Shearer’s XI: Gunners Rule the Roost as City Keep Pace

Trust Alan Shearer to lob a grenade into the Premier League chatter during FA Cup weekend. The division’s all-time leading marksman has put his cards on the table with a Team of the Season so far after 31 matchweeks, and it’s a love letter to Arsenal’s authority with a respectful nod to Manchester City’s relentlessness.

No Liverpool player makes the cut despite their revival in 2026, while Arsenal’s title charge earns them the biggest slice of recognition. For those eyeing the run-in and a flutter, our best betting sites guide is a handy companion to the debate.

Goalkeeper and Defence

Between the posts, David Raya gets the upgrade. Earlier in the campaign Shearer was leaning towards Sunderland’s Robin Roefs, but the Arsenal keeper’s recent highlight-reel stops have turned heads at just the right time. You don’t fluke 15 clean sheets in this league, and Raya’s command has been critical to the Gunners’ calm.

In front of him, it’s an Arsenal core. William Saliba looks like a Rolls-Royce most weeks, and Gabriel has been a menace at both ends. The pair’s stewardship is the bedrock of those shut-outs, and let’s not ignore Arsenal’s ruthless edge from dead balls — they’ve piled in 22 set-piece goals, a proper throwback to the dark arts done right.

The final spot goes to Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly, a pick that raises eyebrows for the right reasons. Shearer swerves Marc Guehi and opts for the City youngster, whose brace in the League Cup final win over Arsenal didn’t just win silverware — it nudged him closer to England’s World Cup squad conversation. In a season where set-plays and specialist moments are king, O’Reilly’s timing has been immaculate.

Midfield

In the engine room, Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes are the headliners — and frankly, they’re slugging it out for the league’s top midfielder honour. Rice has layered goals, assists and that set-piece presence onto his usual authority, while Bruno continues to be United’s chaos conductor, topping the pile for big chances created with 24 and counting.

Out wide, Fulham’s Harry Wilson has snuck up on plenty with 16 goal contributions in 29 league games — that’s not a purple patch, that’s consistency. On the opposite flank, Antoine Semenyo has been a revelation across Bournemouth and now Manchester City. Nineteen goal involvements tell you he’s become one of the division’s most productive wide men, outshining a few big-name wingers who’ve gone a bit off the boil.

There are hard-luck stories, of course. Dominik Szoboszlai misses out, and Granit Xhaka’s transformation job at Sunderland — a huge factor in their safety and a shout for signing of the season — doesn’t quite squeeze him into Shearer’s XI. Brutal, but that’s the standard this year.

Attack

Up top, Erling Haaland is the least controversial selection in living memory. He’s pacing the Golden Boot race yet again and looks like a machine built for goals. Alongside him, Brentford’s Igor Thiago is having a stormer with 19 league goals, good enough to sit second in the race and impossible to ignore.

Completing the trio is Chelsea’s Joao Pedro, blurring positions with 14 goals and five assists. He’s everywhere — striker one minute, drifting wide the next, dropping into pockets to knit things together. It’s brilliant for the highlight tapes, even if Chelsea are still searching for a true focal point.

Manager: Keith Andrews (Brentford)

Here’s the curveball — and a clever one. Keith Andrews, once a set-piece specialist on the training ground, is now steering Brentford into a genuine European push after Thomas Frank’s exit. With a depleted squad in the top half and a frighteningly efficient dead-ball playbook, he’s punching up week after week. Naming him ahead of Mikel Arteta as the season’s standout gaffer so far is a statement about where the game is heading: details, drills and margins.

The Verdict

Four Gunners, three Cityzens, and a few noses out of joint elsewhere — that’s a fair reflection of a campaign where control, structure and set-pieces have defined the leaders. If Arsenal turn this nine-point cushion into the big one, this XI will read like a blueprint for how they did it.