Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland & GOAL's Premier League Team of the Season for 2025-26

Where would Arsenal have finished without David Raya?! The Premier League's best goalkeeper is a huge part of the reason why the Gunners are champions again for the first time in 22 years, producing a string of what have proved to be title-winning saves throughout the campaign.

The standouts include his fingertip stop in the 1-0 win over Manchester United back in August, a flying save in another narrow victory over Brighton in December, two more as the Gunners edged Chelsea in March, and, of course, the miraculous piece of 'keeping to deny Mateus Fernandes in the seismic triumph over West Ham during the run-in.

Raya has clinched his third-successive Golden Glove after claiming a ridiculous 19 clean sheets from 38 games, maintaining a save percentage of 70. That means he now ranks in the all-time top 10 for most shutouts in a Premier League season, putting him in very esteemed goalkeeping company.

It might not have been a vintage year for right-backs, but Raya's Arsenal team-mate Jurrien Timber has entered the 'best in the world in his position' conversation after helping his side to the league title with his performances on that side of the Gunners' backline.

We've known for some time that the Dutchman is a formidable defender, but he was able to add another dimension to his game with some vital attacking contributions in 2025-26. After injuries curtailed his campaign, he finished with eight goal involvements in 30 appearances in the Premier League, reflecting his importance at both ends of the pitch.

That return included a brace and assist against Leeds early in the season, as well as assists in both north London derbies and the winning goal against Chelsea in March. He's been a big-game player for Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal's dominance of our Team of the Season continues at centre-back, where William Saliba takes his place on the right side. A Rolls-Royce of a defender, he is the heir apparent to Virgil van Dijk with his coolness under pressure, smooth movements and classy approach to defending.

The Frenchman was exceptional throughout the league season, going calmly about his business as the perfect foil to his more aggressive centre-back partner, Gabriel Magalhaes, ranking in the 80th percentile for aerial duels won and even higher for touches, reflecting just how comfortable he is on the ball.

Like Timber, he popped up with a big moment in a big game, too, with his only strike of the entire season coming in that victory over London rivals Chelsea in March.

Of course, we can't have Saliba without Gabriel. The Brazilian was an absolute monster in the Arsenal backline, making huge contributions at both ends of the pitch to help propel Arteta's side to the title. In the eyes of many, he was deserving of the overall Premier League Player of the Year award, albeit others in this XI would have something to say about that.

Peerless defensively and a lethal weapon from those all-important set-pieces at the other end, Gabriel collected seven goal contributions from centre-back - better than many of the league's attackers - including vital strikes against Newcastle and Aston Villa.

Although he missed a chunk of the campaign through injury, in the 26 games he started alongside Saliba he helped to deliver a ridiculous 15 clean sheets - which works out at one every 1.7 games, per Opta. He is a fundamental part of the best defence in the country.

What a season it's been for Nico O'Reilly, who will head to this summer's World Cup as England's starting left-back - which is especially remarkable because he is a midfielder by trade. You can credit his seamless transition to the role to the genius that is Pep Guardiola.

Arguably the breakout star of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, the 21-year-old emerged as the archetype of the modern, inverted full-back under the revered Catalan tactician, becoming a key figure for Man City in both defence and attack.

The academy graduate racked up a combined eight goals and assists, with his performances characterised by marauding runs up the pitch to launch countless attacks, and the timing of his bursts into the box was often impeccable. All of that has rightly earned him the Young Player of the Season award.

Taking his place courtesy of a 21-goal-and-assist season that has spanned two different clubs, Antoine Semenyo looked completely at home in a Man City shirt following his January transfer from Bournemouth, to the extent that you'd think he'd been playing for them for years rather than a matter of months.

It was City who pounced to land the forward in the winter window after it became increasingly clear that he would be heading for pastures new, seeing off competition from Liverpool and Manchester United to sign him for £62.5 million ($87.5m) - which looks like very good value for money in modern terms.

Having already netted 10 times in the first half of the season for the Cherries, he immediately set about repaying City's investment with a flying start in sky blue, bagging five times in his first eight Premier League appearances for his new club. It's already difficult to imagine the Cityzens' right flank without him.

One of the key figures of Arsenal's title-winning campaign without necessarily impacting the scoreboard or being a creator-in-chief, Declan Rice played a huge role in powering the Gunners to a first Premier League triumph in 22 long years from the middle of the park.

The England international truly put the 'engine' in 'engine room' as he never stopped running all season long, making up for what he may lack in technical ability with his boundless energy as he proved once again that he is such a force as a box-to-box presence, rather than a defensive-minded figure at the base of midfield.

That said, Rice continued to demonstrate his fine reading of the game and timing in the challenge, making countless crucial interventions over the course of the season to snuff out opposition attacks, including various last-ditch, goal-saving tackles.

Of course, there had to be a place in our XI for Bruno Fernandes after he saw off competition from the likes of Gabriel and Rice to claim the Premier League's Player of the Season award. He might be a divisive figure, but there's no denying the Portuguese dynamo delivered a stellar individual campaign for Manchester United.

The highlight, of course, is the fact he beat the record shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne for the most assists in an English top-flight season (21) to cement his status as a Premier League great, as Fernandes delivered time and time again in the No.10 role to help propel the Red Devils back into the Champions League.

Like many of his team-mates, Fernandes hit a rich vein of form after Michael Carrick took over as interim head coach in January, racking up a ridiculous 14 assists in 18 league matches since the turn of the year, remarkably setting the new assist record in the victory over Brighton on the final day.

Arguably the signing of the Premier League season , Rayan Cherki has been well worth what was perceived to be a £34m ($46m) risk last summer amid questions over the former Lyon star's attitude and application.

He has made a mockery of those doubts in his debut campaign in England as an effective entertainer in Guardiola's side. Cherki is second only to Fernandes in terms of assists (12), while proving to be one of the best and most unpredictable players to watch in the entire division with his dazzling footwork, trickery and vision.

Granted, the No.10 needs to add more goals to his game, but players like Cherki are a rare breed and a big part of the reason why people pay good money to go to watch football matches. He feels like a potential long-term Premier League superstar at the age of 22.

It's hardly been a vintage Erling Haaland season, and yet the Man City hitman strolls into our Team of the Season having once again finished as the Premier League's top goal-scorer, and by some margin, as he reclaimed the Golden Boot from Mohamed Salah.

The Norwegian continued his unnerving habit of ghosting through matches before popping up out of nowhere to find the back of the net, racking up 27 league strikes in a campaign that began and ended in prolific fashion. He added more assists to his game, too, chipping in with a handy eight as he demonstrated an improvement in his play in and around the box.

Haaland's numbers could have been even more outrageous if not for a couple of uncharacteristic barren spells, which goes to show just how much we take his goals for granted after four seasons in the English top-flight.

It's been a life-changing season for Igor Thiago, who, remarkably, will travel to the World Cup as part of Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil squad off the back of a campaign that saw him push Haaland hard in the race for the Golden Boot.

The Brentford frontman finished with 22 Premier League goals to his name as he made up for lost time after missing the vast majority of the previous campaign with a serious knee injury, having been signed as Ivan Toney's replacement.

Thiago has demonstrated a real coolness in front of goal and proved to be a deadeye from the penalty spot as he powered the Bees' unlikely European charge in a season where they were widely expected to go down, with the highlight a hat-trick in the 4-2 victory over Everton in January. Brentford will do well to keep hold of him this summer.

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