The business end of the 2025-26 Premier League season is upon us, and as we near March, the competition remains fierce. The title race has crystallized into a duel between league leaders Arsenal and runners-up Manchester City, while the scramble for Champions League spots is tightly contested among several teams. Defending champions Liverpool find themselves on the outside looking in, needing to make up ground on Aston Villa, Manchester United, and Chelsea.
At the other end of the table, Wolves’ destiny seems sealed (17 points behind safety with only 10 matches remaining), with Burnley facing a similar, albeit slightly less grim, fate (eight points adrift with 11 games left). but, the final relegation spot is still up for grabs between Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, and Leeds United.
The race for the Premier League Player of the Year is equally uncertain, as no standout frontrunner has emerged yet, with several players making compelling cases for the honor. With 10 matchdays remaining, we asked our trusted Premier League reporters to share their picks for the prestigious award and explain their choices.
Tom Hamilton: Sometimes it makes sense to go with the obvious choice. If Manchester City clinches the league, their standout player might be one of Bernardo Silva (for his creativity), Nico O’Reilly (for his adaptability and mindset), or newcomers Gianluigi Donnarumma and Antoine Semenyo. Yet, the unmistakable pick is Haaland, who leads the scoring chart.
The Norwegian forward is currently in a quieter phase for his club, but his 22 league goals have been instrumental in propelling City to their current standing. What’s different for Haaland this year? He’s evolving into a more well-rounded player, showcased by his impressive work rate that has also yielded seven assists—second only to Bruno Fernandes and just one shy of his best tally of eight from the 2022-23 season. That’s 29 total goal contributions. Not too shabby.
Consider City’s recent 2-1 victory over Newcastle: Haaland recorded the most touches he’s had in a match (43), contributed third-most clearances for the team (behind Rodri and Marc Guéhi), and won 12 duels, marking a personal best in a single league game. “He’s an incredible, generous player, and today is a performance I will always remember because of what Erling has done for us,” remarked manager Pep Guardiola afterwards.
So watch out, Premier League: Haaland is becoming a more versatile player, and his goals and assists should rightfully earn him the title of player of the season.
James Olley: With everything in the league still to play for—from the title to the top four and relegation—it’s too soon to draw conclusions, but Arsenal sit atop the table, and Declan Rice has been central to a team boldly competing on multiple fronts.
Only Martín Zubimendi (2,360) has logged more outfield Premier League minutes for the Gunners than Rice’s 2,329, and Rice ranks second for chances created in the division (as categorized by Opta as key passes and assists), trailing only Bruno Fernandes. but, his influence extends far beyond statistics. Rice propels the Arsenal team forward as he transforms into a complete midfielder, effectively managing his box-to-box role while also excelling as a set-piece specialist.
If Arsenal wish to maintain their pace, it will largely depend on Rice sustaining his exceptional form and influence.
Sam Tighe: In a season lacking an “obvious” frontrunner, it might tempt one to think there are no exceptional candidates. But as the group indicates, there are certainly incredible individual performances, aren’t there?
I support James’ choice of Rice. In a Premier League landscape where physicality, mobility, and tenacity reign supreme, the 27-year-old stands out as a leading performer. To put it in perspective, among Arsenal players, only Zubimendi (293.57 km) has covered more ground than Rice (285.48 km) this season, while among all Premier League central midfielders, only Sandro Tonali (33.37 km/h) has recorded a higher maximum speed than Rice (33.17 km/h).
Rice is both fast and relentless; if the Gunners claim the title, his energetic, all-action style will epitomize their approach. also, he complements these athletic traits with finesse when necessary. Few players excel at taking corners as much as he does, and there’s no denying that he’s becoming increasingly adept at threading passes through the lines.
Beth Lindop: It may seem ridiculous to nominate a Liverpool player considering their inconsistent performances this season, but in terms of undeniable individual talent, Szoboszlai would be my selection.
