It’s been an exciting start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign and after a busy summer of transfer activity, some of the top performers in the league so far may not be who you expect.
As we head into the October international break, there have definitely been some surprises in the Premier League, with Tottenham top of the division and Arsenal in second, level on points with their London rivals.
Meanwhile, current title holders Manchester City sit in third, two points behind the leading pack and Liverpool sit fourth.
The league’s biggest clubs unsurprisingly feature in our pick of Premier League stars so far this season, but a few included may surprise you.
Erling Haaland, Mo Salah and the like are hard to ignore, but looking further down the league, we think a few players deserve to be included for the impact they are having.
Here is our strongest Premier League XI so far this season, do you agree?
Best 23/24 Premier League XI so far
Goalkeeper: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace)
The English international goalkeeper has been in fine form for Crystal Palace this campaign. Sam Johnstone has only conceded seven goals in the Premier League this season. This is the second-lowest in the division. He has also kept the most clean sheets with four in the first eight games. The 30-year-old has made 20 saves and some of these have been vital in helping Palace sit in the top half of the table at the moment.
Right-back: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United)
Newcastle didn’t start the season as well as they would have wanted, but Kieran Trippier has been playing to a top-level despite the losses in their first few games. Trippier has helped the Magpies keep two clean sheets, but more importantly, he has picked up five assists already this season. This sees him sit joint-first for assists in the division and he is first for most assists when it comes to defenders.
Centre-back: Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace)
Crystal Palace centre-back Joachim Andersen has been on great form this season in defence and surprisingly also in attack. The Danish international has two goals this Premier League campaign and they were both vital as he scored Palace’s only goal in the 1-0 win against Manchester United as well as the 1-1 draw with Brentford. Andersen has helped the Eagles pick up four clean sheets and he has been in the SofaScore team of the week three times this season.
Centre-back: William Saliba (Arsenal)
Arsenal sit second in the Premier League this season and a huge reason for it is due to the top performances from William Saliba. The 22-year-old is playing his second campaign in England and is now arguably one of the best in his position in the league. The stats show this as he has managed 2.1 clearances a game, 2.1 clearances a game and 5.4 balls recovered per game.
Left-back: Destiny Udogie (Tottenham)
Tottenham defender Destiny Udogie is only 20 years old but he looks to be one of the best full-backs in the division. The Italian has managed 7.3 balls recovered per game, 2.8 clearances per game and 3.1 tackles per game, via SofaScore. More so, he is the ideal modern full-back as he loves to attack and he is very good at it as well. Udogie has already managed two assists this season.
Central Midfielder: James Ward-Prowse (West Ham United)
James Ward-Prowse was already seen as a good player but since moving to West Ham in the summer he has become even better than he already was. The Englishman, who is very unlucky not to be in the England squad, has managed two goals and three assists in the Premier League. He has also been great at providing cover for the Hammers defence and he looks like he could be one of the signings of the season.
Central Midfielder: Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Declan Rice moved to Arsenal in the summer and it looks like he was the vital player they needed to help compete for the title. He has looked so solid in defensive midfield and has provided the defence with a lot more protection than they are used to. He scored a crucial goal in the win over Manchester United and has already helped the Gunners in beating Manchester City this season in the division.
Right-winger: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah has again been on top form for Liverpool and this season in the Premier League he has managed five goals and four assists. His quality shows no signs of stopping and with the club enforcing their midfield over the summer it looks like he will be able to thrive even more than last season. Salah currently has the most goal contributions in the Premier League.
Attacking Midfielder: James Maddison (Tottenham)
James Maddison could most likely become one of the signings of the season for the impact he is currently having at Tottenham. The attacking midfielder has five assists, this is the joint-most assists in the Premier League. He also has two goals to his name as well. He is the exact type of player that Spurs have been missing for years and is a huge reason for them being top of the division.
Left-winger: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United)
West Ham have been on top form this season and Jarrod Bowen has been a big reason for that. He has thrived in attack and helped the Hammers sit in a very nice position currently in the Premier League. So far in the division, Bowen has five goals and one assist and this has seen him selected in the recent England squad for the October international break.
Striker: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
With eight goals in the Premier League this season, Erling Haaland is the top goalscorer in the division. He has not been at his best but with the goals he has scored it is impossible to not include him in this starting XI. No doubt the forward will be wanting to try and match his amazing tally from last season. There has been lots of top attackers, but Haaland just about claims the number nine spot.