Chelsea striker Timo Werner is the only player from a club in the top half of the Premier League to feature in the worst starting XI of the season.
Players must have started at least five Premier League matches to be up for selection, with picks made according to the WhoScored ratings.
Here is the best XI – GK: Tim Krul (Norwich) – 6.43
Norwich have conceded 45 goals this campaign – the most in the Premier League – and Krul’s save percentage of 65.3% is currently the sixth-worst in the division. He’s also saved just one penalty from five.
RB: Mads Roerslev (Brentford) – 6.36
The defender had a goal and an assist in the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, but his general play falls below that of Sergi Canos and Rico Henry, his competition for the wing-back positions.
CB: Ciaran Clark (Newcastle) – 6.24
Newcastle need to sign a new centre-back. Clark could win the award for mind-numbing stupidity of the campaign.
CB: William Troost-Ekong (Watford) – 6.28
He captained Nigeria to three wins in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations, even scoring in the win over Guinea-Bissau. But Troost-Ekong is now on his way back to England, available to work his magic for Watford under Roy Hodgson.
LB: Romain Perraud (Southampton) – 6.38
Signed for just £10m in the summer as a creative full-back with goals, Perraud is yet to get a goal or an assist for Southampton, but does look as though he’s on the verge of a scrap.
CM: Adam Forshaw (Leeds) – 6.38
Having spent the majority of the last two years out through injury, Forshaw’s displays in the Premier League this term were enough to persuade Leeds to offer him a two-year extension.
CM: Shandon Baptise (Brentford) – 6.32
The midfielder was previously plying his trade in League One with Oxford United two years ago. However he has refused to raise standards for the Premier League.
AM: Ryan Fraser (Newcastle) – 6.27
It’s not gone his way after he refused to play for Bournemouth to force through a move to Newcastle in 2020. Could well be out on his arse in six months.
AM: Josh Sargent (Norwich) – 6.34
Sargent had no shots on target from up to 17 attempts before his brace in the victory over Watford. It was quite the way to end that streak.
AM: Tyler Roberts (Leeds) – 6.38
Runs a lot, as he must if he wants to play for Marcelo Bielsa, but the end product of his running has been really poor.
CF: Timo Werner (Chelsea) – 6.31
Six goals and two assists from 12 starts this campaign isn’t really bad, and he’s struggled to recover from Covid-19 since mid-December. But his displays have fallen far short of what was expected of him since his move from RB Leipzig.
“Sometimes even I don’t know why they are supporting me so much,” Werner said in response to the Chelsea supporters chanting his name.
