The Premier League era began in 1992 and has taken English football to a whole new level. Regarded as one of the best football leagues in the world, the EPL has been graced by some of the greats of this beautiful game.
We have compiled a team of this decade (2010s), and even though we're just halfway through this decade, the Premier League has unearthed some fine footballers. With hosts of clubs doing increasingly well and better facilities all over, the players are ever-improving.
Let's take a look at the EPL's team of the 2010s:
1) Goalkeepers and defenders
David De Gea
The Spaniard is arguably THE best goalkeeper in the Premier League. If not for De Gea, Manchester United would have failed to qualify for Champions League in 2015-16.
He had the best season of his life in 2014-15 and has kept a total of 50 clean sheets in his United career. The number should have been much higher, but since Sir Alex’s retirement, De Gea has had a very shaky defence, barring Chris Smalling and more recently Daley Blind, to support him.
United also had a lot of injury concerns (63 injuries last season), and the team lacked stability for most parts. De Gea kept bailing out United time and again, making him the goalkeeper of our team.
Leighton Baines
The Englishman emerged as a top class left-back under David Moyes, at Everton. Baines made his move to Goodison Park in 2007 and did not get too many first-team opportunities in his debut season. He slowly established himself in the team, and had a brilliant 2010-11 campaign, winning Everton’s player of the season, Players’ Player of the season and Goal of the season for his free-kick against Chelsea.
Baines continued his impressive performances, winning a place in the 2012 and 2013 PFA Team of the year, and was named Everton’s player of the year in 12/13. Manchester United was really impressed by the Englishman and made multiple bids in vain. Baines has also managed to score 30 goals since 2007 and set up plenty of chances for the forwards. Also, his sole penalty miss was against David De Gea!
John Terry
Chelsea’s skipper is undoubtedly one of the best centre-backs in the EPL. His solid performances at the back were also rewarded with being handed over the national team’s captaincy. A strong, commanding and extremely physical defender, Terry has marvelous aerial abilities combined with crunching tackles and excellent leadership skills. He has everything you’d look for in a defender and even at 35, Terry remains a fundamental part of Chelsea’s setup.
Terry has a lot of personal accolades to his name- UEFA Defender of the year in 2005, 2008 and 2009, PFA Player of the Year in 2005, and was a part of the decorated FIFPro Team of the year for 5 consecutive years between 2005-09. Terry is also Chelsea's highest scoring defender with 66 goals and is the clubs’ most successful captain.
Vincent Kompany
The Belgian and Manchester City skipper is the second CB in our team. Like Terry, Kompany is considered as one on the best defenders of his generation and has been a revelation since his arrival to Etihad in 2008.
Kompany was a relatively unknown quantity when he made his move from Hamburg, but he rose up the ranks quickly to be one of PL’s and the world’s best central defenders. His solid showing at the back earned him a place in PL’s Team of the year in 2011, 2012 and 2014, and also won the Premier League’s Player of the year in 2012. Kompany is extremely strong at the heart of the defence and is known to make decisive tackles and interceptions, making him the perfect fit for this team.
Branislav Ivanovic
The Chelsea man has found a spot in right-back of our team. The Serbian skipper rose to prominence at Stamford Bridge in the 2010s playing a vital part in Chelsea’s Champions League success in 2012, EPL in 2014-15 and FA Cup in 2011-12.
Ivanovic did not make too many first team opportunities owing to lack of fitness and failure to impress in training sessions. The Serbian improved his game, and evolved as one of the best defenders in the EPL, and was named in PFA Team of the year twice. He is now a prominent figure in Chelsea’s defence making over 350 appearances, and netting 33 goals in the process.
2) Midfielders
Gareth Bale
Prior to the Paul Pogba transfer, the Welshman was the most expensive transfer as he moved from Spurs to the Santiago Bernebau. The former Tottenham hitman is known for his long-range shooting, dead-ball skills, and extraordinary pace.
