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Here we are then, the final international break of the year. Woop.

With precious little to look forward to over the next fortnight why don't we look back at the season so far and take some stock.

It is, of course, far too early to draw too many conclusions but it is international week so, you know.

So what better way to assess what we've seen than to take a look at a Team of the Season as the season prepares to enter its second two-thirds.

Individuals have flashed in patches while others have been more consistent but less eye-catching.

Who out of the two is more deserving of a place in the final XI?

It's an opinion game after all so with that in mind here are the thoughts of our merry band of writers on who makes the cut for them and why.

John Cross

Jack Butland has been a revelation making great saves and being a hero for Stoke. Hector Bellerin has been sensational for Arsenal, great pace while Chris Smalling looks every bit a proper, proper defender now. John Stones looks a class act and is great on the ball while Aleksandar Kolarov has been superb for Man City. His comeback after a fall from grace even more remarkable.

Francis Coquelin has been excellent for Arsenal - his story really does get better and better. Dele Alli has been an absolute revelation while Manchester City's own new boy Raheem Sterling has added goals, been excellent in Europe and hit the ground running.

Mesut Ozil has been fabulous since last season and has added more wonderful assists this - he really is a dream of a player. Kevin De Bruyne has been magnificent since his move to City - and has proved Chelsea wrong to boot. It's a difficult choice over Harry Kane, but Jamie Vardy 's goals just keep flowing.

James Nursey

Jamie Vardy is a shoo-in after his scoring heroics this season and I hope Roy Hodgson plays him upfront as the central striker in at least one of England's friendlies this month.

The striker has it all in my opinion and if you look at the penalty he won - and converted - against Watford from the running down the inside right channel, he wouldn't have got that with England if Hodgson persists playing him on the left.

Vardy is out in front with 12 League goals this term, including scoring in his last nine games, but Romelu Lukaku is also in form for Everton.

What a strike pairing those two would be. Defensively, I saw Man City at Villa on Sunday and was impressed with Joe Hart, Bacary Sagna and Aleksandar Kolarov who have had all had good seasons so far for the League leaders.

While I feel Arsenal's success can be attributed a lot to the form of Mesut Ozil in midfield and Francis Coquelin anchoring the side. Chris Smalling has had rave reviews for Manchester United this term and is blessed with pace so he gets in my defence.

Riyad Mahrez and Dimitri Payet have also been on fire in attack for Leicester and West Ham respectively.

And finally Spurs stopper Jan Vertonghen gets in - and not just because he is a gentleman who stops for interviews with the press!

Ed Malyon

What a sliding doors moment it was on deadline day for David De Gea . Since that swap deal fell through both De Gea and Navas have been among the best keepers in Europe.

Hector Bellerin looked like a hell of a player last season and has continued it this. Keeping Mathieu Debuchy out of the team and still improving.

Mike has been the best centre-back in the Premier League this year and has justified the significant faith put in him when he was younger by the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Hodgson.

Scott Dann appears destined to have a Ryan Shawcrossesque career of being a consistently brilliant Premier League performer that gets overlooked by England while Nacho Monreal has been quietly excellent this season and particularly over the last month or so.

Yohan Cabaye has been outstanding since arriving in south London and is a huge reason why the Eagles could make a surprise push for Europe.

Eric Dier has turned himself from utility man into essential piece of the Spurs team at 21, and looks to have found his position.

Brilliant in Leicester’s improbable run to safety last season and even better this year at what point does Riyad Mahrez stop being in good form and just become ‘good’.

More assists than anyone and, arguably for the first time, took control to become decisive in a big game as Arsenal thumped Manchester United. Mesut Ozil is starting to justify that fee.

Dimitri Payet will now be out for a while, but he couldn’t have made much more of an impact since arriving in east London while it's impossible to leave out Jamie Vardy after scoring five more goals than his nearest competitor up until now. An incredible rise through the leagues.

David Maddock

I've gone for form above reputation, picking those players who have been most effective – and consistent – for their clubs so far this season.

David Anderson

I've drawn heavily from Manchester City because I feel they have been the stand out team this season. His gaffe against Bournemouth apart, Hart has been excellent, especially in the Champions League.

It's no coincidence that City have conceded few goals when Kompany plays and plenty when he has been absent. Smalling has also had a good few months for Manchester United. Kolarov has seized his chance to nail down the left-back position for City and is excellent going forward.

Coquelin and Alli virtually pick themselves in midfield and I've been really impressed with Kevin de Bruyne for Manchester City. Sterling is settling in well for City after taking time to find his feet, while David Silva is the best No 10 in the Premier League.

Up top, Jamie Vardy has been exceptional for Leicester and he is such a goal threat. I was tempted to go with Anthony Martial, but Vardy just shades him in my opinion.

Simon Bird

Handed first team berth at Stoke and Jack Butland is excelling. Five clean sheets since start of October while Hector Bellerin made position his own with flying speed.

Part of a Manchester United defence that hasn't conceded for several centuries, or something Chris Smalling has been excellent while John Stones ' clever distribution sets up Everton attacks week in, week out.

Danny Rose has opponents on the back foot with his overlapping every week while his fellow Tottenham teammate Eric Dier 's England call up is deserved after developing into impressive holding midfielder.

Yohan Cabaye is a classy performer keeping Palace among the top challengers while Kevin De Bruyne has lived up to his £57m price, creating and scoring for fun.

