Arsenal
Players Who Defined an Unsettling 2025/26 Premier League Season
Goalkeepers, long throws and midfield mastery cut a distinctive shape across 2025/26 Premier League.
A season that divided spectators nonetheless produced clear individual standouts. “Most of the games I see in the Premier League are not, for me, a joy to watch,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted back in March, but within that contested landscape a handful of performers emerged with compelling cases for special recognition.
Between the posts, the familiar excellence of David Raya stood out. It is not normal to keep a clean sheet in more than half of your Premier League appearances and it certainly isn’t standard to win three consecutive Golden Gloves. It is increasingly normal for Raya to be the champions’ bravest passer and a defensive cornerstone.
Brentford’s Michael Kayode became a modern curiosity and a creative force. The fullback’s gender reveal in February — hurling a throw-in into an empty goal at the Gtech Community Stadium that prompted pink flares — captured his commitment to the long throw. “People think that you can play in the Premier League just because you have a good throw-in?” the Italy U21 international scoffed. “That’s crazy!” Kayode, a nominee for Best Young Player, completed the fourth-most dribbles in the division, ranking above Rayan Cherki, Bukayo Saka and Florian Wirtz, and helped drive the over-performing Bees upfield.
William Saliba approached defending with efficient precision, while Gabriel’s aggressive conception of beauty produced a consistently dominant campaign. “I think beautiful football is not only a beautiful pass,” the Brazilian theorized, “but also when you defend, the way you defend.”
Versatility shone at Manchester City through Nico O’Reilly, who spent most of the season at left back, offered ballast in Rodri’s absence and even operated as a box-crashing No. 8. “He has been a surprise,” Guardiola admitted, “even for me.”
Dominik Szoboszlai answered his own challenge: “I need to improve in a lot of things.” He did, dominating matches with a blend of power and finesse even as Liverpool colleagues did not match his trajectory.
At Manchester United, Casemiro rediscovered form, supplying defensive coverage and nine Premier League goals — a tally Ryan Giggs never matched for Manchester United after turning 22. Arsenal’s Declan Rice remained the team’s dependable linchpin after Arteta warned the squad their tilt would be a “roller coaster.” “There’s going to be ups, downs, so much talk,” the midfielder reflected. “The good thing with Declan is he’s so consistent, so reliable,” Arteta acknowledged.
Finally, Antoine Semenyo produced a standout season: after carrying Bournemouth’s frontline for six months he moved to Manchester City and, since his debut in January, no City player has matched his seven non-penalty Premier League goals.
Arsenal
Madueke Injury Concern Clouds Arsenal’s Final Week Preparations
Madueke’s late exit at Selhurst Park casts doubt on his fitness for the Champions League final today
Arsenal’s title celebrations at the end of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign were muted by a late injury concern for Noni Madueke. The champions travelled south for a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace during a Public Holiday weekend in the United Kingdom, a result that allowed rotation ahead of next week’s Champions League final in Budapest against Paris Saint-Germain.
Mikel Arteta used the match to rest key starters. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were unused substitutes and William Saliba did not make the matchday squad. Saka is set for a 90-minute outing in the final, while Madueke, who joined from Chelsea last summer, has been earmarked as a bench option to provide pace and direct running.
Madueke scored his second Premier League goal of the season on Sunday, but was forced off late at Selhurst Park with an apparent niggle. The winger grasped the back of his left leg when speaking to the physio on-field and looked in some discomfort. Arteta offered no post-match update, although The Standard reported that the winger was moving freely during their title celebrations and that there were no signs of a limp.
Arsenal’s wider fitness picture was also outlined. Mikel Merino is recovering from foot surgery and, according to the club’s list, only a pair of right backs remain absent. Ben White’s knee injury at West Ham United earlier this month has ended his World Cup hopes. Jurriën Timber has been out since March with a groin issue. Arteta had been hopeful Timber could play some part in the final, but his omission from the matchday squad on Sunday suggests he will not be ready to face one of the tournament’s in-form players.
