City’s remarkable comeback win over Liverpool felt like the official start of this season’s title run-in. The final 20 mins of that game were utterly unhinged, with City emerging like the Undertaker to keep their title chances alive.
The Padawan currently leads his master, with Arteta’s Arsenal leading Guardiola’s City by six points. I thought this would be a good time to take a step back and assess this season’s top Premier League performers. These are the guys who could catapult themselves to PFA Player of the Year consideration with a solid end to the campaign.
10. Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Mogan Rogers has been a key component of Villa’s success under Emery this season, collecting eight goals and five assists to propel Villa into Champions League contention. His ability to drift fluidly from the wing to the no.10 role has made him an indispensable part of Emery’s dynamic system. Rogers has scored some scorchers cutting in from that left-hand side and should figure prominently in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup plans.
9. Bruno Guimares (Newcastle United)
Magpies captain Bruno Guimares has been a bastion of consistency during what has been a schizophrenic season for the Toon giants. The Brazilian midfielder has enjoyed a statistically incredible campaign, with nine goals and four assists to his name. Aside from his growing goal contributions, Guimares remains the physical heartbeat of the Newcastle side, throwing his body around in the name of the cause. Guimares is certainly going to play a large role in Carlo Ancelotti’s plans when World Cup time arrives.
8. Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United)
Bryan Mbeumo has proven an inspirational since signing for the Red Devils, scoring nine league goals despite his AFCON obligations. Mbeumo’s direct running and sumptuous left foot leads to easy comparisons to Liverpool legend Mo Salah. Under Amorim, Mbeumo was mostly deployed on that right-hand side. He did a commendable job there but has really come into his own since Carrick shuffled him into a more central position. He provides tactical fluidity, interchanging continuously with his fellow attackers (his burgeoning partnership with Diallo echoes attacking partnerships from United’s glory years).
7. Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal)
This is one of those selections that isn’t necessarily borne out by pure statistics (he has six goal involvements in this year’s Premier League). But you can’t deny the transformative effect that Zubimendi has had on this Arsenal unit. Thomas Partey was a brilliant servant to Arsenal football club, but Arteta could never really find a balance between him and Rice. To this day, Arsenal players will furiously debate which of those guys should have played in the 6 role. Zubimendi has taken complete ownership of that deeper lying role, knitting things together while offering a progressive option from the base of midfield. His calming presence has also allowed Rice to act in his preferred box-to-box capacity.
6. William Saliba (Arsenal)
William Saliba has just gotten better as the season has progressed. Central defensive partner Gabriel stole the early headlines with his aggression and goal-scoring prowess. Saliba is coming into his own as the season heats up, marshalling the defensive unit while making some truly awe-inspiring recovery runs. He is the Ferdinand to Gabriel’s Rio, offering a silky counterpoint to Gabriel’s more destructive tendencies.
5. Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth and Man City)
You can’t help but admire the way that Antoine Semenyo has adapted to life at Man City. Sure, his arrival at the club coincided with City’s drastic dip in form. But that has nothing to do with the Ghanian utility forward. Semenyo has been at his effervescent best this season, using his speed and dribbling skills to terrorize defenders (in both Bournemouth and City colours). He showed admirable respect to the Cherries, scoring in his final game despite knowing that he was destined for the Etihad.
4. Igor Thiago (Brentford)
Igor Thiago endured a terrible start to life at Brentford, suffering a meniscus injury that basically wrecked his entire 2024/2025 campaign. But he has stepped up to the plate in a big way since the dual departures of Yoanne Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, scoring an incredible 17 league goals for mid-table Brentford. He is a deadly finisher who also acts as a potent focal point for Brentford’s high-octane style (there’s a bit of the Drogba about him). His goal-scoring feats remind me of Kevin Phillips’ antics for turn-of-the-century Sunderland.
3. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
This is a slightly weird one. Haaland flew out of the gates in the early portion of the season, threatening to break every record in the book. But he has simmered somewhat since the start of the season, losing momentum as City’s title charge started to falter. But the Striking Viking’s numbers are still astonishing (he has 21 goals and six assists in the league this season). If City harbour any desire of wrangling in Arsenal, you feel Haaland needs to rediscover his beserker mode.
2. Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Arsenal midfield colossus Declan Rice has staked a strong claim to the title of European football’s most consistent midfielder. A perennial presence near the top of FotMob average ratings charts, Rice very rarely delivers anything less than a 7/10. He drives the side forward, clearly benefitting from the stabilizing presence of Zubimendi. His set-piece delivery has been one of the quintessential aspects of this year’s Premier League title race, helping rehabilitate Arsenal’s ‘soft touch’ reputation.
1. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Trust me, I’m more surprised by this than anyone. United’s creative lynchpin has always divided opinion (despite regularly being the player who creates the most opportunities in all of European football). His association with an underperforming club hasn’t helped matters. And he has tended to down tools in times of crisis (think Liverpool 7-0). But even the most ardent Bruno hater can’t deny his impact on the club this season. The Portuguese playmaker has been at his mischievous best, leading the league with a whopping 12 assists thus far (to go with six goals). Fernandes managed to keep his numbers up despite being utterly mismanaged by Ruben Amorim (he was tossed around like utility midfielder James Milner). But he has absolutely soared under Michael Carrick, who has allowed him to venture forward and occupy those awkward pockets of space where David Silva weaved his magic.
