Alan Shearer has snubbed Manchester City stars in his Premier League Team of the Season to instead name three Arsenal players.
The north London side took Pep Guardiola’s side all the way to the wire this year as Arsenal won 16 of their last 18 Premier League games to take the title race to the final game of the season, where City still ended up as winners.
With Arsenal breaking their club record for league wins in a season as well as keeping the most clean sheets out of any team in the division, Mikel Arteta’s side were as good as they could be in their bid to win the Premier League title.
And Shearer has highlighted how good Arsenal were through his Team of the Season.
Shearer names Arsenal back-three in his Premier League Team of the Season
Speaking on the Rest is Football, Shearer snubbed City stars and defenders from every other Premier League club to name an entire Arsenal back-three in his Premier League Team of the Season, with Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Ben White making the XI.
The trio have been instrumental in Arsenal’s defensive fortunes this season with Gabriel and Saliba forming the best centre-back partnership in the league as White again flourished in the right-back positon.
READ MORE: All Arsenal player wages for the 2023/24 season, ranked
Indeed, the Arsenal trio were as important to the squad as a Declan Rice or a Bukayo Saka, and Shearer rightly praised Gabriel, Saliba and White for their immense performances this season as a defensive unit.
Shearer said: “I’ve gone for a full Arsenal back-three of White, Saliba and Gabriel, and I don’t think anyone can argue with that with the record they had this season. Look at the number of goals they conceded, they’ve been outstanding, all three of them, this season.”
Arsenal’s defence is arguably the best in Europe
Arsenal’s defence has gone up several levels this season, with Gabriel and Saliba unmoveable objects at the back with White providing world-class cover out on the right as well as going forward.
And a real claim could be made that Arsenal’s defence is currently the best in all of Europe, with the Gunners having the perfect blend of defensive intelligence, athleticism and experience.
Indeed, the UEFA Champions League will be an interesting watch if the defensive trio stick together, and next season, the three players will want to do all they can to win the Premier League for the Gunenrs.