Who deserves the “Player of the Season” award in the Premier League this campaign?
By Dr. Talal Al‑Osman – The GCC Sport

As the 2025–26 season nears its end, debate in England is heating up over who should be crowned the standout player in the Premier League this year. Between Bruno Fernandes, Declan Rice, Erling Haaland, David Raya and Riyad Mahrez, their numbers and influence intertwine in a way that could reshape how the prize is viewed compared to last season. So how should we judge who truly deserves English football’s most prestigious individual honour?

Bruno Fernandes: the architect of the return to the Champions League

At a time when Manchester United’s season looked shaky, Bruno Fernandes was the only player who seemed to embody stability. He once admitted the club had wanted to sell him, yet he stayed, endured the tactical trials under Ruben Amorim, and helped guide the Red Devils back to the Champions League.

Fernandes did not merely provide leadership and spirit; he also rewrote the standards for creative midfield play. With 20 assists in a single season—a figure matching the all‑time record set by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne in the years they won the Player of the Season award—and 124 chances created for his teammates, 56 more than Liverpool’s dominant scorer Mohamed Salah, Fernandes emerges as a player who can turn a chaotic season into a collection of decisive moments.
Bruno’s ability to maintain world‑class composure amid the club’s turbulence is impressive. Is his individual brilliance enough to clinch the award even within a team that remains inconsistent? Many would argue yes, especially since his role was central to United’s return to Europe’s top table.

Declan Rice: the mind and heart of Arsenal

If Arsenal are on the verge of ending a 22‑year title drought and reclaiming the league crown for the first time since 2004, Declan Rice will be at the heart of that narrative. Mikel Arteta once described him as a “beacon” that guides the team, and the metaphor fits; Rice is not merely a defensive midfielder or a box‑to‑box striker, but the equilibrium point between defence and attack.

He can sit deep as a pivot shielding the backline, roam the pitch to drive transitions, or push into the final third to score or create. Among the league’s top players, Rice ranks among the most prolific in forward passes and chances created, with 63 opportunities for teammates alone—making him Arsenal’s main creative engine. In defence, he leads the side in recoveries and ranks near the top in spells of disruption, a factor that helps explain why Arsenal boast the Premier League’s tightest defence this season (just 26 goals conceded in 37 games).
If the award honours “collective impact” more than pure individual flair, Rice becomes the most compelling candidate—the kind of player whose legacy is etched in the club’s record books, not just in highlight reels.

Erling Haaland: the creative goal machine

Goalscorers are judged by the figures at the top of the screen, but Haaland has expanded that definition to include attacking orchestration. Twenty‑six goals in a single season is exceptional for any traditional striker, yet for Haaland—after a debut campaign in which he scored 36—it feels almost routine.

This season, his role has evolved alongside the exodus of Kevin De Bruyne, İlkay Gündogan, and Kyle Walker. Instead of simply being a finisher, Haaland now pulls centre‑backs out of position, creates space for runners, and structures attacks. His nine assists in 2025–26, the best haul of his career, place him in the league’s top three for open‑play assists and underline his dual role as creator and destroyer.
If the Player of the Season award rewards a forward who redefines the balance between scoring and building play, Haaland’s profile fits perfectly. Should he cap the campaign with a third “Golden Boot” in four seasons, the narrative may tilt firmly in his favour.

David Raya: the goalkeeper in decisive moments

Goalkeepers rarely dominate the conversation in tight title races, but Raya’s numbers and moments of brilliance make him impossible to ignore this year. With 18 clean sheets in 37 Premier League matches, he has won the Golden Glove for the third consecutive season—an achievement matched in the league’s history by only a handful of legends like Pepe Reina, Joe Hart, and Ederson.

From a crucial save against Brighton that preserved Arsenal’s top‑spot leadership in December, to a late stop against Chelsea in March and a stunning reaction save versus West Ham, Raya has repeatedly been the difference between a forgettable season and a title‑winning campaign. In tight title races decided by narrow margins, each of his saves inches Arsenal closer to silverware.
Is a goalkeeper ever a genuine contender for Player of the Season? The debate persists, but Raya’s case reminds us that sometimes the “invisible” player is the one who quietly changes the course of a season.

Riyad Mahrez: the maverick who reignites flair

In an era where players are often criticised for being too tactical, too robotic, as Gary Neville once lamented during a dull Manchester derby last season, Riyad Mahrez stands out as a breath of fresh air—a return to football that thrives on skill, unpredictability, and the kind of moments that set fans screaming in the stands and in front of their screens. He is bold, creative, and unafraid to express himself, embodying everything modern football sometimes lacks.

The first standout winger to join Manchester City under Guardiola without fully conforming to his traditional style, Mahrez has resisted being moulded into a purely possession‑oriented machine. Guardiola himself has admitted this, saying something along the lines that he, as a possession‑obsessed manager, can feel his heart stop when Mahrez receives the ball and immediately starts dribbling instead of “keeping it simple.” Yet he adds that asking Mahrez to stop would stifle his essence.
Now, as City search for a new creative spark after De Bruyne, it is Mahrez who often turns games. Whether with a quick dribble, a clever pass into tight space, or a moment of pure audacity, his 16 goals and many more near‑goals show he can decide matches at any moment. Teammates might appreciate his dribbling and incisive delivery even more than his manager does.

The verdict: shaping the narrative

Ultimately, the Player of the Season award blends statistics, clutch performance, and impact on team success.

  • Bruno Fernandes is the individual force lifting a turbulent club back to the upper echelons.

  • Declan Rice is the cerebral heartbeat of a side ready to break a long‑running title famine.

  • Erling Haaland is the emotional and goal‑oriented engine of a dominant side.

  • David Raya is the “clutch” goalkeeper upon whom fortunes hinge.

  • Riyad Mahrez is the flair maverick who re‑enchants the game itself.

According to me as  Dr. Talal Al‑Osman, if the award goes to the player who turns a fractured campaign into a cohesive project, Declan Rice draws the strongest initial case.
Yet if the prize honours the player who rekindles football’s joy and reminds us what “playing freely” really means, Riyad Mahrez may be the one more worthy of celebration—even beyond the trophy that may be lifted above his head.