In total, six Liverpool players and three from title winners Manchester City were selected in PFA's Team of the Year 2021-22.
Premier League 2021-22 champions Manchester City and runners-up Liverpool dominated this season's PFA Team of the Year as nine of the 11 players come from the top two teams. Six stars from Jurgen Klopp's side were chosen, with three coming from Pep Guardiola's side and one from Chelsea and Manchester United.
But there was no place for Tottenham Hotspur's duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, who ended the season as joint top goalscorer with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.
⚽️ The PFA Premier League Team of the Year!
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🇵🇹 João Cancelo
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🇸🇳 Sadio Mané | pic.twitter.com/x1MPQBOHrF
Goalkeeper Alisson, defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, midfielder Thiago Alcantara, and forwards Salah and Sadio Mane were voted into the divisional XI by their fellow players.
Full-back Joao Cancelo, Kevin De Bruyne, and Bernardo Silva are the City players picked for the side. Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger, who has left the club to join Real Madrid, and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only non-Liverpool or City players in the team.
Also read: UEFA Nations League: Portugal's Ronaldo lauds 'big win' against Czech Republic
City pipped Liverpool to clinch their fourth Premier League in five years after coming from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2 on a dramatic final day of the season. Liverpool finished a point adrift of City, despite winning against Wolves 3-1 on May 22.
But the Reds claimed two trophies, having won the EFL Carabao Cup and FA Cup, while they were also runners-up in the Champions League after suffering defeat by Real Madrid.
PFA Premier League Team of the Year 2021-22:
Alisson (Liverpool) - 20 clean sheets in 36 appearances
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) - 2 goals, 19 assists
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) - 3 goals, 1 assist
Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea) - 3 goals
Joao Cancelo (Manchester City) - 3 goals, 7 assists
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 15 goals, 8 assists
Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool) - 1 goal, 4 assists
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) - 8 goals, 4 assists
Sadio Mane (Liverpool) - 16 goals, 4 assists
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 23 goals, 13 assists
Also read: Tottenham fans ecstatic after Son Heung-Min given South Korea's top sporting honour
Tottenham Hotspur star Son failing to make the team was criticised on social media. "No Son in this team is criminal,' one fan said, with a second blasting Son not making the side as a 'disgrace'.
Another added, "Ronaldo and Mane over Son?" while a third simply asked, "Where's Son?" "Son won the golden boot with no penalties ffs," a fourth Twitter user said. Here's a look at some of the other reactions:
Null and void when the Golden Boot winner isn’t included. 🤡🤡🤡
— nick andrews (@nickandrews11)I wonder what the thought process was behind Mane being in over Son, criminal that 😵💫 https://t.co/XEcFK7Vbp9
— Reece Lenham (@reecelenham10)No Son again. What he have to do more than this season. Is this really the result of the vote? https://t.co/FI9JWOn0G2
— haru (@haru_ivee)Mane over Son is criminal. https://t.co/Is0cd9GsPw
— Ant (@BernardoTouch)Son is the first golden boot winner not to be in the PFA Team of the Year since Aguero in 2014/15.
Make it make sense🤦♂️ https://t.co/3VTIyZAZmz
Son and Rodri have been robbed tbh https://t.co/gdnVmMrinL
— Casey Evans (@Casey_Evans_)You missed these two men. https://t.co/HFtKkwlABs pic.twitter.com/eHWUcC4X0s
— Boyyy (@Boycakra21)Son got robbed https://t.co/GcgqifTfTS
— Conteisthegoat🐐#ENICOUT (@deleszn1)Ronaldo over Son is just pure racism. If he wasn’t Asian, or was from Europe, he’s making it in. https://t.co/rvHdKv9Bds
— sell cedric (@nikhilodeonv)The true Player of the Year Heung-Min Son did not even make PFA Team of the Year. Hey PFA, you are so full of shit it is actually mind blowing. Son is the first name on the team sheet, no doubt about it. To hell with your blasphemous awards, go back to school. https://t.co/AJIdJXFLlc
— Martian (@SpIashMountain)What did SON do to you guys? https://t.co/HDJrHFUl74 pic.twitter.com/HP3dcJgmm5
— Radiocity 97FM🚀🧶🥽🏋🏻🎧🎖⚙️ (@anfieldHD)Everyone knelt for a year, Asian passing. This is the Premier League. https://t.co/FUWmNyVqRh pic.twitter.com/rGjGuXvn1B
— Fuck Dan Killpatrick (@DanKillpatrick)Such a shame not to see in this team. https://t.co/oqPlnSBLFq
— FPL_MOUNTain (@fpl_MOUNTain)