Who will be the 2023-24 Premier League Player of the Season? Candidates, power rankings, all-time winners
Some years there is very little to debate when it comes to the identity of the Premier League Player of the Season. Take Erling Haaland's record-shattering season for Man City last year or Virgil van Dijk's role in Liverpool's 2018-19 campaign.
But this is an award that is more than a simple choice of picking the best player on the title-winning squad, though in recent year it's usually swung that way. Gareth Bale (Spurs) and Kevin Phillips (Sunderland) have won the honor while Juninho Paulista was named the 1996-97 winner despite his Middlesbrough being relegated.
[ MORE: 10 things we learned from Week 27 of the Premier League season ]
That won't happen this year regardless of how you feel about Ross Barkley, Morgan Gibbs-White, Vini Souza, Josh Brownhill or whoever is the MVP of an PLRC (Premier League relegated club). And long-term absences for Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, and Heung-min Son give voters another variable despite the big numbers attached to the top offensive performers.
Pep Guardiola made the case for Phil Foden on Sunday while several corners are pointing to Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. Both are certainly in the discussion.
So let's take a look at who might claim the honors from a wild season in the Premier League that still has about 1/3 of the way to play.
Premier League Player of the Season candidates — Exceptional seasons with asterisks
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
Erling Haaland, Manchester City
Heung-min Son, Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison, Tottenham Hotspur
Haaland missed more than a month through injury and still leads the Golden Boot chase. Mohamed Salah is set to miss at least the same amount time after his injury's been added to his AFCON absence. Heung-min Son hasn't been hurt but missed a load of time for the Asian Cup, while James Maddison has been sensational but also missed a long time with injury. Salah, Haaland, and Son only trail Ollie Watkins in goal contributions and Watkins has played a bunch more minutes. What Son's done at Spurs has been helped by Maddison, no doubt, but the South Korea has filled a monumental void in style.
Premier League Player of the Season candidates — Top performer on possible title team
Rodri, Manchester City — Pep Guardiola's watched his center forward win one of these, his playmaking midfielder win two, and his best center back claim another. Is this season the right time for his best overall contributor of every season. Rodri is asked to do everything and does it well. This season he's already chipped in his most goal contributions in a City shirt (12 — 6g, 6a through 24 appearances). He's averaging the league's most accurate passes per 90 minutes, and accurate long balls per 90.
Declan Rice, Arsenal — Is he the favorite? Rice has been everything Arsenal needed in a center mid and carries the rare distinction of being a clear and big upgrade at a position that was already functional at Arsenal. The leadership on display plus the chance for voters to elect an Englishman for the first time since Jamie Vardy in 2015-16 may be this X-factor's X-factor.
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal — Twenty goal contributions despite being targeted by midfielders and defenders anxious to put him off his game. Saka has only gotten better in recent seasons.
Salah and Haaland — Of the four aforementioned players to have missed a chunk of time, these two have the star status and the goal numbers to overcome their time away from their team.
Premier League Player of the Season candidates — Dark horses
Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa — Currently second in goals (16), tied for first in assists (10), and two clear of the pack in goal contributions (26), Watkins has been sensational for Villa. The Villans have only lost once when he fails to score a goal.
Phil Foden, Manchester City — Already at 11 goals, he may hit double digits in assists with seven already.
Martin Odegaard, Arsenal — Only a dark horse because Saka and Rice will get so many Arsenal plaudits and William Saliba may even slide in front of Odegaard. But Odegaard's the closest thing to Kevin De Bruyne in the Premier League — a sensation shot creator for himself and teammates who progresses the ball with otherworldly vision.
William Saliba, Arsenal — If we mention Saliba in the Odegaard point, doesn't that mean he's a dark horse himself?
Son — Yes, he missed time for the cup, but what's he done for Spurs as a new captain in a new system after the club's all-time top player left town for Bavaria is almost impossible.
Premier League Player of the Season candidates — No chance, but deserve a mention
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool — The injury absence could cost the magnificent wide man.
Leon Bailey, Aston Villa — The PL's best xA/90 performer has a legit chance to finish the season with double-digit goals and assists (currently 8+8) but won't be heralded as much as teammates Watkins and Douglas Luiz.
Pascal Gross, Brighton — Only Bruno Fernandes has been credited with more created chances for one of the PL's tri-leaders in assists, but the Seagulls' drop in form will keep him under the radar.
Darwin Nunez, Liverpool — You might laugh, but Nunez has 10 goals and 7 assists in just 1,496 minutes, starting just 16 of his 25 appearances this PL season.
Premier League Player of the Season candidate power rankings — Updated: March 4
1. Rodri, Manchester City
2. Declan Rice, Arsenal
3. Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa
4. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
5. Heung-min Son. Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League Player of the Season winners by year
2022-23: Erling Haaland, Manchester City
2021-22: Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City
2020-21: Ruben Dias, Manchester City
2019-20: Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City
2018-19: Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool
2017-18: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
2016-17: N'Golo Kante, Chelsea
2015-16: Jamie Vardy, Leicester City
2014-15: Eden Hazard, Chelsea
2013-14: Luis Suarez, Liverpool
2012-13: Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur
2011-12: Vincent Kompany, Manchester City
2010-11:Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United
2009-10: Wayne Rooney, Manchester United
2008-09: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United
2007-08: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United
2006-07: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United
2005-06: Thierry Henry, Arsenal
2004-05: Frank Lampard, Chelsea
2003-04: Thierry Henry, Arsenal
2002:03: Ruud van Nistelrooy, Manchester United
2001-02: Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal
2000-01: Patrick Vieira, Arsenal
1999-2000: Kevin Phillips, Sunderland
1998-99: Dwight Yorke, Manchester United
1997-98: Michael Owen, Liverpool
1996-97: Juninho Paulista, Middlesbrough
1995-96: Peter Schmeichel, Manchester United
1994-95: Alan Shearer, Blackburn Rovers
