What's happened
Premier League award season has crowned Bruno Fernandes and Bunny Shaw as players of the year for 2025/26, amid record assists and goals. The ceremony also honors Nico O’Reilly as Young Player of the Year, with Arsenal’s Olivia Smith taking Women’s Young Player of the Year, and Sir Kenny Dalglish and Karen Carney receiving merit awards. The winners celebrate a season that cemented Fernandes’s record of 21 assists and Shaw’s 21 goals in a title-winning campaign for City.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- Fernandes has claimed the men’s Player of the Year amid a record-breaking assist tally, reinforcing a player-centric narrative around individual brilliance in a team-driven league.
- Shaw’s achievement underscores City’s dominance in the women’s game this season and showcases the growing bias toward players who were central to their teams’ successes.
- The Team of the Year selections reinforce Arsenal and City’s supremacy in domestic competitions, suggesting a potential shift in power dynamics in English football.
- The mood across outlets reflects a balance between admiration for individuals and acknowledgment of a broader team performance narrative, with the Independent highlighting Fernandes’ extended impact across competitions.
- Readers should consider how these awards influence market value and future transfers, particularly in a season that saw record-setting assists and goals.
Forecast: Expect continued focus on Fernandes’ playmaking legacy and Shaw’s scoring prowess as benchmark performances for both genders in 2026/27, with potential for new records to be challenged next season.
How we got here
The awards come after a season where Fernandes has broken the Premier League assist record and United clinched third place to return to the Champions League, while Shaw has dominated the Women’s Super League with City’s title. The awards are decided by peers rather than journalists, highlighting peer recognition in both men’s and women’s categories.
Our analysis
According to AP News, Fernandes has set a Premier League assists record with 21, while Shaw has scored 21 goals in the season. The Independent notes Fernandes’ historic 21 assists and his impact on United’s return to the Champions League. BBC Business details the composition of the Team of the Year and other awards, including Dalglish’s and Carney’s recognition. The BBC Politics/Broadcast notes also cover the women’s awards and the dual nature of the PFA Awards.
Go deeper
- Which player has the most momentum heading into next season based on these awards?
- Could these award outcomes affect transfer activity in the off-season?
More on these topics
-
Premier League - Football league
The Premier League, often referred to as the English Premier League or the EPL outside England, is the top level of the English football league system.
-
Arsenal F.C. - Football club
Arsenal Football Club is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England, that plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football.
-
Bruno Fernandes - Portuguese footballer
Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United and the Portugal national team.
-
Kenny Dalglish - Scottish former football player
Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former football player and manager. During his career, he made 338 appearances for Celtic and 515 for Liverpool, playing as a forward, and earned a record 102 full caps for the Scotland national team, scori
-
Erling Haaland - Norwegian footballer
Erling Braut Haaland is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Norway national team.
-
Declan Rice - English footballer
Declan Rice is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre back for Premier League club West Ham United and the England national team.
-
Rayan Cherki - French footballer
Mathis Rayan Cherki is a French professional footballer who plays as attacking midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lyon.
-
David Raya - Spanish footballer
David Raya Martin is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Brentford. He began his senior career with Blackburn Rovers and transferred to Brentford in 2019.
-
Manchester - City in England
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 547,627 as of 2018. It lies within the United Kingdom's second-most populous urban area, with a population of 2.5 million and third-most populous metropol
-
Khadija Shaw - Jamaican association football player
Khadija Monifa "Bunny" Shaw ( khə-DEE-jə; born 31 January 1997) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a forward for Women's Super League club Manchester City and captains the Jamaica women's national team. Widely considered to be one of the best strikers in the world, she is Manchester City's all-time top goalscorer, Jamaica's all-time top goalscorer, holds the record for most hat tricks in the WSL, and was awarded CONCACAF Player of the Year in 2022. Shaw previously played for Division 1 club Bordeaux, became top scorer in the 2020–21 season, and was twice awarded Player of the Month. With Manchester City, she is a League Cup winner and was voted Player of the Season for the club as top scorer in the 2022–23 season. For the same season, Shaw was named in the WSL Team of the Year, and twice awarded WSL Player of the Month. The following season, she was named FWA Women's Footballer of the Year.