Arsenal dominate 2026 PFA Premier League Team of the Year
Arsenal’s defensive strength during last season’s title success has been recognised by the PFA, with five players named in the 2026 PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Goalkeeper David Raya, defenders William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber, and midfielder Declan Rice all got the nod from their fellow professionals and are at this evening’s gala ceremony in Manchester to collect their awards.
Manchester City also feature heavily, with Rayan Cherki, Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo and Nico O’Reilly selected. O’Reilly was also named Young Player of the Year, having been shortlisted alongside Arsenal’s 16-year-old Max Dowman. Brentford’s Igor Thiago and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes complete the XI.
Fernandes, who had already collected individual honours from the FWA and Premier League, completed a clean sweep by being named PFA Player of the Year. Shame on you, football.
With the exception of Timber, all of Arsenal’s representatives have been selected before. Raya, who has won three consecutive Golden Glove awards, previously made the Team of the Year in 2023/24.
Rice and Big Gabi have now been included for three seasons running, while Saliba has made it four in a row dating back to 2022/23. Hopefully his fitness issues don’t prevent him making it five.
The record for consecutive appearances stands at six, shared by Patrick Vieira (1998/99 to 2003/04), Thierry Henry (2000/01 to 2005/06) and Steven Gerrard (2003/04 to 2008/09). The former Liverpool captain holds the outright record for total selections, with eight over the course of his career.
Speaking to Hayters on the red carpet, Declan Rice reflected on why Arsenal, after three successive second-place finishes, finally managed to get over the line in the Premier League last season.
“I think the mentality, the difference in the group, turning into men more, in terms of having more honest conversations with each other when things weren’t going right, demanding more from each other, and realising that we’ve been so close, and that to win the Premier League is a massive thing, and that we had to get over the line. In the end we did it, and now we’re champions.
Attention has quickly turned to what comes next. Arsenal haven’t won back-to-back league titles in the modern era, but Rice is relishing the challenge of trying to change that.
“The exact same as what we did last year. Play with the same intensity, same desire.
“This year is all about mentality for me. You want to go back-to-back, you want to become a great team, not just win it once. You want to go and do it again with all the pressure on. Bring it on.”
Mikel Arteta has been similarly keen to ensure there is no let-up following last season’s success. Asked what message the manager has given the squad, Rice said:
“If we want to become champions again, we’re going to have to do what we did last year and more. Teams don’t want us to win.
“Teams don’t want us to be where we are. And we know we’ve got to take that pressure on now and try and beat everyone that we can.”
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