With the Premier League set to return on June 17, we're offering a refresher on the players who shone brightest before the shutdown. Featuring a core of Liverpool stars - naturally - here is the best XI of the 2019-20 season so far.
Who was the most egregious snub? Have your say in the comments below.
GK: Dean Henderson (Sheffield United)
Manchester United have carefully managed Henderson's development. He was the best goalkeeper in League One while on loan at Shrewsbury Town in the 2017-18 campaign. Then, with Sheffield United, he was the most impressive player between the sticks in the Championship before starring in this Premier League term. Can the loanee continue his meteoric rise by usurping David De Gea at Old Trafford next season?
Honorable mention: Alisson (Liverpool)
LB: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Robertson would be a fan favorite at any club due to his relentless work rate in and out of possession. His selflessness draws the best out of his Liverpool colleagues; the Scot's understanding with Sadio Mane down the left makes for one of the top flight's most dangerous duos, and he always tries to deliver a quick cross if a teammate is alert in the area. He's easily one of the best left-backs on the planet, and he only cost £8 million.
Honorable mentions: Ben Chilwell (Leicester City), Lucas Digne (Everton)
CB: Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
Many scoffed when Manchester United splashed a reported £80 million to make Maguire the most expensive defender in world football history last summer. But the Englishman has proved his worth since arriving at Old Trafford, offering the solid presence that the club has so desperately missed in recent years. It's no coincidence that the Red Devils have been one of the Premier League's best defensive teams since signing Maguire.
Honorable mention: Jack O'Connell (Sheffield United)
CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
A no-brainer. The best central defender in the game, Van Dijk has again been imperious at the heart of Liverpool's backline, offering a presence that is both calm and commanding - especially while Alisson was injured early in the season. That he came close to dethroning Lionel Messi in the Ballon d'Or race is indicative of just how dominant he is. Rarely do players lift an entire team the way Van Dijk has since joining the soon-to-be champions.
Honorable mention: Willy Boly (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Full-back is sexy again. Once a position where clubs tried to hide their weakest links, it's become a crucial area where teams can gain massive advantages if they have creative players offering an attacking outlet. Alexander-Arnold is the premier example of that shift in philosophy. Second in the league with 12 assists - only Kevin De Bruyne has more - the 21-year-old already has an iron-clad claim as the world's best right-back.
Honorable mentions: Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United)
CM: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City)
A one-man tackling machine. The criminally underrated Ndidi is Leicester City's linchpin; the Foxes' aggressive approach only works because the Nigerian, who's averaging an incredible 4.3 tackles per 90 minutes, can lock down the middle of the pitch by himself. Without him, the system falls apart, as evidenced by Leicester's poor run of form in January and February. Of the five league matches Ndidi missed during that stretch due to a knee injury, Leicester didn't win a single one.
Honorable mention: Rodri (Manchester City)
CM: Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
Henderson wasn't taken seriously for a long time. Sir Alex Ferguson balked at a move for the midfielder because he didn't like Henderson's running style, and the Englishman was generally viewed as a poor successor to Steven Gerrard as captain. But he is an excellent reader of the game, always shows for the ball, and can catch defenses flat-footed with his swift balls into one of Liverpool's inside-forwards. He does the unsexy work very well and, it turns out, is an excellent skipper.
Honorable mention: John Fleck (Sheffield United)
CM: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
De Bruyne has been hampered by injury problems this season but is still only four assists shy of Thierry Henry's single-season record of 20. The Belgian playmaker has two gears: he can be a graceful, patient player who tickles through-balls and floats crosses, but he can also be an irritable, red-faced menace who bludgeons shots and smashes deliveries. Unfortunately for his opponents, both gears tend to be incredibly effective.
Honorable mention: James Maddison (Leicester City)
LW: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Having spent time in the shadow of Mohamed Salah - and, to a lesser extent, Roberto Firmino - in recent years, Mane finally won the widespread plaudits he's long deserved thanks to a superb all-around campaign prior to the shutdown. Equally adept as a finisher and creator, the Senegalese winger has directly contributed to 21 goals this season and has arguably been Liverpool's best, most consistent player on their run to a certain title.
Honorable mention: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
RW: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Salah was already saddled with accusations of greed when he ignored an easy pass to Mane during a 3-0 win at Burnley last August, but it's an unfair criticism. Salah leans on his impressive and underrated core strength to hold up the ball for his teammates, and his clever decoy runs constantly open up space for his fellow Liverpool attackers. And, when he does go it alone, the sight of him running at defenses remains one of the most thrilling sights in world football.
Honorable mention: Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
ST: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
Where would Arsenal be without Aubameyang's scoring exploits? It's a scary thought for the ninth-placed Gunners, who have oscillated between mediocre and awful for much of the season. The Gabonese striker has found the net 17 times, trailing only Jamie Vardy (19) in the Golden Boot race. In terms of sheer value to his club, the Arsenal captain ranks near the top, especially considering the chaos around him.
Honorable mentions: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)