and his colossal presence at the back has been key to seeing Liverpool move 12 points clear at the top. As you’d expect, Van Dijk is among the best for aerial duel success rate, at 71.2%, averaging 2.79 won per 90. He’s also tough to beat on the floor, losing just 0.24 challenges per 90 and winning 66.18% of his ground duels.
CB: Gabriel
Club: Arsenal
Squawka Score: 75%
Ahead of Van Dijk among Premier League centre-backs, Gabriel has risen up the ranks as the season as gone on. The Arsenal centre-back perhaps goes under the radar in comparison to his partner William Saliba, but he’s only lost 0.155 challenges per 90 this season. When Arsenal have needed him, Gabriel has been there, with two last man tackles across the campaign. The Brazilian has also completed 75.4% of his attempted forward passes.
LB: Antonee Robinson
Club: Fulham
Squawka Score: 72%
What a season Antonee Robinson has been having for Fulham. Only Salah (17) has recorded more assists in the Premier League this season than Robinson’s 10, from just 36 chances created. The American has been quality defensively too, winning 1.74 tackles per 90 and making 1.77 interceptions. There’s a reason he has been linked with a move to Liverpool, as a potential replacement for Andrew Robertson.
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CM: Thomas Partey
Club: Arsenal
Squawka Score: 69%
Thomas Partey has played both as a full-back and a midfielder for Arsenal this season, but he’s finally found a home as the Gunners’ No.6. The Ghanaian has averaged 1.89 tackles won per 90 in the league, as part of a defensive unit that has faced just 6.29 shots in the box per 90. On the ball, Partey has only been dispossessed 0.45 times per 90 with 0.78 unsuccessful touches — both ranking well among central midfielders.
CM: Moises Caicedo
Club: Chelsea
Squawka Score: 69%
Moises Caicedo has been Chelsea’s standout player not called Cole Palmer this season. The Ecuadorean had an excellent 2024 as a whole, carrying his form at the start of the year into the current campaign. Only two players have made more tackles in the Premier League this season than Caicedo’s 84, while he also sits second for recoveries among midfielders (170). But he’s up his passing too, with 90.1% open-play passing accuracy, alongside a retention rate of 88.56%.
W: Mohamed Salah
Club: Liverpool
Squawka Score: 83%
And here we have, the best player in the Premier League right now. There may even be a case for him being the best player in the world right now. It’s, of course, Mo Salah. The Egyptian’s contract at Liverpool is up in the summer, and he’s showing everyone why the Reds need to give him anything and everything he wants. He leads the Premier League for both goals and assists, averaging 0.94 goals per 90 and 0.56 intentional assists. Only Erling Haaland (2.1) has had more shots on target per 90 than Salah’s 1.92, but he leads the Premier League for touches in the opposition box (10.95). There aren’t enough superlatives for Salah.
AM: Cole Palmer
Club: Chelsea
Squawka Score: 80%
Before Salah went on his ridiculous run, Cole Palmer was favourite to win the PFA Player of the Year award. His odds have increased massively now, as a result of a poor 2025. But across the season as a whole he still looks strong. Palmer is one of six players to hit 20+ direct goal involvements in the league this season, and three of those ahead of him are strikers. The Englishman leads the Premier League for chances created (71) and sits second for big chances created (19).
W: Matheus Cunha
Club: Wolves
Squawka Score: 78%
Matheus Cunha has played across the front line for Wolverhampton Wanderers this season. But he has mostly popped up on the left, whether that’s as an actual wide player or a left-sided attacking midfielder. The Brazilian has averaged 1.47 shots on target per 90, placing in the 95th percentile and above for goals scored from open player per 90 at 0.5. He has also averaged 0.21 goals from outside the box per 90.
ST: Alexander Isak
Club: Newcastle
Squawka Score: 82%
What a season Alexander Isak is having. The Swedish striker has scored 19 goals this season, behind only Salah and Erling Haaland. He’s had a more consistent campaign than the Norwegian cyborg, and plays a bigger part in Newcastle United‘s team — hence the higher Score. Isak has averaged 0.83 goals per 90 in the Premier League this season, from 0.61 non-penalty Expected Goals. In fact, his non-penalty xG on Target also rounds to 0.61, for a shot placement ratio of 1.0. Isak’s conversion rate is up there with the best among forwards, scoring with 27.54% of his chances in the league this season.
How do Squawka player ratings work?
Squawka’s new player rating system is completely stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.
Using extensive research and our expertise, we tailored each score to the players’ respective positions. For example, forwards are rated on metrics like shots on target, touches in the opposition box and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes and so on.
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