By Dorcas Francis Koji
Arsenal and Manchester City have dominated the 2025/26 Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Premier League Team of the Year, claiming nine of the 11 places in the player-voted XI.
The team was unveiled at the 53rd annual PFA Awards ceremony at the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, highlighting the outstanding campaigns produced by players from both clubs.
Arsenal’s strong defensive performances were particularly recognised, with goalkeeper David Raya, centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, and full-back Jurriën Timber all named in the team.
The Gunners’ influence extended into midfield, where Declan Rice was rewarded for his commanding performances during Arsenal’s title-winning Premier League campaign.
Manchester City, meanwhile, supplied four players to the XI. Young midfielder Nico O’Reilly, who also won the PFA Young Player of the Year award, earned a place in the team after an impressive breakthrough season.
City’s attacking and creative quality was further represented by Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland, while Antoine Semenyo also secured a place in the forward line.
The only players to break Arsenal and City’s dominance were Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Brentford striker Igor Thiago.
Fernandes’ selection capped a remarkable individual campaign in which he played a key role in Manchester United’s third-place Premier League finish and their return to the UEFA Champions League.
The Portuguese midfielder was also named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, after being voted the league’s outstanding player by his fellow professionals.
Thiago’s inclusion recognised his prolific goalscoring campaign for Brentford and his emergence as one of the Premier League’s most effective forwards.
The PFA Team of the Year is selected through votes from professional footballers, making the recognition particularly significant as the players themselves determine which performers stood out during the season.
The final XI underlines Arsenal and Manchester City’s influence on the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, with both clubs providing the overwhelming majority of the players considered by their peers to have been among the competition’s best.
Leave a comment