For the first time since 2007/08, Arsenal have had four players voted into the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, centre-back William Saliba, and attacking midfielders Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka made the lineup for the 2022/23 campaign after impressing as part of the Gunners’ title challenge.
Saka and Odegaard were both also nominated for the Player of the Year award (won by Erling Haaland) with the former also picking up the gong for Young Player of the Year.
Manchester City had five players included – Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne, John Stones, Rodri and Ruben Dias – while Kieran Trippier of Newcastle and Harry Kane filled the final two spots.
15 years ago, Arsenal were represented by Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor as another young side captured the imagination of their peers. The Gunners stormed to the top of the table in the first half of the 2007/08 campaign only to fade away after Christmas.
Our record tally of players in the PFA Team of the Year is six. In 2003/04, Invincibles – Lauren, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Thierry Henry – were included. Five of those players were also included the year before, only Ashley Cole missed out.
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It wasn’t just the men who were recognised at last night’s gala event. Tim has an update on recognition for two Arsenal Women players, here.
Love it. Also love Ødegaard’s big bowtie.
I think it’s because his is an actual tie and Willy and Sakas is a clip on? Our captain is pure class. Who the hell can do a bow tie!
Well if you take that as a measure of how well a team’s done it seems getting 5-6 players on that team gets you a title. Or a title gets you 5-6 players on the team, whichever way you’d like it. So with that in mind I’m seeing a vision of either this season or next year’s PFA team having Saliba, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Ramsdale and Rice on it… 🔮✨
The boys are going places – Arsenal is going places.
I believe that should be “Arsenal are going places”- subject verb relationship.
Nonsense!
As it relates to a singular proper noun, the “is” form of the verb to be is correct. Arsenal Football Club is a single entity.
Were you writing about the players, then the “are” would be correct, as the players are plural.
You were right the first time.
Generally, every collective noun is treated as a plural in the British usage and as singular in the American style. “His Majesty’s government are preparing for war,” but “the U.S. government is going to court.”
Since we’re an open and inclusive bunch I suggest we settle this by inserting the “why not both?” meme and conceding that both are correct (and both is correct) shall we?
No… there are sentences when only are is correct and sentences when only is is correct, fatgooner set out the right way about it.
For me, Fatgrammar is right.
Thanks! 😛 very clever wordplay!
Cruelly denied the Premiership Title by injuries to key players.
Let’s hope that we can go one better this season – but much will depend on injuries again and also suspensions due to the Mickey Mouse red and yellow cards being dished out by Howard Webb’s Fascists.
I get the obvious three, but I don’t think that even the most hardcore Ramsdale fan could say that he was the best goalkeeper in the Premier League last season. Not even top 3 according to literally any available stat.
Here’s a stat – he’s fucking excellent.
Yeah, except that this award comes from the players. They probably don’t look at stats too much, but talk to each other about who played well against them. So, I’m actually pretty impressed by the choice of Ramsdale.
I might agree with you if this were an objective website but none of us are here to objective, we’re gooners and we root for our own so you off go somewhere else with that fact-based mumbo jumbo…
On a more serious note he’s not the best at any one particular thing but he’s near the top at pretty much everything, so maybe cumulatively he actually is the best? This is a rhetorical question BTW, of course the answer is yes and if you disagree your opinion isn’t welcome here.
😃
You clearly didnt have Ederson in your fantasy team.
Ramsdale was excellent for most od the campaign. Probably the early goal in the Southampton game colouring your opinions somewhat.
Possibly an arguement it was Raya… We can still claim that right?
07/08 team “faded away after Christmas”?
Rather the young team stuttered and lost their nerve after witnessing Eduardo’s horrific leg break in February.