Bale moved to White Hart Lane in 2007 from the famed Southampton academy, where he played as a left-back. He already started showing his free-kick skills, and under Harry Redknapp moved to a more attacking position. He caught the world’s attention after an excellent showing in the UEFA Champions League 2010-11. He also won PFA Player of Year in 2011 and 2013 and was named in UEFA Team of the year.
Bale scored a total of 55 goals during his stint with Tottenham, and his then-world record fee of €100.8 million, as revealed by a leak, proves the breathtaking talent he is.
Yaya Toure
Yaya Toure is one of the best midfielders in the EPL and world football. He is renowned for his box-to-box abilities with a huge physical presence in the centre of the park and has incredible vision to pick out key passes.
The Ivorian moved from the Camp Nou in 2010 and has since played a crucial role at Manchester City winning the Premier League in 2011/12 and 2013/14, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cups and a Community Shield. The Ivorian is also a part of the national team set-up winning African player of the year for 4 consecutive years between 2011-2014.
Toure has 75 goals in his City career, and combined with his excellent defensive quality, Toure is our team’s CM.
Santi Cazorla
The Arsenal man will be our second CM of the team. Santi Cazorla is a versatile midfielder, and has the ability to find his teammates in attacking positions. The 2007 Spanish Player of the year joined Arsenal in 2012 and made an immediate impact with 13 assists, winning Arsenal’s Player of the season award.
Cazorla continued his sparkling performances for the Gunners, winning the Player of the month once in Dec 2014 and Jan 2015. He played an important part in the famed Spain side which dominated world football for a good part of 5 years between 2008-2013.
Cazorla has 27 goals and 39 assists in his Arsenal career, and that gives him a spot in our team.
David Silva
The Spaniard has established himself as one of the best-attacking midfielders in the EPL after moving to Manchester City in 2010. He is a delight to watch on the ball, with tremendous passing abilities and scores the occasional stunner. Silva is a regular in the City line-up and was a fundamental part of both the Premier League title-winning squads.
Known as El Mago, Silva was a regular in the national team which dominated world football for the period of 2008-12, winning two European Championships and one World Cup during the time. Silva has outstanding technical ability, and an uncanny habit to find spaces for his team-mates to break opposition defences.
3) Forwards
Luis Suarez
One of the best strikers in the world, Luis Suarez had a blast in the Premier League. He threatened and toyed with defences on a daily basis, scoring a mammoth 82 goals in only 133 appearances at Anfield. The Uruguayan hitman won PFA the Player of the year in 2014, Premier League Golden Boot and shared the European Golden Boot with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Suarez has continued his good form in the national side too, scoring 45 goals to become Uruguay’s highest goalscorer. For all the incredible stuff he’s done, Suarez was infamous for his bite on Ivanovic in an EPL match against Chelsea, and was handed a 10-game ban. He repeated his antics once again in the 2014 World Cup, where he bit Italian defender, Giorgio Chiellini just before his move to the Camp Nou.
Keeping all the biting aside, Suarez’s goalscoring record is ridiculous and is our first striker for the team.
Sergio Aguero
Most Manchester United fans will be enraged at the exclusion of Wayne Rooney from the list, but Aguero is on the list not only because of his incredible goalscoring abilities but also the massive role he played in Manchester City’s revolution.
The Argentine rightly scored the goal which made the world take notice of Manchester’s other half- winner against QPR in added time to win the EPL title from their neighbours, United, on goal difference on the last matchday (can easily be a Bollywood/Hollywood script). In the 2014-15 season, Aguero had the highest goals per minute ratio in the history of the competition since its inception in 1992.
Aguero also has something very few footballers can boast of- an Olympic gold medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics. He has 142 goals to his credit in the EPL and was an integral part of the Argentine team which finished runners up in 2014 World Cup, 2015 Copa America, and Copa America Centenario. Aguero completes our team of the 2010s.
