Every season, football fans debate their Premier League Team of the Season.
Goals. Assists. Clean sheets. Big moments.
But what happens when you build a team using the physical outputs that underpin elite performance?
Using physical performance data provided by our friends at Gradient Sports, we’ve selected a Premier League Physical Team of the Season based on metrics including:
- Total Distance
- Sprint Distance
- High Speed Running Distance
- Sprints
- High Speed Runs
- Top Speed
- Accelerations
- Decelerations
To ensure consistency and reliability, all players included played 1000+ minutes across the season.
The result is a fascinating alternative XI packed with explosive athletes, relentless runners, and transition monsters.
The Premier League Physical Team of the Season
GK: David Raya
RB: Mats Wiefer
CB: Jaydee Canvot
CB: Abdukodir Khusanov
LB: Nico O’Reilly
CM: Pascal Gross
CM: Alex Scott
CM: Phil Foden
FW: Yankuba Minteh
FW: Anthony Gordon
FW: Eli Junior Kroupi
Goalkeeper
David Raya
Goalkeepers are rarely discussed in physical performance conversations, but David Raya’s movement profile stood out among Premier League keepers this season.
Raya ranked:
- #1 goalkeeper for total distance covered
- #2 goalkeeper for high speed runs
- Averaged 4.13km covered per 90
- Recorded 8.25 high speed runs per 90
- Ranked among the league’s most active goalkeepers outside traditional box movements
Modern goalkeepers are increasingly active participants in build-up play, defensive coverage, and recovery actions outside the box. Raya’s numbers reflect the demands placed on elite keepers in high-possession systems.
Defence
Mats Wieffer
Wieffer produced one of the most complete physical profiles among Premier League full-backs this season.
Among right-backs, Wieffer ranked:
- #1 for high speed running distance
- #2 for total distance covered
- #2 for sprint distance
- Ranked among the league leaders for accelerations and decelerations
He averaged:
- 9.82km total distance per 90
- 780m high speed running distance per 90
- 310m sprint distance per 90
- 50 accelerations per 90
- 56 decelerations per 90
Wieffer’s data reflects the profile of a modern hybrid full-back, combining relentless movement volume with explosive transition actions across both attacking and defensive phases.
Jaydee Canvot
One of the breakout physical profiles in the dataset.
Despite being just 19 years old, Jaydee Canvot produced elite-level outputs across multiple high intensity metrics among Premier League centre-backs.
Canvot ranked:
- #1 CB for sprints per 90
- #2 CB for high speed runs per 90
- #2 CB for high speed running distance
- #3 CB for sprint distance
- Averaged 22.9 sprints per 90
- Produced 68.9 high speed runs per 90
- Averaged 623m HSR distance per 90
- Recorded a top speed of 33.3km/h
Those are numbers more commonly associated with attacking players or full-backs than centre-halves.
His profile paints the picture of an aggressive transition defender with elite recovery speed and repeat sprint capacity.
Abdukodir Khusanov
Khusanov’s physical profile is exactly what clubs now look for in elite modern centre-backs.
Fast, explosive, aggressive, and capable of defending large spaces.
Among Premier League right centre-backs, Khusanov ranked:
- #1 for top speed (35.75km/h)
- #1 for sprint distance
- #1 for sprint volume
- Averaged 320m sprint distance per 90
- Produced elite acceleration outputs in recovery situations
- Ranked among the league leaders for repeated high intensity defensive actions
- Combined top-end pace with elite transition coverage
His ability to repeatedly hit high speeds across matches highlights why recovery pace and transition defending have become such important assets in the modern game.
Nico O’Reilly
Nico O’Reilly combined elite movement volume with impressive top-end speed from left-back.
He ranked:
- #3 LB for total distance
- #4 LB for top speed
- Averaged 9.93km covered per 90
- Reached a top speed of 35.46km/h
- Produced strong repeat running outputs across attacking and defensive phases
- Ranked highly for wide-area high intensity actions
Modern wide defenders are effectively hybrid midfielders during possession phases, constantly moving between attacking and defensive responsibilities.
