Premier League awards: Player of the year, most improved, best goal and biggest flop of the season
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Arsenal's Declan Rice celebrates with the Premier League title. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.
Overlooked by the Football Writers Association in favour of Phil Foden in 2024 and again this season when Bruno Fernandes got the vote for his record-breaking number of assists for Manchester United. But Rice’s influence on a team that won the title and reached the Champions League Final is too much to ignore.
His numbers don’t match Bruno’s, four goals and five assists leave room for improvement next season, but Rice wins our vote for his powerful influence on a change of culture and mentality at Arsenal over three seasons that has delivered a long-awaited title.
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His performances, character and leadership (despite not officially being Arsenal captain) has changed the club from nearly-men to winners.
Fernandes, who does wear the armband at Old Trafford, has been outstanding in what began as an extremely difficult campaign for United but ended with hope renewed. He deserves to be in the conversation. But it took a change of manager to get United back into Europe in which the only jeopardy was trying to get back into European contention. Rice’s influence meant more.
After 22 years without a title, Arteta’s achievement of finally bringing the Premier League trophy back to North London is a moment that ranks highly in the competition’s history, let alone the 2025-26 season.
There are critics who say it took a below-par Premier League campaign, in which the big guns failed to fire, for him to win it; and plenty of others who didn’t enjoy the style in which it was achieved.
But when you look at the bigger picture and the sheer size and scope of Arteta’s project then it’s impossible not to be impressed.
Arsenal had finished runners-up three years in a row under the Spaniard and faced chants of ‘second again, second again’ wherever they played; and yet since arriving at the club in December 2019, Arteta has changed almost everything it is possible to change in order to achieve success.
The way the team plays, the type of players they sign, the attitude on the pitch, the way the club treats and interacts with their fans, the matchday experience.
After losing to Manchester City late in the campaign, it would have been easy for Arteta to doubt it all. In fact, the man himself admitted he briefly considered whether he was still the right one to finish the job.
But the way Arsenal responded to lift the trophy, winning all five of their remaining trophies, underlined why he deserves this award.
Thiago, who spent almost the entire first season of his Brentford career injured (and failing to score a single goal when he did make it onto the pitch) was not expected to be a contender for the Golden Boot in 2026. But in the end his tally of 22 left him as runner-up to Erling Haaland and one of the stand-out stories of the season.
The fact that he came into the Bees team at a time when Brian Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa had been sold and manager Thomas Frank had left for Tottenham, makes that achievement all the more remarkable.
His reward has been a call-up to the World Cup for Brazil this summer. A Brentford player as Brazil’s number nine? It’s a story that is only beaten by Thiago’s personal story of a remarkable rise from a humble background to ultimate stardom.
When striker Calvert-Lewin decided to leave Everton after nine years at the end of a frustrating 2024-25 season in which he scored just three goals in 26 games, there didn’t seem to be a big queue of suitors. Injuries had impacted his career, having scored only eight times the previous season and there were serious doubts over his form.
Leeds United, however, took a gamble on him – and were rewarded with 14 goals in the Premier League; crucial contributions which kept them clear of a relegation dog fight that ultimately swallowed up West Ham United and gave Tottenham an anxious finale.
At one point his form was so impressive he earned an England recall, coming on in a friendly against Uruguay at Wembley in March.
This is a player of immense talent and technique who seems able to play in almost any position.
Following a spell higher up the pitch he made his biggest impact at left-back, a role which has earned him a place in England’s World Cup squad (and a likely starting spot).
As well as his versatility, what stands out is the x-year-old’s quick feet, control and eye for a goal. Including two in the Carabao Cup Final victory over Arsenal.
Sky pundit and Manchester United legend Gary Neville described him as being ‘like Gareth Bale going forward, and Paolo Maldini when he defends.’ That’s some compliment.
Other contenders included Brentford’s exciting young Italian right-back, Michael Kayode, Junior Kroupi at Bournemouth and the revitalised Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United.
There hasn’t been too much to get excited about at Anfield in what has been a miserable year for the Kop; but Szoboszlai has been the exception.
His stunning free-kick goal against Arsenal, only seven minutes from time, earned a 1-0 victory for Liverpool at the start of the campaign when fans still believed their side was favourite to defend its title.
