No Man Utd or Arsenal players in Premier League 2022 Best XI
As we enter a new year with so much still to play for, it’s time to look back at the players that made 15 or more appearances who performed best throughout the calendar year in 2022 in the Premier League. Last season’s champions Manchester City dominate the team with four players, while there is also room for players from Fulham, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leicester and Tottenham.
With all but one of his Premier League appearances in 2022 coming since the summer, when he crossed from north to west London to join Fulham from Arsenal, Bernd Leno was a standout figure for the Cottagers in 2022, helping them to enter the New Year in seventh. In his 16 appearances in 2022, he kept four clean sheets, all the while making 62 saves, earning him an overall WhoScored rating of 7.04 for the year.
Kieran Trippier (Newcastle) – 7.62
While Newcastle continue to go from strength to strength in the league, pushing on from their 11th-placed finish last season to enter the New Year in third, one player whose impact, especially this season, has gone under the radar, is Kieran Trippier. In 2022, the full-back made 23 appearances and earned seven WhoScored Man of the Match awards, six of which have come this season alone, as he continues to be the Magpies' unsung hero. He was pivotal defensively, making 35 interceptions and winning 38 tackles, as well offensively, scoring three goals and registering four assists. He also made 75 accurate crosses, which only James Ward-Prowse (81) could better in the year. His overall WhoScored rating for the year was 7.62.
Liverpool have not been the same team that ended the 2021/22 season as runners-up, and they currently sit 15 points behind leaders Arsenal. However, they have had players who have continued to perform nonetheless, one of those being Joel Matip. During 2022, he made 73 clearances, of which 42 were headed clearances, and 128 ball recoveries, as well as 31 interceptions, helping Liverpool to only concede 16 goals in the 22 appearances he made across the year. He also contributed offensively with three goals and three assists, earning an overall WhoScored rating for the year of 7.23.
Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool) – 7.03
Despite Virgil Van Dijk’s remarkable 70-game unbeaten record at Anfield coming to an end in October, it still goes to underline how key he has been in the Liverpool backline. In his 33 appearances in 2022, the Dutch centre-back conceded only 27 goals, aided by his 36 interceptions. He is just as key to the frontline as he is to the backline, making the second most accurate passes in the league (2330), as well as his trademark long balls ranking highest, with more successful long balls from his own half to the opposition half than any other player (354). He also scored four times as well, earning him a WhoScored rating of 7.03.
Joao Cancelo (Manchester City) – 7.28
Joao Cancelo can be described as an all-out attacking full-back and his stats from 2022 reflect this. While he was able to score twice and register four assists in his 32 appearances, he also created 29 key passes and made 22 accurate crosses. His contribution in keeping Manchester City’s backline secure should also not be underestimated, having won back possession in the defensive third 78 times and 16 times in the attacking third, emphasising his all-round presence on the pitch. Cancelo’s overall WhoScored rating for 2022 was 7.28.
James Maddison (Leicester) – 7.30
While Leicester endured mixed fortunes in 2022, their star man was consistent throughout. James Maddison, who despite having one or two injury concerns, still managed to make 30 appearances in the year, as the Foxes just missed out on Europe last season. He ranked sixth for goals scored in the league, with six, while his nine assists ranked joint-fourth. Free-kick taking is one of his strongest attributes and he managed to score directly from three of the ones he took last year, which only James Ward-Prowse (4) can better. He managed an overall WhoScored rating for the year of 7.30 as a result.
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) – 7.85
Arguably one of, if not the, most important player in Manchester City's title success last season, Kevin De Bruyne continued to be a key figure all the way through 2022. He was one of only three players, of which he ranked highest, to register double figures for assists in the calendar year with 16, while being the only player to register triple figures for key passes (110). He made 62 accurate crosses, which ranked fourth highest, and also netted 13 goals, which was seventh highest. Even with the most WhoScored Man of the Matches (8), he just missed out as the player of the year, with his overall WhoScored rating for 2022 an excellent 7.85.
Rodri (Manchester City) – 7.45
So much of Pep Guardiola’s tactics come from having good passers of the ball and there are none better at the moment in the league than Rodri. No player in the league made more accurate passes in 2022 than the Spaniard (2679), while his 339 final third entries ranked as the fourth highest. While he is known best for his passing, his defensive contribution can’t be undermined either, having won 45 tackles and having made 33 interceptions, while he won possession in the midfield third more times than any other player (180). Rodri’s overall WhoScored rating for 2022 was 7.45 as a result.
Son Heung-Min (Tottenham) – 7.48
The start of the 2022/23 season hasn’t been the best for Son Heung-Min by his standards, with only three goals and two assists, but there is no denying that towards the end of last season, himself as well as Harry Kane played a big part in Spurs qualifying for the Champions League. Across the entirety of 2022, only three players scored more goals than Son (18), while his seven assists was joint sixth highest. The South Korean's 70 key passes ranked in the top five overall, and the most of his Spurs teammates. He also ranked as WhoScored’s fourth highest rated player at the end of the 2021/22 season (7.48) and his overall WhoScored rating for 2022 as a whole was 7.48 as well.
Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – 7.88
Even though he only joined the Premier League in the summer and so was limited to just 15 appearances in 2022, Erling Haaland still managed to end the year as our top-rated player. Breaking numerous records along the way, including becoming the first player in the league's history to score three successive hat-tricks in home games, he entered 2023 well in front in the Golden Boot race, having scored 21 goals, with an average of 4.6 shots per 90. He also managed to register three assists as well, earning him an overall WhoScored rating for the year of 7.88.
Tottenham just about managed to grab a top four spot near the end of last season and much of this was thanks to Harry Kane, as well as Son, who from the start of 2022 until the end of the 2021/22 season scored 13 goals, as well as registering eight assists. It’s hard for any player to compete with Haaland’s numbers at the moment, even Kane, but the English forward has still managed to score 15 goals in the current season, the second most this season, while his overall tally of 26 for 2022 was the most of any player in the league. His overall WhoScored rating for the year as a result was 7.68.
