Premier League 2025-26 review: our writers’ best and worst of the season

Best player Goalkeepers never usually get a mention for this award but David Raya played an integral role in Arsenal finally getting over the line, winning the Premier League’s Golden Glove award for a third year in a row thanks to 19 clean sheets. Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes were the outstanding outfield players. Ed Aarons Admitting on social media that I’d voted for Fernandes in the football writers’ award caused all manner of weirdness. It would be fair to say the amount of good Arsenal players split my vote but Fernandes was a pleasure to watch once Michael Carrick freed him up. John Brewin With Arsenal finally getting over the line, Rice edges it. The midfielder spent the season fuelled entirely by pressure, becoming the heartbeat of Arsenal’s title charge when they built the early lead. His form dipped slightly in spring, but the past few weeks have been a reminder of just how dominant he can be and he has looked every inch the leader England will lean on at the World Cup. Yara El-Shaboury Antoine Semenyo . Phenomenal for Bournemouth and superb for Manchester City. Scored 21 goals across the season, including the only goal at Wembley to clinch the FA Cup. Now the 26-year-old has the World Cup with Ghana on the horizon. Raya and Elliot Anderson have both been magnificent, in contrasting circumstances. John McGinn is still criminally underrated, too. Ben Fisher Raya for me too, Clive. Barry Glendenning David Raya saves a header from West Ham’s Taty Castellanos. …