Bruno Fernandes just broke a record that's stood for over two decades. His 21 assists in 2025-26 surpassed Thierry Henry's 2002-03 benchmark — a number that Kevin De Bruyne matched in 2019-20 but couldn't crack. Fernandes did. And it wasn't just the record that earned him the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season — it was the manner of his performances all campaign long.
The United captain was, by some distance, the most complete midfielder in the division this season. If you were pricing up the Player of the Season market before a ball was kicked, Fernandes probably wasn't your first name. By March, he was the only name.
Haaland ties the legends, Thiago emerges
Erling Haaland won the Golden Boot for the third time in four Premier League seasons. Twenty-seven goals. Three boots. He now sits level with Alan Shearer and Harry Kane — two of the greatest strikers this league has ever seen — and only Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah have won it more often. That is a sentence worth sitting with.
Man City were in the title race in large part because of him, even if Arsenal ultimately lifted the trophy. His eight assists this season were a deliberate attempt to broaden the perception of his game — and fair play, it worked to a degree, though nobody is watching Haaland to count the build-up play.
The more interesting story in the scoring charts was Igor Thiago. Brentford lost Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa and still finished with a striker who bagged 22 goals — second in the entire division. The Brazilian almost dragged the Bees into Europe and has booked himself a place in Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad in the process. He's going to be one of the most pursued strikers in the summer window, and Brentford's price for him will reflect that.
Antoine Semenyo's season split neatly in two: 10 goals for Bournemouth in the first half, seven more after joining City in January, 17 in total. At 26, he's arrived. Ollie Watkins was inconsistent for long stretches but finished with 16 goals — the most by any English player — including a brace on the final day that boosted his standing in the charts considerably.
Raya's third straight Golden Glove seals Arsenal's title story
David Raya kept 19 clean sheets in 37 appearances. That's not just a Golden Glove performance — that's a title-winning performance. Arsenal's first league championship in 22 years was built on defensive solidity, and Raya was the foundation of it. Three consecutive Golden Gloves now puts him in the conversation with Joe Hart and Petr Čech, who are the only keepers with more.
Behind him, Gianluigi Donnarumma had a mixed debut season at City — some blunders, but 15 clean sheets overall. Replacing six-time champion Ederson was never going to be seamless. He survived it. Whether he thrives next season is the real question for City's title chances.
- Golden Boot: Erling Haaland (Man City) — 27 goals
- 2nd: Igor Thiago (Brentford) — 22 goals
- 3rd: Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth/Man City) — 17 goals
- 4th: Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) — 16 goals
- 5th: João Pedro (Chelsea) & Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) — 15 goals each
- Playmaker Award (assists): Bruno Fernandes (Man United) — 21 assists (new all-time record)
- Golden Glove: David Raya (Arsenal) — 19 clean sheets
João Pedro's 15 goals couldn't save Chelsea from a dismal season, and Morgan Gibbs-White's 15 were just enough to keep Nottingham Forest up — yet Thomas Tuchel left him out of England's World Cup squad regardless. Jarrod Bowen contributed 11 assists and still couldn't keep West Ham in the top flight. Their relegation, their first since 2010-11, is the starkest reminder that individual numbers only tell part of the story.
