It is no longer news that Bruno Fernandes have been named this season's Player of the Season.
Following this award has been a noteable uproar as to why Declan Rice wasn't the preferred candidate.
For me,actually this award is for standout performers ALL THROUGH THE SEASON.
That is who Rice is! That is not who Saka is for example. That is not who Bruno is.
That is who Gibbs-White is– you can argue same for Doku and maybe Enzo Fernandez.
Bruno came alive only when Carrick came in. People like Mainoo also came alive too at same time(that's why he goes to the World Cup). But before Carrick, Rice has been exceptional for Arsenal and has continued, even improved till today.
And the winner CLEARLY IS? DECLAN RICE.
Oh come on.
But let's not pretend that these awards are usually not perfect. Let's not pretend that goals, skills and goal's creation, are not a great temptation for award decisions.
These awards are often sentimental and emotional. Therefore if a team wins something or a team is a big club, it gives an advantage to their players for these kind of awards.
Rice won something, but you had another guy in an equally big club creating and scoring more goals.
You may be the midfield destroyer, the back bone of the team in a season where the two most important players in Saka and Odegaard were not consistent. You have covered more distance than Bruno.
But football emotions often goes with the guy very close to the shout of "it's a goal!". They go with the player who has more flair, the guy with more dribbles. That guy is Bruno!
Even the MOTM awards reveal these sentiments. Rice plays the Mainoo role and even deeper than Mainoo bcos Zubi was a problem.
Football emotions will usually consider the guy closer to goal like Bruno, that's also why Bruno has more MOTM awards.
If I pick a sprinkling here there of the past you would observe this same theme behind winners:
Virgil van Dijk (2018/19, Liverpool)
- Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20, Man City)
- Mohamed Salah (2017/18, Liverpool)
- Luis Suárez (2013/14, Liverpool)
- Gareth Bale (2012/13, Tottenham)
- Thierry Henry (2005/06, Arsenal)
My conclusion:
Going without sentiments, THE WINNER IS DECLAN RICE.
However, the reality of football is sentiments, so the winner becomes BRUNO.