Premier League 2019-20: Team of the Season at the halfway point of the campaign

Defence

Trent Alexander-Arnold

The Englishman has quite literally picked up right where he left off last season and has contributed significantly so far to Liverpool's title challenge. After setting up a historic 12 assists and scoring one goal from right-back, the 21-year-old already has 8 assists and scored 2 in 19 games in the ongoing season and looks even more threatening from wide areas than he did last year.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is simply operating at a different level to most full-backs in the league at the moment, producing numbers that just aren't usual for his position. Essentially operating as a wide playmaker for the Reds, he's put in some commanding displays so far at both ends of the pitch. Alexander-Arnold's recent showing against Leicester City was arguably the best performance from a full-back in a very long time in the English top-flight, registering two assists and one scorching goal.

He's averaged 4.8 long balls, 2.5 crosses, 1.5 tackles and most astonishingly, 3 key passes per game.

Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool's warrior in defence has had more off-days this season than he did the season before. However, that isn't saying much as he rarely ever had an off day last year. Despite the occasional lapse in concentration, Virgil van Dijk still remains the best centre-back in the league and is at the heart of one of the most resilient defences in the country.

His nonchalance with the ball and composure while defending his goal are two key attributes that define the towering centre-half, other than his more obvious physical qualities. Much like his imperious 2018/19 season, van Dijk has been the gold standard for defenders in Europe and still looks impeccable defending the Reds' goal with 6 clean sheets so far. His organisation of the backline and leadership qualities have benefited their defence significantly.

Contributing with 3 goals in 19 appearances and averaging 4.9 clearances, van Dijk looks primed to lead Liverpool to their first Premier League title.

Çağlar Söyüncü

Perhaps the biggest surprise package in an inspired Leicester City showing so far, Çağlar Söyüncü has been rock-solid at the back for the Foxes. The Turkish defender was brought in as a contingency if Harry Maguire left the King Power last season. Since the Englishman's departure in the summer of 2019, the centre-half has had an immense impact on Leicester's season in the ongoing season.

Söyüncü has brought in an amount of composure on the ball and has given Leicester another key player to build their team around, and at the age of 23, he could be a massive figure wherever he continues to play in his career.

Averaging 1.7 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and a massive 5.3 clearances for the Foxes, Söyüncü is already attracting attention from clubs such as Manchester City. Leicester could potentially choose to cash in on their defensive rock after the season he's had so far.

Andy Robertson

After a meteoric rise to the pinnacle of world football, Andy Robertson continues to stake his claim as one of the best left-backs on the continent. His tireless running, passionate displays and attacking impetus have all contributed to the Scotland captain being a mainstay in the defence of the champions-in-waiting.

Robertson has, so far, contributed with a goal and 5 assists in 19 appearances, and the one goal he did score was a winner in the dying moments of Liverpool's win against AFC Bournemouth from a Sadio Mane cross. The former Dundee United, apart from being solid defensively, has continued to provide the all-important width to the Reds' attack and combines well with Mane regularly to overload his flank.

There has been no looking back for Robertson since his €9m move from Hull City. So far, he's clocked 1.9 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 2 clearances per game in the ongoing season.