Arsenal Trio Nominated for PFA Players’ Player of the Year

David Raya, Gabriel and Declan Rice have all been nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award after standout seasons for Arsenal.

The three Gunners are on the six-man shortlist alongside Manchester City pair Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland, as well as Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes.

The award is voted for by fellow professionals, giving the nominations added weight after a campaign in which all three became central to Mikel Arteta’s title-winning side.

Arsenal ended the season as Premier League champions for the first time since 2004, and their defensive record was the foundation of that run. Arteta’s side conceded only 27 league goals, eight fewer than any other team in the division.

Raya’s nomination continues a remarkable year for the Arsenal goalkeeper. He won the Premier League Golden Glove for a third consecutive season after keeping 19 clean sheets, while also producing several decisive moments across the campaign.

If Raya wins, it would be another rare moment for a goalkeeper in the history of the award. Only two goalkeepers have won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year: Pat Jennings in 1975/76 and Peter Shilton in 1977/78. Raya would be the first goalkeeper to win it for 48 years.

His case is built on more than clean-sheet numbers. Arsenal’s defensive record was shaped by the back line in front of him, but Raya’s command of the box, distribution and decisive saves gave the team a level of security that ran through the title-winning campaign.

Gabriel’s place on the shortlist recognises another season of authority at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. The Brazilian registered 23 interceptions and 34 blocks, while remaining one of Arteta’s most reliable players in the biggest moments.

His attacking contribution also carried weight. Gabriel scored in back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Bournemouth, before producing one of Arsenal’s defining moments of the season with a 97th-minute header at Newcastle United.

Rice completes the Arsenal trio after another season in which he shaped games from several roles. He played as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder and even at right-back, but his level rarely dropped regardless of where Arteta used him.

The England international gave Arsenal ball-winning power, security in transition and quality from set pieces. He also contributed important goals, including two in the 3-2 win at Bournemouth in January.

The nominations underline how much of Arsenal’s season was built through the spine of the team. Raya, Gabriel and Rice are not all judged by the same numbers, but each gave Arsenal control in different areas: goalkeeper, centre-back and midfield.

The same trio have also been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Season award, further recognition of their role in Arsenal’s title-winning campaign.

This year will be the 53rd edition of the PFA Awards, where current and former players vote for the standout players and young players in the men’s and women’s game.

Four Arsenal players have previously won the men’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year award. Liam Brady was the club’s first winner in 1979, before Dennis Bergkamp won it in 1998. Thierry Henry then became the first player to win the award in successive seasons in 2003 and 2004, before Robin van Persie won it in 2012.

The winners of the various PFA awards will be announced at a ceremony in Manchester on Tuesday, August 25.