Premier League team of the 2016-17 season (so far)

Updated 30/12/2016 at 15:26 GMT

With one round of fixtures left this year, we thought it would be a good time to look at which players have been dominating the Premier League at the halfway point of the campaign.

Prem team of the season

Image credit: Eurosport

Eurosport journalists selected the players who have most impressed in the first half of the campaign and we had to get a bit creative to shoehorn them into a viable formation, which admittedly is tilted quite heavily towards attackers.

But still, without further ado...

GK: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea)

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Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois celebrates after the game

Image credit: Reuters

The 2015-16 season saw Courtois regress badly as a player – a trait he has in common with a number of his team-mates on this list – but the Belgian is a renewed force under Antonio Conte. Courtois has not conceded a goal in his past four games, and only two in the 12 wins in a row which have made Chelsea runaway favourites for the league title. Along with his improved form, there is renewed talk of a move to Real Madrid…

Honourable mentions: Jordan Pickford (Sunderland), Tom Heaton (Burnley), David De Gea (Manchester United)

RB: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte with Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta after the match

Image credit: Reuters

Our team is laid out in a back four – still the tactic of choice in the league, by and large – but in fact Azpilicueta has thrived as one of Conte’s back three since Chelsea made the fateful decision to switch to 3-4-3 at half-time of the 3-0 loss to Arsenal on September 24. The Spaniard averages over two tackles and interceptions per game and is one of the most reliable players in England.

Honourable mentions: Hector Bellerin (Arsenal), Kyle Walker (Tottenham)

CB: David Luiz (Chelsea)

Chelsea's David Luiz celebrates after the game with Cesar Azpilicueta

Image credit: Reuters

There were open hysterics when Chelsea paid £34m to bring Luiz back from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer. It seemed that having failed to land a string of key targets, Leonardo Bonucci prime amongst them, Conte had just taken the Brazilian in a panic buy just because he needed someone, anyone. But contrary to expectation, Luiz has become not only a key player but a solid and reliable one too. His searching passing from the heart of the back three has been a feature of his season, but so too has his surprisingly steady hand.

CB: Virgil van Dijk (Southampton)

Southampton's Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring their first goal

Image credit: Reuters

Laurent Koscielny would have been an equally worthy choice thanks to his largely outstanding displays for Arsenal, but the big Dutchman has made more of an impact on the division this season. Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been linked with a £50m interest in one of the most imposing centre-backs in England.

Honourable mentions: Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Michael Keane (Burnley), Joel Matip (Liverpool)

LB: Danny Rose (Tottenham)

Tottenham's Danny Rose celebrates

Image credit: Reuters

The England international has become such a key player in the high-tempo Pochettino system and he continues to make invaluable contributions at both ends of the pitch. Rose has two goals and two assists in the Premier League but has also impressed with his tenacity at the back.

Honourable mentions: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), James Milner (Liverpool)

DM: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)

N'Golo Kante of Chelsea

Image credit: Reuters

The dominant figure of the whole year in the Premier League, Kante continues to excel after winning the league with Leicester City last season and he slotted in seamlessly at Chelsea this summer, striking up a formidable partnership with Nemanja Matic. Fernandinho, in particular, would be a contender for his work at City but no one can really touch Kante in 2016.

Honourable mentions: Fernandinho (Manchester City), Joe Allen (Stoke), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)

RM: Adam Lallana (Liverpool)

Liverpool's English midfielder Adam Lallana celebrates after scoring

Image credit: AFP

Seven goals and six assists in the league are evidence of the influence Lallana has had on Liverpool’s title challenge and his improvement under Jurgen Klopp has been vast. The high-pressing style has brought out the best in a previously quite willowy player and Lallana is making crucial contributions on a weekly basis.

Honourable mentions: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)

LM: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Eden Hazard celebrates scoring against Manchester City

Image credit: Reuters

Should really be in our attack given he is one of Chelsea’s front three but we moved him back a bit to squeeze in the player who has undergone the most improvement since last season. Hazard was laughably bad last campaign for Jose Mourinho but has rediscovered his touch and is liberated under Conte. Hazard already has nine goals to his name, plus one assist, but it is the flair with which he is playing which really reveals he is enjoying the game once more.

Honourable mentions: Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

AMC: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)

Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring their first goal

Image credit: Reuters

Sanchez has played most of the season as a false nine for Arsenal, which allows us to use him off the front in our team. The Chilean has had a big leap forward in performance terms this season, looking like one of the most effective forwards in Europe after moving into a central role, and boasts 12 goals and six assists. Admittedly, it was hard to leave out Kevin de Bruyne, who has the most assists of any player this season, but City are underperforming, which counts against the Belgian, while Sanchez has made Arsenal a better team.

Honourable mentions: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Christian Eriksen (Totenham), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

ST: Diego Costa (Chelsea)

Chelsea's Brazilian-born Spanish striker Diego Costa celebrates

Image credit: AFP

The top scorer in the Premier League with 13 goals, and five assists to go with it, Costa is enjoying a real renaissance under Conte. He was heavily linked with a return to Atletico Madrid this summer but Chelsea will be delighted to have held on to a player who has won them game after game this season. His predatory instincts are fully returned and he has (mostly) cut out the silliness too: he went nine games without a booking before a yellow card shown on December 17 landed him his first suspension of the season.

ST: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United)

Manchester United's Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Image credit: AFP

Ibrahimovic is turning in the most prolific season ever by a 35-year-old in the Premier League and already has 12 goals, as well as two assists. He has helped transform United from the sterile, possession-based team that Louis van Gaal constructed, although there is still some work to go, and he has not looked his age at all, leading the line with typical style and menace. Only Sergio Aguero is getting off more shots per game than the Swede. Adds so much class and experience.

Honourable mentions: Romelu Lukaku (Everton), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Jermain Defoe (Sunderland), Harry Kane (Tottenham)