Overview
- Declan Rice is the bookmakers’ favourite, a status tied to Arsenal’s nine-point lead over Manchester City with Pep Guardiola’s side holding a game in hand.
- Alan Shearer said Rice would likely need Arsenal to win a double or treble for him to finish ahead of Bruno Fernandes in the voting.
- Bruno Fernandes drives Manchester United’s upturn under Michael Carrick and ranks second for total goal contributions with 8 goals and 16 assists in 28 league games.
- Owen Hargreaves argued that an Arsenal title would swing the award to Rice or centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, otherwise Fernandes would deserve it.
- Recent coverage leans on a trophies-first lens, and past winners usually come from the champions, with Erling Haaland still noted as an alternative based on scoring output.