Midfield: Ozil – Cazorla – Silva
With a midfield made up of Mesut Ozil, David Silva and Santi Cazorla, the German would have been an easy choice for most due to his 18 assists and five goals in 38 appearances this season. Praising Silva for his ability to change games, Buffon also complimented Cazorla for his similarities to former teammate Andrea Pirlo, though admitted “no one can be compared” to the Italian legend.
“It can take time to adjust to a new league, but this season I think he (Ozil) is showing the player that he was at Real Madrid. Arsenal still have a chance in the league, and a big part of it is because of Ozil,” Buffon said.
Strikers: Aguero – Kane – Costa
Picking a formidable attacking lineup, the decision to have Harry Kane lead the line was an obvious one, with the Spurs striker racking up 21 goals in 31 league appearances this season.
“Over the last year he has been the standout player in English football. He just keeps getting better and better, and at the age he is what he can go and achieve in the game is up to him,” Buffon said.
Also choosing Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa to play alongside Kane, Buffon said Manchester City “must” keep Aguero fit if they want to win the Champions League, and labelled Costa as a player “defenders hate to play against” due to his physical nature and temperament.
While Buffon decided against selecting any Manchester United or Liverpool players, it doesn't really come as a surprise due to United’s recent fall from grace and Liverpool’s inability to demonstrate any consistency this season.
