Opta's Premier League team of the season is dominated by Arsenal's title-winning spine. David Raya, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba and Declan Rice all make the XI because their numbers were central to what the champions did well.
Why Raya, Gabriel and Saliba are in the XI
Raya's case is the easiest to make. He finished with 19 Premier League clean sheets, four more than any other goalkeeper, and that alone explains why Opta put him in the team. Mikel Arteta said of him, "Sometimes I think we take some of the things he does as normal, when they're not."
The rest of the defensive picture is just as strong. Gabriel and Saliba lost only 15 of their 117 games together for Arsenal, while Arsenal conceded only 26 league goals. Saliba also completed 92.9% of his passes, the third-best rate of any player to attempt 2,000 or more. Those are the sort of numbers that make a back line hard to argue with, and Opta's selection reflects that.
Rice's set-piece value gave Arsenal another edge
Rice is there for more than control in midfield. He posted 3.3 expected assists from set play, the highest total in the division, and Arsenal scored a record 19 corner goals in 2025-26. Mikel Arteta described him as "so consistent, so reliable. He's always there."
Gabriel's output also makes the same point from a different angle. He finished with seven Premier League goal involvements, including three goals and four assists, which is a useful reminder that Arsenal's defensive spine was not just about keeping the ball out. Opta's team of the season is not a random spread of star names. It is a clear nod to the parts of Arsenal's title-winning side that kept them stable at the back and dangerous from dead balls.
If anything, the selection is a fair one. The next question is whether Arsenal can keep the same defensive level and set-piece edge into next season, because that was the foundation behind four of the most prominent names in Opta's XI.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
