Former Chelsea star named to PFA Premier League Team of the Year

In the grand scheme of things, it was a relatively underwhelming season for Chelsea. The Blues had high hopes for the campaign, consisting of an abundance of trophies. They played all but three possible games—missing out on only the Champions League semifinals and final—and brought home two titles (UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup). However, dropping two domestic finals was a disappointment for Thomas Tuchel’s squad. Chelsea also bowed out of the title race during the winter period once again, marking another discouraging season for the English giant.

The reality though is that the Blues are facing some of the toughest competition that the Premier League has fielded in its three decades of existence. The current Liverpool and Manchester City teams will go down in history as some of the most talented in the English top flight. These claims were verified when the Professional Footballers’ Association released its annual Premier League Team of the Year for the 2021/22 season. The two aforementioned sides combined to field nine of the 11 players named to the prestigious team. Chelsea and Manchester United were also represented with one player per club.

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Former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger named to PFA PL Team of the Year

Former Blues centerback Antonio Rudiger was able to wedge his way into the end-of-season XI after a stellar year. He and Joao Cancelo (Man City) helped paint an otherwise all-red defense blue on the left side. Rudiger was undeniably one of the best defenders in the league over the course of an entire 38-game season, which paid dividends for him as an individual, seeing as he joined Cristiano Ronaldo as the only non-top two league finisher to be named to the team.

Here is the PFA’s Premier League Team of the Year in full:

• Goalkeeper: Alisson (LIV)
• Right back: Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV)
• Centerback: Virgil van Dijk (LIV)
• Centerback: Antonio Rudiger (CHE)
• Left back: Joao Cancelo (MCI)
• Central midfielder: Thiago Alcantara (LIV)
• Attacking midfielder: Kevin De Bruyne (MCI)
• Attacking midfielder: Bernardo Silva (MCI)
• Right winger: Mohamed Salah (LIV)
• Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo (MUN)
• Left winger: Sadio Mane (LIV)

The German centerhalf helped Chelsea keep a sturdy 14 clean sheets in the 34 matches he appeared in this year. Only the champions and runners-up completed the campaign with fewer goals allowed (26 each) than the Blues (33) and that is largely due to the incredible seasons by Rudiger and Thiago Silva. In addition to his defensive contributions, the 29-year-old scored three goals and added two assists in the league—including an absolute worldie against Brentford.

Despite being named to the PFA’s Premier League Team of the Year, Rudiger was not given Chelsea’s Player of the Season award. Mason Mount (13 goals, 16 assists in all competitions) collected the honor for the second consecutive season. The veteran duo in defense of Rudiger and Silva were amongst the favorites as they were two of the highest rated and consistent Blues performers this year.

Unfortunately, there are now question marks at the back for Tuchel heading into the upcoming season. Rudiger has departed for Real Madrid on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract. Sevilla’s Jules Kounde has been touted to be the first centerback in the door this summer with other options being explored, as well. The uncertainties are aplenty, but one thing that remains certain is the fact that Rudiger will be an incredibly challenging act to follow.

Who will represent the Blues in next year’s PFA Premier League Team of the Year? Let us know your prediction in the comments or on Twitter!