Both teams arrived at Anfield unbeaten in the new campaign. So, temporarily, this match meant something – and it took a remarkable goal to win it.
The way the ball rose and dipped, hit with almost impossible power, curl and precision, was astonishing – and bear in mind Szoboszlai was deployed at right-back in this fixture.
There were many other contenders across the campaign, especially Harry Wilson’s effort with the outside of his left foot following a clever one-two with Raul Jiminez, against Crystal Palace in December.
But taking into consideration that Szoboszlai’s free-kick was scored against David Raya (the best goalkeeper in the league) then this one nicks it.
Nineteen clean sheets in the Premier League (four more than anyone else) and a string of miraculous saves just when Arsenal needed them, Raya was head and shoulders above any goalkeeper in the Premier League. He will go down in history as possibly THE key reason that Arsenal were able to break their title drought.
Raya (Arsenal)
Timber (Arsenal), Gabriel (Arsenal) Saliba (Arsenal), O’Reilly (Man City)
Semenyo (Man City), Rice (Arsenal), Fernandes (Man United), Silva (Man City)
Thiago (Brentford) Haaland (Man City)
Saka (Arsenal), Eze (Arsenal), Cherki (Man City), Watkins (Aston Villa), Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Kroupi (Bournemouth), Anderson (Nottingham Forest).
It’s no surprise that most of Arsenal’s defence feature in this team, having conceded only 27 goals across the entire Premier League season. In fact, left-back x was unfortunate not to make it, too.
Arsenal rank top across Europe's top five leagues on goals conceded, shots on target faced, shots faced per game and expected goals against; so, it’s difficult to argue.
Manchester City’s midfield, however, provided more entertainment, especially through David Silva in his farewell season and winter window signing Antoine Semenyo, who had also been outstanding for Bournemouth.
Rayan Cherki was unfortunate to miss out, but it would have been impossible to ignore Bruno Fernandes and Declan Rice.
Up front, Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland and surprise package Igor Thiago edge it but Ollie Waktins, with a stunning late run of goals in a Europa League winning season for Villa could easily have made it, too.
The last-minute goal that wasn’t for West Ham v Arsenal in May.
This was a nightmare moment for any VAR to deal with. The last minute of a game in which the decision on whether to award Callum Wilson’s equalising goal had to the power to send West Ham down or pretty much confirm Arsenal as champions.
Has there ever been a tougher or more pressurised job in football?
There were at least six challenges and grappling incidents to look at for VAR Darren England. But, even if West Ham don’t agree, the foul by Pablo on David Raya, extending his arm across the goalkeeper’s arm and neck, did prevent him clearing the ball before Wilson fired it home.
What pressure. What drama. What a mess.
Arsenal’s mid-season capture of Eberechi Eze was influential, but this prize goes to a former Gunners captain.
Xhaka was snapped up by Sunderland for just 19.6m Euros from Bayer Leverkusen (including add-ons) and has been hugely influential in a remarkable campaign. They Black Cats, having only just gained promotion from the Championship, finished seventh to qualify for the Europa League.
This is probably the tightest category of them all considering there are so many contenders.
Manchester United were heading the race halfway through the campaign before being saved by the genius of Fernandes and Michael Carrick.
Tottenham, of course, are right up there after finishing in 17th place for the second season in a row and sacking two managers along the way – and West Ham were relegated despite their lofty ambitions and recent success in Europe.
But this title has to go Chelsea given the levels of investment at the club – and the lack of return.
They also sacked two managers before finishing outside the European places in 10th despite spending 1.6 billion Euros since Todd Boehly took over.
The club was a mess all season – including eight red cards and a string of embarrassing results (with only four wins in their last 18 games in all competitions).
Good luck to Xabi Alonso next season.
It takes a pretty bad manager to edge out Ruben Amorim after his woeful time at Old Trafford, but Tudor’s ill-judged appointment at Spurs in February took the ‘prize’. He lasted just 43 days – and didn’t manage to win a single match as he was tasked with replacing sacked Thomas Frank. What a total disaster.
The PSG star arrived on loan for the reason with a possibility that Spurs would have a chance to make the deal permanent if it went well – which seemed an exciting proposition given the young forward’s reputation.
Only it didn’t go well. Two managers later and Muani looked lost in Tottenham’s relegation dog fight. He managed only one goal and one assist in 31 games all season.
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