With Manchester City winning the historic treble by beating Inter Milan in the Champions League final at the weekend, it is safe to suggest the 2022-23 season has officially ended.
While the likes of Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford had seasons to remember, there were many players that struggled and failed to impress—including new signings. Just as there has been Premier League hit XI of the 2022-23 season, there have invariably been flops.
Without further ado, let us take a look at the Premier League flop XI of the 2022/23 campaign.
GK—Illan Meslier (Leeds United)
Illan Meslier endured a torrid time in between the sticks, as Leeds United got relegated by the end of the season. He only kept five clean sheets and conceded 67 goals—which is at least ten more than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League.
Under new manager Sam Allardyce, Meslier lost his place in the starting XI. The young Frenchman was arguably the worst goalkeeper during this past campaign.
RWB—Adam Smith (Bournemouth)
Bournemouth’s longest-serving player, Adam Smith was a mainstay in Gary O’Neil’s side that achieved top-flight status this past season.
However, his inclusion at right-back made Bournemouth’s defence look vulnerable at times. At 32, Adams struggled to cope with quick players and lost key aerial duels, leaving his fellow defenders out of position or exposed.
CB—Robin Koch (Leeds United)
Robin Koch was among the worst performers for Leeds United, who had a terrible defensive record. The German looked shaky throughout the season and often gave an uneasy feeling that a blunder is not too far away. He did very little to provide any robustness to the Leeds backline.
CB—Lyanco (Southampton)
The second-season syndrome hit Lynaco hard. The aggressive and full-blooded Brazilian often was a mess at the back for Southampton that conceded 73 goals, and the managerial changes didn’t help his cause.
CB—Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea)
Once regarded as one of the best centre-backs in Europe while plying his trade for Napoli, Kalidou Koulibaly showed Premier League is a different kettle of fish.
The Senegalese international endured a dismal debut season and went through managers that saw Chelsea finish 12th and miss out on European football.
LWB—Junior Firpo (Leeds United)
Ever since making the move to Elland Road from Barcelona in 2021, Junior Firpo has more often than not looked horrendously out of place. He rarely inspired confidence this past season, which was riddled with mistakes and injuries.
CM—Fabinho (Liverpool)
Probably, no one saw this one coming. Fabinho went from one of the best defensive midfielders last season to a player horribly out of form. The Brazilian has been unrecognisable for the majority part of the campaign, contributing largely to Liverpool’s underwhelming campaign.
CM—Remo Freuler (Nottingham Forest)
Remo Freuler was among Nottingham Forest’s influx of summer signings that found it harder to crack the Premier League. The Swiss had a series of questionable performances as he struggled to get to grips with English football. His poor form and lackadaisical displays at the heart of Forest’s midfield means that the 31-year-old is hard not to regard as a flop.
RW—Raheem Sterling (Chelsea)
It felt like Chelsea have hit gold when acquiring the services of Raheem Sterling from Manchester City in a £ 47.5 million deal. However, the English forward has been a shadow of his former self, with injuries and a massive dip in form not helping his cause at all.
Sterling managed only 28 Premier League outings in a Chelsea shirt, scoring six goals and three assists, missing a cutting edge that at times his team badly needed.
LW—Mykhaylo Mudryk (Chelsea)
In the heart of Chelsea’s spending spree, snatching Mykhaylo Mudryk under the noses of Arsenal in January felt like a big coup. However, all that early excitement surrounding Mudryk and his talents fizzled out, as he struggled to find his feet in the Premier League.
Barring flashes of talent on the few occasions he has played, Mudryk’s performances almost tell the story of the team’s season—strength in attack, but no bite at all.
ST—Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Chelsea)
Another transfer decision that didn’t work out for Chelsea. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang endured a nightmare first season at Stamford Bridge, scoring just once in five starts.
On his return to the Premier League, the Gabonese royally struggled with the pace and intensity and promptly became a bench warmer with the Blues. By the end of the season, his confidence was shot to pieces.
