Arsenal trio Gabriel, David Raya and Declan Rice have been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Season award after driving the club’s title challenge.
Arsenal trio Gabriel, David Raya and Declan Rice have been nominated for the 2025/26 EA SPORTS Premier League Player of the Season award after playing central roles in Mikel Arteta’s title-challenging side.
The Premier League confirmed an eight-player shortlist, with the three Arsenal players joined by Bruno Fernandes, Morgan Gibbs-White, Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo and Brentford striker Igor Thiago. Fans have until 12:00 BST on Monday, May 18 to vote, with the public vote combined with a panel of football experts before the winner is announced next week.
It is a strong reflection of Arsenal’s season that their nominations come from the spine of the side rather than just one area of the pitch.
Gabriel’s inclusion recognises the foundation Arsenal have built from the back. The Brazilian has made 30 Premier League appearances this season, contributing three goals and four assists, while helping Arteta’s side record 16 clean sheets in those matches. Arsenal have conceded a league-low 26 goals, with Gabriel’s aerial power, recovery defending and set-piece threat all part of that record.
His influence is not always the easiest to package into an award debate, but it has been obvious across the campaign. Gabriel gives Arsenal aggression in first contact, security when the line is high and a constant target from dead-ball situations. In a title race shaped by small margins, that mix has mattered.
Raya’s nomination is just as deserved. The Spain international has been ever-present in the league, playing 36 matches and keeping 18 clean sheets. He has also secured the Golden Glove for the third successive season, underlining how consistent he has been behind Arsenal’s defensive structure.
Clean sheets are never only a goalkeeper stat, but Raya has had to make decisive interventions at important moments. His save from Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh, which won December’s Premier League Save of the Month award, was one example of how he has combined long spells of concentration with sharp reactions when Arsenal have needed him, most recently against West Ham with a save that saw Arsenal go on to secure all three points.
Rice’s place on the shortlist speaks to a different kind of value. The England midfielder has played 35 league games, scoring four goals and providing five assists, while moving between roles as Arsenal’s season has demanded. He has operated as a No.8, carried set-piece responsibility and even filled in as an emergency right-back during another injury-hit stretch.
That versatility has become one of Arsenal’s defining traits this season. Rice has not just protected the team. He has driven it forward, taken on more creative responsibility in Martin Odegaard’s absence and given Arteta a level of tactical flexibility that has helped Arsenal absorb injuries without losing their identity.
There will be strong competition for the award. Haaland leads the Golden Boot race with 26 goals, Fernandes has produced 19 assists for Manchester United, and Thiago’s 22 goals for Brentford have put him among the league’s standout forwards.
Three nominations from Arsenal's squad underline the collective strength behind their title challenge. Gabriel, Raya and Rice have each shaped the season in different ways, and their places on the shortlist reflect how much of Arsenal’s push has been built on control, defensive authority and consistency through the spine of the team.