Carragher and Neville name their Premier League teams of the season… with HUGE striker snub and ‘horrific’ pick
GARY NEVILLE and Jamie Carragher have named their respective teams of the season – and both include a surprise omission.
The Premier League title race will conclude on Sunday as we discover whether it is Arsenal or reigning champions Manchester City who will be celebrating.
This year has seen a number of last summer’s big transfer signings shine, while it’s been a huge disappointment for others.
The Sky Sports duo have watched almost every kick of the top-flight and on Monday Night Football they revealed what they thought was their best Premier League XI of the campaign.
The two legends agreed on seven players – and that not one single member of Manchester United’s squad made the cut.
That was not surprising, however, but the absence of Man City’s Erling Haaland in attack by one of them did raise some eyebrows.
The ex-Man Utd right-back and Liverpool centre-half both opted for Arsenal’s defensive duo William Saliba and Gabriel to be at the heart of their backline due to the Gunners having the best defence in the league.
Then their midfields both captained Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice with Man City’s Rodri alongside them.
Then his Cityzens team-mate Phil Foden, named Footballer of the Year, and Chelsea Cole Palmer, who has scored 21 Prem goals since joining for £42.5m last summer, were in each attack.
It was then Neville who went first to reveal the rest of his line-up – which he had selected in a 4-3-3 formation.
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Aston Villa’s World Cup-winning goalie Emiliano Martinez, who has helped them to almost secure a top four place, was inbetween the sticks while Arsenal’s Ben White and Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie got in as full-backs.
That left Odegaard, Rice and Rodri to make up the midfield trio with Palmer, Foden joined in attack by City striker Haaland, who has 25 goals from 29 Prem appearances and looks set to land another Golden Boot.
But after some slight injury issues this term, the Norwegian goal machine did not quite make the cut for Carragher.
He chose a 3-2-4-1 formation and caused some slight shock by naming England No.1 Jordan Pickford as goalkeeper after his displays for Everton, who went 13 games without a victory.
Arsenal’s David Raya has won the Premier League’s ‘Golden Glove’ award as well.
His back three saw him put Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk alongside the Gunners duo with Rodri sat in front protecting them along with Rice.
Palmer and Foden were then placed out wide of Odegaard and Kevin De Bruyne – another shock inclusion.
The Belgian playmaker has sat out large chunks of the campaign through injury and has been restricted to just 23 Prem appearances.
But he has still produced six goals and 16 assists in all competitions and that was enough for Carragher, although it led to some outrage on social media, with one fan replying: “De Bruyne is a horrific shout. He’s barely played, and he’s not been spectacular when he has.”
Carra also chose Villa’s Ollie Watkins up front instead of Haaland with the Englishman getting 19 Prem goals and 13 assists.
He said Haaland’s contribution to City’s campaign was ‘disappointing’ as he explained: “Well, the reason I would go for Ollie Watkins, I think his numbers, there’s not much difference in the numbers when you put the goals and assists together. He’s playing for Aston Villa. He’s playing for Manchester City.
“And actually, when I think of Erling Haaland this season, listen, we know he’s the best striker, you know, we get that. But this season, I actually think in the biggest the games, I’ve been slightly disappointed with Haaland.
“Maybe even sort of the Champions League against Real Madrid, the games against Arsenal, Liverpool as well, when he’s come up against the real elite defenders. I think the elite defenders have got the better of them,’ said Carragher.”
Neville stuck up for Haaland, saying: “Do you know something you only realise when you have these players, this is a special player. One of the greatest in the world is goal scoring.
“His numbers will go on to dominate world football for the next five, six, seven years, in my opinion. And he just has to be in there. You can think about giving someone else a chance, and that would be the emotional, compassionate way to look at it.
“But every centre forward, every club in the league, if you could name a centre forward, and they could take one, would name him.”
Neville then mocked some of Carragher’s other picks, adding: “He doesn’t believe what he’s saying. He doesn’t even believe it himself.
“This year, I can honestly this year, he doesn’t even believe his own team. He’s created a system that doesn’t exist.”