Bruno Fernandes has officially been crowned Premier League Player of the Season after a standout campaign that delivered both goals and creativity at elite level.
The Premier League award recognises his incredible output:
- 8 goals
- 20 assists
A midfield season built on control, vision, and end product, the kind of numbers that tilt award races.
But as the celebrations roll in, one big talking point is unavoidable: the case of Declan Rice.
Rice’s “What More Do You Want?” Season
Rice also delivered a top tier campaign, anchoring midfield, driving transitions, and adding leadership to his side’s structure. In many games, he looked like the complete modern midfielder: ball winning, progressive, and consistent.
Yet when it came to the final vote, it still was not enough.
And that is where the debate kicks in.
Creativity vs Control: The Award Split
Fernandes’ win highlights a familiar Premier League truth:
midfield awards often lean heavily toward final output.
While Rice offered:
- Defensive dominance
- Tactical balance
- Ball progression
- Game control
Fernandes offered:
- Direct goal involvement
- Assists in high volume
- Chance creation in every match
- Match winning moments
In short: Rice controlled games, but Fernandes decided them.
The Cheeky Reality
For Rice, it is one of those seasons where he can probably look at the award and think:
“Did I need 15 goals and a violin performance too?”
Because in modern football awards, midfield excellence is increasingly judged by numbers that show up on highlight reels, not just structure and stability.
Final Word
Fernandes takes the crown, deservedly on output alone. But the debate will not go away anytime soon.
Rice remains the “nearly perfect” midfielder, the one who does everything right, except the award system does not always reward everything equally.
And that is football.
