Bruno Fernandes
The praise shows just how good Manchester United’s captain has been this season. Early on, he was carrying Ruben Amorim’s version of the team through matches, and for the last five months, he’s been leading Michael Carrick’s united squad. Awards and records keep coming his way—winning the Football Writers’ Association player of the season award was quickly followed by setting a Premier League record with 21 assists on the final day of the season at Brighton. Given that United were very open to selling Fernandes less than a year ago, it makes you wonder what would have happened at Old Trafford without him. “At one point I was going to leave—I won’t say where—but I would have won many trophies that season. I decided to stay not just for family reasons, but because I genuinely like the club,” Fernandes told Canal 11. “But from the club’s side, I felt a bit like: ‘If you go, it’s not really that bad for us.’ That hurts me a little. More than hurting, it makes me sad, because I’m a player they have nothing to criticize me for. I’m always available for every match, I always play, whether well or badly. I give my maximum.” Fernandes brings incredible intelligence and work rate on the pitch, backed by stunning technique that puts him above his United teammates, who all feed off him. It’s hard to argue that any other Premier League captain is more influential than Fernandes, and United have reaped the rewards.
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Bruno Fernandes has been consistently excellent for Manchester United, even during their early-season struggles under Ruben Amorim. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
David Raya
Often when a team wins the title, all the focus is on the forwards who do the damage. It’s hard to pick just one player from a league-winning side, but Raya deserves a lot of credit. Few were complaining about Aaron Ramsdale’s performances, but the Spaniard has been a huge upgrade. He’s had at least a share of the Golden Glove award for the most Premier League clean sheets in all three of his seasons at Arsenal. He started every game, except the final match of the season at Selhurst Park—a sign of how important he is to Mikel Arteta’s plans. The abilities of the players in front of Raya mean he often has very quiet games, but when he’s called into action, he’s always focused and ready, making crucial saves at key moments to help Arsenal edge out Manchester City.
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Premier League 2025-26 review: our writers reflect on the season – video
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian still has his critics who think he has an easy ride as the striker leading Manchester City’s line. Some believe anyone would score the same amount if they had the creative talent he gets to enjoy. This season he has 27 goals, scoring one every 110 minutes. For context, the Premier League golden boot runner-up, Igor Thiago, needs an extra 39 minutes per goal. The usual complaints are that he doesn’t do enough in the game overall, but this is obviously nonsense because anyone who has played at the top level will tell you that scoring goals is the hardest part of being an elite footballer. Pep Guardiola seems to think Haaland is key to success, and the Catalan knows a thing or two about the game. “Erling is the best striker in the world,” Guardiola said in February, and trying to argue with him seems pointless.
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As well as scoring 27 league goals this season, the supposedly one-dimensional Erling Haaland has also set up eight. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Igor Thiago
After Brentford sold Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, not to mention Thomas Frank leaving to take charge at Tottenham, many were tipping them for relegation. Keith Andrews and Thiago had other ideas, leading the west London side to ninth. There were understandable reasons for doubt: Thiago had two serious injuries in his first season in England, which meant he only played eight times in the league and scored no goals. He spent the summer getting back to full fitness.He was determined and made sure he was finally ready for the Premier League challenge, scoring 12 goals in his first 14 games of the season across all competitions. His scoring form rarely dipped, and even a top judge like Carlo Ancelotti was impressed enough to include him in Brazil’s World Cup squad. “He’s already shown he can be a top performer in the Premier League,” Andrews said. “The way he plays gives the opposition a headache. I don’t think many players will enjoy facing him.”
Morgan Gibbs-White
He went 13 games for club and country without scoring. It’s hard to blame Gibbs-White, though, as he was caught in the middle of Forest’s chaos, with new managers coming and going like whirlwinds. Sean Dyche’s arrival sparked a turnaround, with four goals in six games, but Gibbs-White truly thrived under Vítor Pereira. Taking on the captain’s responsibility is part of his mindset, and it’s a key reason Forest stayed in the Premier League and even reached the Europa League semi-finals. His Premier League record is strong—15 goals in 37 games—making him one of the most feared No. 10s in the country. Forest did well to keep him last summer, but it feels like many more clubs will come calling this time, and it might be tough for Forest to match his ambitions. “When things aren’t going your way, when the team is struggling in a game, a lot of players might hide and avoid the ball,” Pereira said. “But Morgan wants the ball, he wants the responsibility, he wants to score goals, and he wants to assist.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the Premier League 202526 season focusing on the Players of the Season The questions range from basic to advanced with clear and simple answers
General Beginner Questions
Q Who was the Premier League Player of the Season for 202526
A The official award went to Phil Foden He had an incredible season scoring 22 goals and providing 12 assists leading City to the title
Q What does a player have to do to win Player of the Season
A They usually need to be consistently excellent score or create lots of goals help their team win matches and stand out as the best performer over the whole 38game season
Q Was it just about goals and assists
A No not at all While attackers often win it defenders and midfielders can too This season players like Virgil van Dijk and Declan Rice were in the top 5 because of their defensive work passing and leadership
Q Who were the other top contenders for the award
A The main challengers were Erling Haaland Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah A surprise contender was Cole Palmer who finished with 20 goals
Advanced Detailed Questions
Q How did the voting for the official award work
A The winner is decided by a panel of football experts former players and media representatives Each person votes for their top 3 players and points are awarded Fan votes on the Premier League website are also combined with the panels votes
Q Why did Foden win over Haaland who scored more goals
A Foden was seen as more impactful in the biggest games He scored crucial goals in the title runin including a hattrick against Aston Villa and the winner against Tottenham Haaland had quiet patches in the middle of the season while Foden was consistently brilliant from January onwards
