Bruno Fernandes, Declan Rice, Erling Haaland, David Raya and Rayan Cherki are the leading contenders for the Premier League player of the year award.
Fernandes’ Impact at Manchester United
There is a version of this season in which Bruno Fernandes left Manchester United in the summer. He said in December that “The club wanted me to leave”. Thankfully for United fans, he stayed, navigated the tactical ambiguity of playing for Ruben Amorim and led the team back into the Champions League.
Fernandes has been at the centre of everything good United have done this season. He has 19 assists – one short of the 20 achieved by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne in the seasons when they won the PFA player of the year award – and has created 124 chances for teammates, 56 more than Dominik Szoboszlai in second.
His ability to block out the turmoil at his club and consistently produce world-class performances is admirable. This season has been particularly turbulent, with Fernandes deployed as a deep-lying midfielder under Amorim before his sacking. Despite being played out of position, the captain kept his head down and contributed five goals and eight assists before sticking to his preferred No 10 position under Michael Carrick. Since that change, United’s form has followed suit: three draws and two defeats in 15 games, with Fernandes contributing 11 assists and three goals.
Rice’s Influence at Arsenal
Mikel Arteta once described Declan Rice as a lighthouse: “Someone who brings a focal point, clarity and direction to everybody.” Though not the most conventional metaphor for a footballer, the description has felt entirely accurate this season. Arsenal are just two wins away from their first league title since 2004 and Rice has been at the heart of virtually everything positive about their campaign. He can operate as a holding midfielder who shields the defence, a box-to-box engine who drives transitions, and an advanced No 8 who contributes in the final third.
Rice is essential to Arsenal’s buildup play; he is the player who gets the ball up the pitch and turns possession into scoring chances. He ranks second in their squad for forward passes and among the league’s most frequent ball carriers, ranking second for carries and sixth for progressive carries.
His influence doesn’t stop there, though. He has created more chances (63) than any other Arsenal player, ranks fifth in the squad for shots attempted, and is top for final-third passes and entries. With Martín Zubimendi taking on more of the defensive burden, Rice has been free to move further up the pitch, where he can use his elite passing to break defensive lines.
He is just as influential when Arsenal are out of possession; he leads the team for ball recoveries and ranks second for interceptions. Rice prevents danger before it happens – his ability to read the game is second to none, he cuts out threats before they reach the box, and he is physically strong in duels. Arsenal have by far the best defensive record in the league this season – they have only conceded 26 goals in 36 games – and he has been crucial to th