O’Reilly’s data reflects that evolving role perfectly.
Pascal Groß
Few midfielders combined movement volume and tactical intelligence quite like Pascal Groß this season.
Among central midfielders, Groß ranked:
- #1 for high speed running distance
- #5 for total distance covered
- Averaged 890m HSR distance per 90
- Averaged 10.72km covered per 90
- Produced elite repeat movement outputs across all phases of play
- Ranked among the league’s strongest midfield profiles for sustained high intensity running
- Combined relentless work rate with constant off-ball movement and transition involvement
Groß’s data reflects the profile of a midfielder constantly scanning, covering space, and driving tempo both in and out of possession. His ability to sustain high movement outputs across 90 minutes made him one of the most physically reliable midfielders in the league.
Alex Scott
Alex Scott quietly produced one of the most impressive physical midfield profiles in the league.
Among central midfielders, Scott ranked:
- #3 for high speed running distance
- #5 for sprints per 90
- Averaged 830m HSR distance per 90
- Produced 21 sprints per 90
- Ranked among the top midfielders for repeated high intensity movement
- Combined elite work rate with attacking transition actions
His ability to combine movement volume with repeated explosive actions made him one of the standout all-round runners in the dataset.
Phil Foden
Foden’s inclusion may surprise some people, but his physical output this season was outstanding.
Among central midfielders, Foden ranked:
- #1 for total distance covered
- #1 for sprint distance
- Averaged 11.04km covered per 90
- Produced 320m sprint distance per 90
- Averaged over 123 metres covered per minute
- Combined elite movement volume with explosive attacking actions
- Ranked among the league’s best midfielders for repeat high intensity movement
It’s another reminder that elite technical players are increasingly elite athletes too.
Train Like The Pros With STATSports Academy
The same physical metrics used throughout this Team of the Season analysis are available to players at every level through STATSports Academy.
Using the FIFA-approved STATSports GPS tracker, players can monitor:
- Total distance
- Sprint distance
- High speed running
- Top speed
- Accelerations
- Work rate metrics
STATSports Academy also includes football-specific training plans, conditioning sessions, drills, recovery guidance, and performance insights designed to help players understand and improve their physical output.
Elite performance data is no longer reserved for professional clubs.
Attack
Yankuba Minteh
Minteh produced one of the most explosive winger profiles in the Premier League.
Among right wingers, he ranked:
- #1 for accelerations
- #2 for sprints per 90
- Produced 52.45 accelerations per 90
- Averaged 29.12 sprints per 90
- Ranked among the league leaders for explosive transition actions
- Produced elite repeat movement outputs in attacking phases
His data reflects a player constantly attacking space, driving at defenders, and repeatedly performing high intensity actions.
Anthony Gordon
Few attacking players matched Gordon’s relentless movement profile this season.
Among left wingers, Gordon ranked:
- #1 for top speed
- #2 for sprint distance
- Reached a top speed of 36.10km/h
- Averaged 420m sprint distance per 90
- Ranked among the league leaders for repeated attacking runs
- Produced elite transition movement outputs both in and out of possession
His ability to sustain repeated high intensity runs both in and out of possession highlights the growing physical demands placed on modern wide forwards.
Eli Junior Kroupi
Kroupi’s numbers were among the most impressive in the entire dataset.
Among centre-forwards, he ranked:
- #1 for high speed running distance
- #1 for high speed runs
- Averaged 890m HSR distance per 90
- Produced 92.22 high speed runs per 90
- Ranked among the top forwards for repeated explosive movement
- Combined relentless channel running with elite transition outputs
His profile reflects a forward constantly stretching defensive lines, attacking channels, and making repeated high intensity movements across matches.
The Modern Premier League Athlete
The modern game continues to evolve physically.
Today’s elite players are not only technically gifted, but capable of sustaining extraordinary movement volumes, explosive actions, and repeated high intensity efforts across 90 minutes.
This alternative Team of the Season offers a different lens through which to view performance.
Not just who influenced matches technically, but who physically drove the game forward.
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