MFF April Premier League Team of The Month 2023/24

It is time for the MFF April team of the month. This month’s team takes on a 3-5-2 formation. As usual a few players were unlucky not to make the cut. Remember the team of the month now features players in the positions they occupy in the Premier League’s official ‘Fantasy Premier League’.

Goalkeeper

Jordan Pickford (Everton)

Pickford edged out David Raya for the goalkeeper spot this month. Both keepers had four clean sheets in April however, Pickford was easily the busier keeper. England’s number one made 23 saves across 6 matches. The blemish on his month was conceding 6 in a thrashing by Chelsea but he bounced back with three straight clean sheets. The first of those clean sheets came in a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest and he made a huge save to deny Chris Wood. In the 2-0 victory at home to Liverpool he made critical first half saves from Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz. He ended the month with another massive stop this time from Ivan Toney as they beat Brentford 1-0. Pickford is now second in the league with 12 clean sheets this season.

(Jordan Pickford sprawls across his goal to deny Chris Wood in Everton’s 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest. Image from ‘Alex Livesey / Getty Images’.)

Defenders

Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton)

The Toffees had four shutouts in their six April contests and Branthwaite was prominent. He had a terrible game when Sean Dyche’s men were battered 6-0 by Chelsea halfway through the month but before and after that he was solid. They beat Liverpool 2-0 in the Merseyside Derby and Branthwaite opened the scoring. In the last match of the month, he made a huge block to deny Mikkel Damsgaard giving Brentford the lead as Everton won 1-0. His stats this campaign can stand up against any defender in the league, he is 5th in interceptions with 49, 5th in blocks with 31 and 5th in headed clearances with 75. He also has made 142 clearances which is joint-8^th and he is 6th among defenders in aerial battles won with 87.

Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City)

Gvardiol took a while to get going but he is proving pivotal to Manchester City’s backline. Pep Guardiola’s men had an 100% record in April and Gvardiol started all the games. His adaptability to play at left back in a four or as the left sided centre half in a three mean he is becoming essential in the latter part of the campaign for the champions. As well as the defensive work he also helped offensively too. He scored and assisted in the 5-1 win over Luton. City came through a difficult game to close the month away at Nottingham Forest and Gvardiol gave them the lead with a header from a Kevin De Bruyne corner in a 2-0 win.

William Saliba (Arsenal)

Saliba helped Arsenal to four clean sheets in the month which was the joint-most with Everton. His partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes is vital as Arsenal have conceded the least number of goals in the league (28) and they have kept the most clean sheets (16). Despite Mikel Arteta ringing many changes against Luton in their first game of April, he kept Saliba and Gabriel in the side, showing their importance. Saliba has now played every minute in the Premier League this season. In the north London Derby with Tottenham, Arsenal held on for a 3-2 win, Saliba won 100% of his aerial duels in the game to prevent them giving up a 3-0 lead. Saliba is 5th in passes made in the league with 2,608 and just got the nod ahead of his teammate for his composed performances.

Midfielders

Kai Havertz (Arsenal)

The Gunners beat Luton 2-0 and Havertz laid the first on for Martin Odegaard. Away at Brighton they won 3-0 and he scored the second from close range before assisting the third goal for Leandro Trossard. The German put his old club to the sword as Mikel Arteta’s men thumped Chelsea 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Havertz scored twice in the second half, the first a finish into the roof of the net and the second was tucked in off the post. Arsenal then won the Derby 3-2 with their local rivals Tottenham. Havertz assisted Bukayo Saka and scored the third goal from a corner. Despite early criticism after his move he now has 12 league goals.

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

Fernandes took the team on his back in April to drag United closer to confirming Europa League football for next season. In the 4-3 defeat away at Chelsea, Fernandes scored a header to level things up at 2-2. The Portuguese international scored an audacious goal from the centre circle to equalise against Liverpool in a game that ended 2-2. He scored a brace in another 2-2 draw away at Bournemouth, his first goal was an emphatic finish, the second a penalty. Erik ten Hag’s men won 4-2 against Sheffield United and he scored twice again as well as assisting Rasmus Hojlund. His second was a sweet strike on his left foot.

(Bruno Fernandes scored from the centre circle in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool. Image from athlonsports.com’.)

Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

Palmer scored a brilliant 7 goals in April to end the month joint-top of the scoring charts with Erling Haaland on 20 goals. He began the month with a hat-trick against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, in a game that Chelsea were 3-2 down in as late as the 99^th minute. Palmer however scored in the 100th minute (a penalty) & the 101st minute to win the game 4-3. He then assisted Noni Madueke in the 2-2 away draw with Sheffield United. He made it consecutive home hat-tricks as he bagged 4 goals in the end in a 6-0 thumping of Everton. The pick of them was a lob on his weaker right foot after a mistake by Jordan Pickford for his third goal.

Phil Foden (Manchester City)

Foden only featured in two of Manchester City’s five April league games, but he left such a mark on those two games he made the cut. The Cityzens won what could have been a tricky home game against Aston Villa 4-1 and Foden scored a comprehensive hat-trick. The first was a free-kick that crept in after Villa set a poor wall. The second was driven in off the post and the third was a special strike from long range after he initially fell. Pep Guardiola’s men won all their games in the month and Foden helped himself to a brace in the 4-0 away triumph at Brighton. The first was a deflected free-kick, the second was a cool finish after the Seagulls were caught trying to play the ball out from the back. Foden now has 16 league goals.

Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth)

Dominic Solanke is the Cherries’ talisman but as they draw closer to their best-ever Premier League finish, April belonged to Kluivert. They began the month edging out Crystal Palace 1-0 and Kluivert got the winner as he controlled the ball and fired in. Andoni Iraola’s men were beaten 2-1 away at Luton, despite taking the lead. Kluivert assisted their opener for Marcus Tavernier’s sweet left footed effort. In a 2-2 home draw with Manchester United, Kluivert smashed them into a 2-1 lead. The month ended with a 3-0 despatching of Brighton and the Dutchman got the third goal with a powerful left foot shot.

Forwards

Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)

The Swede got 5 goals in April as he continued his great season. He controlled the ball and finished well in a 1-1 home draw with Everton. In a 4-0 victory over Tottenham at St James’ Park, Isak was at the double with two really composed finishes as he tormented Spurs’ defenders especially Micky van de Ven. His ability to drive into the box and find the corner is arguably unmatched in the league currently. The month concluded with the Magpies winning 5-1 at home against Sheffield United and Isak produced another fine low finish into the corner, and then put away a penalty. He now has an impressive 19 league goals.

Jean Philippe-Mateta (Crystal Palace)

After being extremely inconsistent in front of goal, Mateta looks a new man since Oliver Glasner took charge at Selhurst Park. Palace lost 4-2 at home to Manchester City, where Mateta gave the Eagles the lead with a calm finish in off the post. He scored twice in the 5-2 home win over West Ham. Both goals finished off slick team moves as he showed his confidence is at its zenith. They won again at home 2-0 against Newcastle as Mateta grabbed another double. He rounded off another two good team goals as the new era at Palace continued to show its mass potential. He now has a very respectable 11 league goals this campaign.