Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has issued an apology to Chelsea fans after revealing his Premier League Team of the Season so far on the final edition of Monday Night Football before Christmas.
Appearing on Sky Sports’ year-end show, Carragher picked an 11-man side representing some of the standout performers from the 2025/26 English Premier League campaign to date.
His lineup mixed established stars with a few surprise inclusions, and also notable ones that have caught the attention of supporters across the division.
Carragher’s Premier League XI
At the back, Carragher’s 4-2-3-1 team began with Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs. In front of him in defence were Crystal Palace pair Daniel Muñoz and Marc Guéhi, and Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães and Ricardo Calafiori.
Declan Rice (Arsenal) and Granit Xhaka (Sunderland), and Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) made up the midfield. The attacking trio features Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) and Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa).
Despite strong individual campaigns from several big-name players, some major absentees stood out.
As for who the former Liverpool player thinks has been the standout performer, he had this to say:
“Haaland and Rice would be certainly the two that would stand out right away. And I think Rogers is sort of just on their coattails.
“If you’re talking about a player of the year or something like that, or the player of the year so far at the halfway point, it’d be a toss up between Rice or Haaland.”
Carragher snubs Chelsea
Carragher notably apologised to Chelsea fans for leaving out midfielder Moises Caicedo. The Ecuador international has been one of the Blues’ most reliable performers this term. Chelsea, as a club, were otherwise unrepresented in his team.
“So I apologise to Chelsea fans, as I seem to do a lot! But no, I couldn’t find room for Caicedo because of those reasons. And also, I had to put Bruno Fernandes in,” said Carragher.
Carragher’s team draws representation from seven different clubs, highlighting how competitive the current Premier League season has been.
Arsenal’s strong league position is reflected in multiple inclusions, while players from smaller clubs have also earned recognition.
As the 2025/26 Premier League season heads into its second half, discussions around the best performers and potential ‘Team of the Season’ picks are expected to grow. Carragher’s list has added plenty of fuel to the debate ahead of the New Year.
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