Trio Of Manchester City Players Lead PFA Player of the Year List

Manchester City's Erling Braut Haaland (center right) in action with Liverpool's Wataru Endo during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool FC at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on Nov. 25, 2023. (Carl Recine/Reuters)

Manchester City is the favorite to win this year’s English Premier League title. It’s led by three players who were named to the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Men’s Players’ Player of the Year preseason list.

Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Rodri are among the players who received one of international soccer’s premier awards.

The list also included Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), and Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).

Haaland joined Manchester City in the summer of 2022 and helped the club win the Premier League title in his debut season. He also set the record for most goals scored in a single Premier League season with 36 and was named Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year, becoming the first player to win both awards in the same year.

Last season, Holland, who also plays for the Norway National Team, scored 36 goals and six assists in 41 games across all competitions and is poised for another huge performance. He is the fastest player to score 50 Premier League goals (48 games), beating Andy Cole by 17 games. His size—6-foot-3, 192 pounds—makes him an formidable matchup for defenders.

Foden joined Manchester City at the Under-9 level and is now one of the most gifted players in the English Premier League. He earned his 200th senior Manchester City appearance with a goal and assist against Bournemouth in February 2023.

He also became the youngest player to reach 50 Premier League goal involvements for Manchester City in a 2–0 victory over Newcastle United in March 2023. Last season, Foden finished with 19 goals and eight assists over 35 appearances in the EPL. In May, Foden helped City secure their third consecutive Premier League title and the seventh FA Cup in the club’s history the following month.

Rodri is one of the most talented defensive midfielders in the world. He also played a key role for the Spanish National Team, which won the Euro 2024, where he was awarded the best player in the tournament. In his four seasons at Manchester City, he has won four Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Rodri can also attack, and he scored the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final.

Odegaard will have Arsenal in the hunt to dethrone Manchester City as the English Premier League champions. Last season, he scored eight goals and ten assists in the EPL. Odegaard was one of two players in the league who created more than his 102 chances and no player won possession in the final third more often than his 41.

He was named Arsenal’s Player of the Season for the second consecutive year in 2022-2023, also his first serving as captain. Odegaard has been a full international player since August 2014, when he became Norway’s youngest-ever player—15 years and 253 days. He has been the captain of his country since March 2021.

Chelsea will also battle for one of the top finishes in the EPL behind Palmer, who helps control the midfield. He made his Chelsea debut on Sept. 2, 2023, coming on as a substitute at home to Nottingham Forest, one day after he signed with the club. His first start came in his fourth appearance—a Carabao Cup win over Brighton in which he provided the assist for the game’s only goal. He scored his first Chelsea goal two games later on a penalty kick in a 4–1 win at Burnley in October.

In March and April, Palmer scored 11 goals in just six games, including a hat-trick against Manchester United. He also had three first-half goals against Everton. Palmer was also named Premier League Player of the Season for April, the first Chelsea recipient since Eden Hazard in 2018 and the second youngest after Arjen Robben.

Watkins played a key role in leading Aston Villa into the Champions League competition with 19 goals. He also had a league-leading 13 assists—two more than any other player. In May, Watkins was voted Supporters’ and Players’ Player of the Season. He also won the Premier League Playmaker of the Season award for the most assists of the season, with 13. Watkins was also named in the Premier League Fan Team of the Season.

Watkins also played for England in this summer’s Euro 2024. He came off the bench and scored the winning goal in the 90th minute in the semifinals against the Netherlands, sending England into the final.