So many players have lit up the English top flight with their talent in the last five years, but who deserves a place in the best XI?
As we enter the second half of the decade, it seems a changing of the guard is taking place at the top of the Premier League. Manchester City have been in decline since winning their record-breaking fourth successive title, with Liverpool now the team setting new standards for consistency at the summit under the leadership of Dutch tactician Arne Slot.
City won't be holding the trophy aloft again in May, having already fallen 14 points behind the Reds. Pep Guardiola's side may even struggle to finish in the top four, as they also find themselves looking up at Arsenal, Chelsea and surprise package Nottingham Forest.
But it would be foolish to suggest that City's era of dominance is over for good. After all, their response to Liverpool's last title triumph in 2020 was devastating. City have been by far the best team in English football over the past five years, which is reflected in GOAL's team of the 2020s so far.
We found it impossible to leave out six City players in particular, all of whom have cemented a standing as modern legends. The question is: who occupies the remaining five slots? Check out the all-star XI below…
Getty Images SportGK: Alisson
Alisson is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, and has been ever since he joined Liverpool from Roma in 2018. The Brazilian goalkeeper excels in one-on-one situations and his positioning is flawless, while he is also exceptionally composed with the ball at his feet.
Most of Liverpool's attacks begin with Alisson, and as their last line of defence, he's stood up tall time and time again. He's kept 72 Premier League clean sheets for Liverpool in the last five seasons, with 20 of those coming in a remarkable Golden Glove-winning 2021-22 campaign that saw Jurgen Klopp's side finish just a single point behind champions City.
Alisson seemed almost unbeatable that season, boasting the highest save percentage in the league (76%), and has matured like a fine wine since then. Now at the ripe old age of 32, Alisson is still the most important member of Liverpool's squad, and as long as he remains between the sticks, they will continue to be there or thereabouts when the biggest prizes are handed out.
AdvertisementGettyRB: Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker has endured a miserable 2024-25 campaign. He has been plagued by form and fitness issues amid City's crisis, with a number of high-profile mistakes putting him firmly under the microscope. But one bad year should not negatively affect his legacy at Etihad Stadium.
No other right-back in the Premier League came close to matching Walker's levels of consistency between 2020 and 2024 especially. Walker's speed and strength allowed him to come out on top in almost all of his duels and drive City forward at every opportunity, while he has also long been renowned for his powers of anticipation.
The 2023-24 season was arguably Walker's best yet in the famous blue shirt as he admirably rose to the challenge of donning the captain's armband, which is one of the main reasons his recent drop-off has been so shocking. But it shouldn't be a surprise that Father Time has finally caught up to Walker; the 34-year-old staved him off longer than 99% of elite players are able to, and he deserves to be remembered as one of the finest full-backs of his generation.
Getty CB: Ruben Dias
When City initially signed Ruben Dias from Benfica for £65 million ($82m) in 2020, Guardiola declared to : "I am sure he will be an incredible player for the next six or seven years." So far, so good.
Dias has paid back that lofty £65m fee ten-fold. He has led City's defensive line like a general, always setting the tone with his aggression off the ball and execution on it. The physically imposing Portuguese is comfortable with both feet, times his tackles to perfection and has a knack for breaking up play, with opposition strikers often forced down blind allies whenever they enter into his vicinity.
"Ruben is not playing just his game. He is playing the game for everyone," Guardiola said in 2023. "He has the ability to see and solve the problems for many things. His character is so important." Even during these more testing times for City, that has still been the case. Frighteningly, Dias still has his prime years ahead of him at 27, and he will stop at nothing to bring City back to the top.
Getty ImagesCB: Virgil van Dijk
In 2022, AC Milan icon Paolo Maldini predicted that Virgil van Dijk "will soon be the best defender in the history of football". Three years on, the Netherlands international hasn't quite managed to fulfil that prophecy, but there is no denying his status as of the all-time great centre-backs, and his presence has ensured that Liverpool remain an elite force.
Van Dijk is a quick, elegant defender who dominates in the air and reads the game brilliantly. The former Southampton and Celtic star has remarkable technical qualities for a big man, excelling whenever he drives out of the defence, and he's been an exemplary leader for Liverpool since inheriting the captain's armband from Jordan Henderson in 2023.
The Premier League has never seen an all-rounder quite like Van Dijk, who has yet to show any signs of slowing down despite approaching his mid-thirties. Liverpool simply have to tie him down to a new contract if they are serious about replacing City at the top of English football permanently.