Anthony Martial is in and I've stuck him out wide left, like Van Gaal does, a cool headed quick attacker. Dimitri Payet is out for three months now, but huge creative impact at West Ham

Jamie Vardy is in too - how could you leave him out after scoring nine games in a row?

Adrian Kajumba

Most of my picks are obvious ones, players whose individual form has been so good and/or who have been key to impressive starts to the season by their club.

Of the ones that required a little more thought, Toby Alderweireld is in for the impact he has had on Spurs's defence. They were the fifth worst in the league and are currently the third best.

Nacho Monreal has continued the good form he showed last season which helped him cement his position as Arsenal's first choice left back. Luke Shaw would have got the nod though had he continued the form he showed before his season was wrecked by injury.

And, down the left, Kevin De Bruyne has caught the eye with the way he has settled so quickly at Manchester City.

Ben Burrows

Jack Butland has been the best keeper in the land this term and fully deserves his place. Chris Smalling 's rise is perhaps Louis van Gaal's greatest achievement at Manchester United while in the full-back positions Hector Bellerin and Aleksandar Kolarov have impressed both in attack and defence so far.

Eric Dier 's seamless transition from defence to midfield has been remarkable while Yohan Cabaye has been everything Palace fans dreamed of when he signed on the dotted line. Riyad Mahrez has been a sensation while Kevin De Bruyne has justified his colossal fee and then some so far with goals and assists left, right and centre. For devoted worshippers - such as I - Mesut Ozil 's early season show has been a treat to witness.

Jamie Vardy 's record-shattering goalscoring has arguably been the story the year - no other striker around warrants a mention in the same breath as the in-form Fox.

Alex Richards

Jack Butland has been outstanding in goal since being promoted to No.1 by Mark Hughes, to the point that he is now a genuine alternative to Joe Hart for England.

Man City pair Bacary Sagna and Aleksandar Kolarov have both teamed attacking and defensive responsibilities well for the league leaders, while Chris Smalling has been the league's outstanding centre-half. Alongside him, Toby Alderweireld has been rock-solid for Spurs, an ever-present for Mauricio Pochettino.

Fernandinho has improved considerably in his third season at the Etihad, looking much more like the man who starred for Shakhtar Donetsk before winning the Premier League in his first year, while teammate Kevin de Bruyne has also been impressive since returning to English football - he's well on the way to justifying his mammoth pricetag.

Mesut Ozil isn't to everyone's taste, but he's now doing more than just decorating matches - he's asserting himself on them with defining moments; no one in Europe has more assists and he has twice as many as anyone in the Premier League.

Riyad Mahrez and Leicester teammate Jamie Vardy have both been magnificent for the high-flying Foxes accounting for 19 of their 25 goals, frightening defences with their pace.

Alongside Vardy up front goes Odion Ighalo , who has been magnificent for Quique Sanchez Flores' Watford. The Hornets find themselves in mid-table, thanks largely to the Nigerian, who has had a hand in nine of their 11 league goals (seven goals, two assists).

Joe Mewis

At the back, Jack Butland is beginning to fulfil his potential after a series of loan moves and has finally given Joe Hart some bone fide competition for the England shirt.

Further good news for Roy Hodgson is the transformation of Chris Smalling under Louis van Gaal, so he gets the nod, along with a pair of superb attacking full-backs in Kolarov and Bellerin .

Fernandinho has quietly developed into a very effective cog in Manuel Pellegrini's Man City side and will sit next to the impressive Yohan Cabaye nicely.

Mesut Ozil is having his best season in an Arsenal shirt and Kevin De Bruyne has hit the ground running, excelling in across the front the three.

Riyad Mahrez has been electric for high-flying Leicester and Jamie Vardy 's barely believable goalscoring run that has seen him find the net in nine consecutive games gets him the nod up top.

Jim Daly

There is a healthy choice of players from unfashionable club in my Team of the Season. It’s like if the Mercury Music prize was full of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. Guilty pleasures but undoubtedly uncool.

Petr Cech gets the nod in goal on account of having the highest saves made to goals concede ratio this season and for increasing the appeal of bobble hats in North London. His defence has two Palace players in it in the shape of not England’s Scott Dann and Senegalese left-back Pape Souare , both who have been quietly exceptional for Alan Pardew’s Eagles as they continue to upset the odds.

Mike Smalling partners Dann in the centre of defence on account of playing so well his own manager can’t remember his name while Allan Nyom gets the right-back spot after some fantastic performances for Watford and for having an onomatopoeiac surname that sounds exactly like him racing down the right wing.

Palace’s third nominee is Yohan Cabaye who has surprised Eagles fans with the defensive side of his game, partnered in defensive midfield by Fernandinho who has become Manchester City’s best midfielder, which is no mean feat in a team with Yaya Toure and David Silva. The three attacking midfield positions go to West Ham’s Dimitri Payet , who will have three months now out injured to write me a thank you note, Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez and Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil who has set up more goals than I’ve done re-writes of this paragraph.

The lone forward position can only go to record breaking goalscorer Jamie Vardy who has almost single handedly taken Leicester to the top of the league despite having the haircut of the quiet boring one in every 90s boyband. So, two Leicester players and three Palace representatives. What a time to be alive.

Now have your say in the comments section below