In the summer, some speculated that the Hungary international could lose his spot with the arrival of £116 million playmaker Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. Yet, Szoboszlai has emerged as the first choice in Arne Slot’s line-up this season, thanks to his relentless energy, tactical versatility, and knack for scoring spectacular goals, keeping Liverpool from facing total disaster this campaign.
With ten goals already this season, Szoboszlai is on pace to eclipse his career-high. He has also filled in admirably at right back during Liverpool’s injury challenges, and his increased willingness to engage with the media reflects his desire to take on more responsibility and position himself as a future club leader.
although Liverpool’s disappointing collective form likely costing Szoboszlai any individual honors, he should certainly remain in the discussion.
Antoine Semenyo, FW, Manchester City (formerly at Bournemouth)
Mark Ogden: It’s a challenging call as there hasn’t been a standout candidate this season, but at this moment, I would choose Semenyo. He was remarkable for Bournemouth in the first half of the season—his ten Premier League goals kept Andoni Iraola competitive for a spot in the top six—but his performance led to a move in January, with numerous top clubs keen to sign him before he opted for Manchester City.
Even after his deal was completed and his release clause activated, Semenyo chose to stay with Bournemouth for two additional fixtures in January, demonstrating professionalism and capping his exit with a stoppage-time winner against Spurs in his final match.
His contributions at City have been equally impressive, helping them stay in the title race during a midseason lull with three goals in his first five games. so, for excelling at two clubs and showcasing commendable professionalism throughout, I select Semenyo.
Rob Dawson: There were genuine concerns about Brentford’s chances of avoiding relegation this season after losing manager Thomas Frank—along with key players Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, Christian Nørgaard, and Mark Flekken—all in one summer. Scoring goals was expected to be particularly challenging after Mbeumo and Wissa, who combined for 39 Premier League goals last season, departed.
Keith Andrews, Frank’s replacement, deserves commendation for transforming this season into a push for European qualification rather than a battle against the drop. Equally deserving of recognition is Igor Thiago. His 17 league goals have greatly mitigated the loss of Mbeumo and Wissa, representing a remarkable achievement for a 24-year-old striker in his first full season in England after last season was marred by injury.
Consistently scoring in the world’s toughest league is a substantial challenge, and Thiago has done so with regularity. Unfortunately for Brentford, his outstanding form raises the inevitable question: how long can they retain him before he follows Mbeumo and Wissa out the door?
Gab Marcotti: To me, the situation is straightforward. Aston Villa might be experiencing a downturn, but they’re still third, well ahead of Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea. This comes after a summer when they didn’t significantly strengthen their squad and lost their sporting director, Monchi. Much of this success can be attributed to Rogers: he has started every game and often delivered impactful performances.
Rogers doesn’t have the most talented supporting cast—certainly not when compared to the other names expected to emerge in this discussion—and it’s fair to say that without him, Villa would likely be midtable at best. Only four players have a greater tally of open play goal contributions (non-penalty goals and assists) than he does this season, and all of them belong to more prominent, better-resourced clubs: Haaland, Fernandes, Semenyo, and João Pedro.
also, he even inspired Cole Palmer’s goal celebration while they were teammates at City, which makes him the obvious choice for me.
Martín Zubimendi, MF, Arsenal
Julien Laurens: When Arsenal opted to spend €60 million last summer to activate his release clause from Real Sociedad, skeptics raised concerns about his adaptation to the Premier League, his potential, and even his talent. but, he has already silenced many of the doubters.
It hasn’t been flawless—recall his error against Manchester United—but overall, he has delivered impressive performances. His ability to dictate the tempo of matches, combined with his intelligence and reading of play, has been exceptional. He has also netted five Premier League goals, outpacing both Szoboszlai and Rice, and trailing only three behind Rogers, who plays a more advanced role. His goals have been pivotal, including those against Forest, Leeds, and Sunderland, keeping Arsenal on track for a potential first league title in over twenty years.
Zubimendi elevates Rice and Jurriën Timber’s performance levels, and there’s still ample room for growth in his game. His significant impact on the team deserves to be celebrated.
