At a Glance:
- Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes are the frontrunners for PFA player of the year this season.
- Fernandes has carried Manchester United to the edge of Champions League qualification.
- Rice has been Arsenal’s best player, as the Gunners move closer to winning the title.
Declan Rice is in the running for Premier League player of the season, although Alan Shearer believes the Arsenal midfielder’s ability to beat Bruno Fernandes to the award is predicated on one condition.
Despite suffering defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s team are still on course for an outstanding season. The Gunners are nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, while they remain in both the Champions League and the FA Cup.
Rice has been at the centre of Arsenal’s success thus far this campaign, and is subsequently being tipped to win player of the season by many. That said, he faces competition for the award from Fernandes, who has single-handedly carried Manchester United towards Champions League qualification, scoring eight goals and providing 16 assists.
Alan Shearer on Declan Rice’s player of the season credentials
If Arsenal go on to win the league, they’ll rightfully have several players in the running for player of the season. That said, the Gunners have few attackers who have lit up the division thus far, with their primary candidates for the award being Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Rice is the glue that holds everything together for the North Londoners in the middle of the park, and thus, he should be the player receiving the most plaudits for his role in Arsenal’s success. However, Newcastle United legend and now pundit Shearer doesn’t believe the Gunners’ potential title triumph is enough for Rice to be handed the player of the season award.
The ex-striker has claimed that Fernandes trumps him in this category, although the former West Ham man can come out on top if Arsenal win the double.
Securing Declan Rice's future is vital for Arsenal.
— Sam Blitz (@SamBIitz) March 13, 2026
Arsenal's top player in the league this season for chances created, but also for possessions won in the middle of the pitch.
Lots of talk of his set-piece threat, but 60% of his league chances created come from open play. #afc pic.twitter.com/Ku3y6tEpfJ
“I think two outstanding candidates also would be Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes,” Shearer told Betfair.
“Man United have been through everything this season but Bruno seems to have been the shining light, and God knows where they’d be without him. He’s been a fantastic player for them.
“I just think because of how painful it’s been for Man United at times, he’s been the one constant in terms of performances and attitude and everything else.
“I mean, he might rub one or two people up the wrong way, but I think in terms of performances, he’s been absolutely outstanding. And there’s no doubt he’s been the pick of the bunch for Manchester United for such a long time now.
“However, with Declan Rice, the way he’s dragged Arsenal through games as well. I think it depends on what will happen in terms of teams winning.
“If Arsenal were to win the treble or a double, depending on what that double may be, then it would probably have to be an Arsenal player, and Rice has been one of the standouts.”
Should Arsenal’s success in cup competitions impact the player of the season race?
Ultimately, knockout competitions are inherently random. Over one-off ties, anything can happen, and Arsenal could crash out of either the Champions League or the FA Cup at any moment, and this wouldn’t mean that they weren’t the best team in the country.
| Stat | Rice |
| Appearances | 30 |
| Pass Accuracy | 87.8% |
| Touches per 90 | 81.02 |
| Duels Won per 90 | 4.21 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.21 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 2.02 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 1.04 |
| Tackles per 90 | 1.98 |
Thus, whether or not they win either of these two other trophies shouldn’t impact the player of the season award. That said, Arsenal do need to win the title for Rice to be the favoured candidate in the race for this prestigious award.
If the Gunners do get over the line, then the likes of Rice and Saliba should certainly be among the favourites. While Fernandes’ individual quality and significance to United is greater than any individual at Arsenal, Rice will have been the most important cog in the title winning team’s system.
