Paul Merson has picked his Premier League Team of the Season and it's hard to disagree with the side the Arsenal legend has opted for.
Merson typically gets ridiculed for some quite outrageous football takes over on Sky Sports but now and again he can make some good points.
But when it comes to his selections for the best XI from Premier League players in 2022/23, the 55-year-old hasn't conjured up too many surprises.
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There are no Liverpool, Tottenham or Chelsea players in the mix after their disappointing seasons, but Merson might just have hit the nail on the head.
In an interview with GiveMeSport, Merson went for Aaron Ramsdale in goal and included both Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman from Newcastle, who have the best defensive record in the league with just 27 goals conceded.
William Saliba's impressive debut season for Arsenal earns him a spot in the side at centre-back, with Luke Shaw completing the backline.
Casemiro's importance to Manchester United cannot be overstated and so Merson simply had to slot him in to anchor the midfield, allowing the creative geniuses of Martin Odegaard and Kevin De Bruyne, with 44 goal involvements between them, to do their thing.
Merson's view on De Bruyne when he signed for City did not age well but he's happy to admit that the Belgian playmaker is "one of the best to ever play in the Premier League".
Bukayo Saka becomes the fourth Arsenal star to get a look in after 13 goals and 11 assists, while Marcus Rashford is the second Manchester United representative after a "phenomenal" 16-goal season.
And up top was Merson's easiest selection. After scoring a record-breaking 35 goals in 31 games, Merson described Erling Haaland as a "machine" and said watching him is "like a 21-year-old playing in an Under 12s league".
The PFA Team of the Season will be revealed at a later date but what would your side look like?
Sound off in the comments.
Topics: Premier League, Paul Merson, Erling Haaland, Casemiro
Josh Lawless