If Timber is unavailable, Cristhian Mosquera is expected to line up against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Madueke’s late exit at Selhurst Park has placed his availability for the Champions League final in doubt, leaving Arsenal to assess whether the winger can still offer a bench impact in Budapest.
Arsenal
2025–26 Premier League awards: Haaland, Fernandes and Raya lead the season honours
Arsenal champions; Haaland wins Golden Boot (27), Bruno Fernandes leads assists (21), Raya 19 cleans
The 2025–26 Premier League season concluded on May 24 with Arsenal lifting the title and several individual awards settled. Erling Haaland claimed the Golden Boot with 27 goals, while Bruno Fernandes topped the assist charts with 21 and David Raya secured the Golden Glove with 19 clean sheets.
Haaland finished as the division’s top scorer for the third time in four seasons. His 27 goals helped Man City remain central to the title race. Haaland now has three Premier League Golden Boots to his name, the same amount as division legends Alan Shearer and Harry Kane. Only Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah have won more Golden Boot awards than the Norwegian striker.
Brentford’s Igor Thiago took second place in the scoring charts with 22 goals. Antoine Semenyo finished on 17 goals after a split season that saw him score 10 for Bournemouth before joining Man City in January and adding seven more. Ollie Watkins ended the campaign with 16 goals, the highest total among English players, while João Pedro and Morgan Gibbs-White each recorded 15.
Bruno Fernandes set a new benchmark for creativity, collecting 21 assists to win the Playmaker Award and break the single-season assist record previously held since 2002–03. Fernandes’s performances also saw him named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season. Rayan Cherki provided 12 assists and Jarrod Bowen 11; Haaland contributed eight assists. Dominik Szoboszlai, James Garner, Mohamed Salah and Harry Wilson all finished on seven assists.
In goal, David Raya produced a standout campaign with 19 clean sheets in 37 appearances, claiming the Golden Glove for a third consecutive season. Gianluigi Donnarumma had 15 clean sheets, while Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson and Đorđe Petrović shared third place on 11.
These awards underline the individual performances that shaped a memorable season, with Arsenal crowned champions and the league’s leading scorers, creators and goalkeepers recognised for their contributions.
Arsenal
How the Premier League Final Day Determined European Places
Final day confirmed five Champions League places and Europa League spots for Bournemouth and Sunderland
The final day of the Premier League delivered decisive outcomes for European qualification after a season of shifting permutations. Arsenal were crowned champions on Tuesday evening after Manchester City failed to win at Bournemouth, and the Gunners also head into next weekend’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain with the possibility of entering next season’s competition as holders.
Aston Villa, Europa League winners, beat Manchester City 2–1 and secured fourth place. That result, combined with earlier developments, left the top five comprised of Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd, Aston Villa and Liverpool as the Premier League’s Champions League representatives for next season.
Liverpool’s route to Europe hinged on midweek events. Erling Haaland’s equaliser at the Vitality Stadium meant Liverpool needed a point at home to Brentford. Curtis Jones opened the scoring before Kevin Schade cancelled it out, and the draw was enough for Liverpool to finish fifth and take the extra Champions League berth awarded after a strong English showing in continental competitions.
Manchester United had already confirmed their place among Europe’s elite by beating Liverpool 3–2 earlier in the month. United went into the final day locked in third and ended the season with a 3–0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion; Bruno Fernandes broke the single-season assist record.
Bournemouth will compete in the Europa League after holding Nottingham Forest to a 1–1 draw and completing an 18-game unbeaten run. Sunderland produced the biggest surprise, rising from 10th on the morning of the final day to secure Europa League qualification with a 2–1 win over Chelsea.
Régis Le Bris has done a remarkable job, and surely the rumors of a potential successor being lined up will be squashed after what his team achieved on the final day.
Crystal Palace can still reach the Europa League by winning the Conference League final. There have been nine English finalists in UEFA’s three club competitions since 2021, with Palace aiming to become the second Premier League outfit to win the Conference League.
Brighton were beaten 3–0 by Manchester United but finished eighth after other results, while their European experience under Roberto De Zerbi in 2023 remains part of the club’s recent continental history.
