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Sports Mole's Championship Team of the Season - Toney, Buendia, Aarons

With the end of the Championship campaign upon us, Sports Mole compiles its Team of the Season - including four players from title winners Norwich City.

Another entertaining Championship campaign will come to an end later this week when Swansea City and Brentford battle it out for the final remaining promotion spot.

The Swans and the Bees knocked out Barnsley and Bournemouth respectively in the playoff semi-finals and are vying to join Norwich City and Watford in the Premier League.

At the other end of the table, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United and Wycombe Wanderers finished the wrong side of the dotted line and will be playing in League One next term.

The top six understandably feature heavily in Sports Mole's Championship Team of the Season, which you can see in full below, along with a list of those who narrowly missed out.



Goalkeeper: Tim Krul

Norwich City goalkeeper Tim Krul pictured on January 23, 2021© Reuters

Norwich's return to the top flight at the first time of asking was down to a number of different factors, not least the fact that they boast the division's best goalkeeper.

Krul's 18 clean sheets in the regular season was the second-best return in the Championship, behind Swansea City's Freddie Woodman, but the Dutchman played 11 games fewer.

That means Krul kept out the opposition in exactly half of his appearances this season and will rightly be a Premier League player again from August.

Honourable mentions: Freddie Woodman (Swansea), Rafael Cabral (Reading), Asmir Begovic (Bournemouth)



Right-back: Max Aarons

Norwich City defender Max Aarons pictured in December 2020© Reuters

Aarons was another key cog in Norwich's title-winning machine, starting all but one of their 46 league games.

Not only is the 21-year-old comfortable when it comes to defending, he also chipped in with two goals and two assists - two of those goal involvements in his last three games.

It is little wonder the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal continue to be linked with Aarons, possibly meaning that Norwich face a challenge keeping him at the club.

Honourable mentions: Andy Yiadom (Reading), Kiko Femenia (Watford), Adam Smith (Bournemouth)



Centre-backs: Grant Hanley (Norwich City), Michal Helik (Barnsley)

Barnsley's Michal Helik in action with Stoke City's Nick Powell in the Championship on February 24, 2021© Reuters

A rock at the back for surprise package Barnsley, Helik enjoyed a hugely impressive maiden campaign in English football, even if he was red carded on his debut.

Helik ranked highly for clearances and interceptions, but he also made his impact felt at the other end of the pitch with winning goals against Huddersfield Town and Millwall.

Ball-playing centre-back Hanley also performed to the highest standard when it came to doing the first job of a defender - keeping the opposition out.

Norwich conceded just 36 goals all season - second only to Watford - with the Scotland international ranking third in the league for clearances.

Honourable mentions: Mads Andersen (Barnsley), Sean Morrison (Cardiff City), Robert Dickie (Queens Park Rangers), Shaun Hutchinson (Millwall)



Left-back: Adam Masina (Watford)

Watford's Adam Masina celebrates scoring against Nottingham Forest in the Championship on March 6, 2021© Reuters

Watford may have been a pretty dominant force this season, yet only one of their players - left-back Masina - makes it into our Team of the Season.

The Morocco international featured 23 times this term, with Watford winning 17 of those games and keeping 14 clean sheets.

Masina also scored winning goals for Watford in successive matches in March - without those strikes it may well have been a different story entirely for the Hornets.

Honourable mentions: Omar Richards (Reading), Diego Rico (Bournemouth)



Central midfield: Michael Olise (Reading), Alex Mowatt (Barnsley)

Reading's Michael Olise pictured in October 2020© Reuters

Arguably the most talented player to emerge from Reading's academy over the past decade, Olise enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2020-21 with seven goals and 12 assists.

Only Norwich's Emiliano Buendia (more on him later) registered more assists than Olise, who may well be playing in the Premier League next season even if Reading will not be.

Mowatt also deserves a place in this side for his consistent displays throughout the campaign for Barnsley, the midfielder chipping in with a combined 15 goals and assists.

Having been crowned Barnsley's Players' Player of the Season for a third year running, the Tykes will have a massive void to fill should their skipper move on this summer.

Honourable mentions: Nick Powell (Stoke City), Will Hughes (Watford), Harry Wilson (Cardiff City)



Right wing: Emiliano Buendia (Norwich City)

Emi Buendia celebrates scoring for Norwich City on December 12, 2020© Reuters

The Championship has had no shortage of incredible right-sided players this term, the best of the lot being Norwich's Buendia.

Had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic, there is a big shout that the one-time Real Madrid product would have been playing in the Premier League this season.

After reaching double figures for both goals and assists in 2020-21 - 15 and 16 respectively - Buendia will now have a chance to showcase his talents to a bigger audience again.

Honourable mentions: Jed Wallace (Millwall), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Harvey Elliott (Blackburn Rovers), Ismaila Sarr (Watford)



Left wing: Arnaut Danjuma (Bournemouth)

Bournemouth's Arnaut Danjuma celebrates scoring their first goal against Brentford in the Championship playoffs on May 17, 2021© Reuters

Danjuma was one of a number of shining lights for Bournemouth this season with 17 goals and seven assists, yet that was not enough to earn his side promotion.

The 24-year-old showed no signs of slowing as the season approached its end for the Cherries, either, as he played a direct part in 16 goals in his last 16 appearances.

That includes a couple of goals in Bournemouth's playoff semi-final loss to Brentford, which may prove to be his final outings for the club if a bigger team pounces.

Honourable mentions: Todd Cantwell (Norwich City), Ovie Ejaria (Reading)



Centre-forwards: Ivan Toney (Brentford), Adam Armstrong (Blackburn Rovers)

Ivan Toney celebrates scoring for Brentford against Blackburn Rovers in the Championship on March 12, 2021© Reuters

Toney's goal against Bristol City on the final day of the regular season saw the striker write his name into the Championship record books.

It was his 31st goal of the campaign, seeing him overtake Glenn Murray for the most goals ever scored in a 46-game season, which he added to with another in the playoff semis.

Toney also reached double figures for assists, making him not only the best striker in the division but also the best player - though Buendia will have something to say about that.

Second to Toney in the scoring charts was Blackburn forward Armstrong, who found the net 28 times, twice more than Norwich's Teemu Pukki.

What makes the feat all the more impressive is that Armstrong's goals came for a Blackburn side that finished down in 15th place, closer to the relegation zone than the playoffs.

Honourable mentions: Teemu Pukki (Norwich City), Kieffer Moore (Cardiff City), Lucas Joao (Reading), Andre Ayew (Swansea City)



SPORTS MOLE'S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM OF THE SEASON

Championship TOTS


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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd20135228111742
2Leeds UnitedLeeds20125336142241
3Burnley2010822471738
4Sunderland20107329151437
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn1910452317634
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2071122314932
7Middlesbrough209473425931
8Watford199462725231
9Swansea CitySwansea207672119227
10Norwich CityNorwich206863530526
11Bristol City206862525026
12Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds207582329-626
13Millwall196762017325
14Preston North EndPreston2041062026-622
15Luton TownLuton2064102335-1222
16Coventry CityCoventry205692529-421
17Derby CountyDerby205692226-421
18Stoke CityStoke205692126-521
19Queens Park RangersQPR204972026-621
20Oxford UnitedOxford Utd194692030-1018
21Portsmouth183872130-917
22Cardiff CityCardiff1945101730-1317
23Plymouth ArgylePlymouth1945101940-2117
24Hull City2037101828-1016


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