Man City and Arsenal representatives dominated the PFA Awards. This year’s PFA Player of the Year was held at the Manchester Opera House, Tuesday (20/8/2024) evening local time.
Man City winger Phil Foden won the main title as the best player. The 24-year-old English winger played a crucial role in The Citizens’ success in winning their fourth consecutive Premier League title. He also tasted the European Super Cup and Club World Cup trophies.
Specifically in the 2023-2024 Premier League, Foden exploded with a record of 19 goals and 8 assists in 35 matches. The number of goals is his best record in a season. Foden colored it with two hat-tricks, each against Brentford and Aston Villa.
For Foden, the trophy completes the two PFA Young Player of the Year titles he has won in 2021 and 2022. He won the most votes in the annual award from the Professional Footballers’ Association which oversees England and Wales. The choice was made based on voting by PFA members who are fellow footballers, based on the candidate’s performance throughout the 2023-2024 season.
“Winning this award is something very special and it is a title I am very proud and grateful for,” he said on the BBC website. “To be recognized in this way by fellow professional players means everything to me and I thank everyone who voted. Last season was another very special season for everyone at the club, but now all our focus is concentrated on trying to be even more successful this season,” added Foden.
Foden beat a number of other candidates, namely his teammate and incumbent, Erling Haaland, as well as Rodri, Cole Palmer, Martin Odegaard, and Ollie Watkins. The title of Young Player of the Year 2024 went to Cole Palmer. In his first season after being recruited by Chelsea from Man City, the 22-year-old immediately went crazy. Palmer scored 22 goals in the Premier League, making him the most prolific local player last season.
Moving on to the PFA Team of the Year award, the colors of Man City and Arsenal as the top two teams in the standings last season were very dominant. Of the eleven players included in the selected squad, The Citizens sent 4 names, while The Gunners had the most with 5 representatives.
The other two quotas were given to one Liverpool and Aston Villa crew. Yes, there was no room for a representative from Manchester United, the FA Cup champion last season. But this condition only occurs in the men’s sector.
For the women’s award, the Red Devils sent the only representative. She was Grace Clinton as the Best Young Female Player, while the main trophy for the Best Female Player was again won by Man City crew, Khadija Shaw. The Red Devils have indeed not had a main winner in the award which has been held since 1974.
The last Man United player to win the PFA Player of the Year trophy was Wayne Rooney in 2009-2010. In fact, The Red Devils are currently the club that has sent the most champions with a total of 11 winners.
List of Winners of the 2024 PFA Awards
Best Player: Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Best Young Player: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Best Team:
Goalkeeper – David Raya (Arsenal)
Defender – William Saliba (Arsenal) Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) Gabriel (Arsenal) Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielder – Rodri (Manchester City) Declan Rice (Arsenal) Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) Forward – Erling Haaland (Manchester City) Phil Foden (Manchester City) Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
