Fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts after the Premier League revealed its shortlist for the Player of the Season award.
With the season nearing its conclusion, attention is turning to individual accolades. On Thursday morning, the Premier League unveiled eight nominees for the prestigious Player of the Season title.
Unsurprisingly, newly-crowned champions Liverpool dominated the shortlist, with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Ryan Gravenberch all receiving nods.
They are joined by Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, Arsenal’s Declan Rice, and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood.
Salah is widely seen as the frontrunner, having racked up 28 goals and 18 assists in the league this season.
However, many fans voiced their disappointment online over the exclusion of Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes.
Social media reactions included:
“Where’s Bruno Fernandes?”
“Where’s Bruno Fernandes? The best midfielder.”
“No Bruno Fernandes, shameful.”
“Bruno deserved a shot too. Without him United would have been relegated now.”
“Bruno is better than 7 of them.”
“What criteria is used for the selection? We are missing the mighty Bruno—why?”
Despite Manchester United’s underwhelming season, Fernandes has been a pivotal figure for both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. In the league, he has contributed eight goals and 10 assists over 34 games. Across all competitions, he boasts 19 goals and 19 assists from 54 appearances.
He’ll be hoping to inspire United to silverware next week when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain.
Meanwhile, the Premier League also revealed the nominees for Manager of the Season. The contenders are Arne Slot (Liverpool), Thomas Frank (Brentford), Eddie Howe (Newcastle), Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest), and Vitor Pereira (Wolves).