With just five games left to play in the Premier League season, it's all up for grabs. At the top of the table, all eyes are on Arsenal and Manchester City, who sit level on the same number of points.
The race for the Champions League spots is also eye-catching, with Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Brighton, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Brentford, and Everton all in with a shot of earning a top-five finish. Wolves and Burnley are both relegated, but any one of Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Nottingham Forest could yet join them.
Evidently, it's been a fascinating campaign, but truthfully, there hasn't been one standout player to dominate the competition. Last term, Mohamed Salah was undoubtedly the man who led his team to glory. As such, he was named the Premier League Player of the Year.
This time around, it's much harder to call a winner. This was evidenced as Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Jill Scott all disagreed when picking their POTY candidates on The Overlap this week.
Gary Neville's POTY Pick
Former player and TV pundit Gary Neville at Old Trafford
Gary Neville backed the best player for his former club Manchester United, naming Bruno Fernandes as his personal choice for the prize. The midfielder certainly hasn't been brilliant, and has 18 Premier League assists to his name. The record in a season is 20, so he has five games to add three more to his tally.
Before noting how the Manchester United captain has consistently “raised the level” of those around him with his leadership and grit, Neville said of Fernandes:
“I’m going with Bruno Fernandes. I don’t put Declan Rice above both Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva.”
Roy Keane's POTY Pick
Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Fellow Man Utd legend Roy Keane overlooked anyone from Old Trafford and instead picked a name from rivals Manchester City. Having already won the League Cup, Pep Guardiola's men could yet seal a treble if they win the FA Cup and the Premier League.
At the heart of the team is Bernardo Silva. The veteran midfielder brings a blend of brains, work rate, and bite to the side and is vital to getting results across the line. Explaining the condition of his choice, Keane said:
“If Manchester City win all three domestic trophies: Bernardo Silva.”
Declan Rice Related
15 Favourites to Win PFA Premier League Player of the Year Award: Declan Rice 2nd
Only one player has better odds of winning the Premier League's most prestigious individual honour than Arsenal's talismanic midfielder.
Ian Wright's POTY Pick
IAN WRIGHT
Like Keane, Ian Wright claimed that his pick relies entirely on how the final weeks of the season play out. With that in mind, the Arsenal icon backed Mikel Arteta's key midfielder Declan Rice.
The Englishman has been pivotal to the Gunners so far, and will need to be at his best if they can end the campaign with any silverware. Wright had a bold Ballon d'Or shout in his pick as well, noting:
“If Arsenal win the Premier League, Declan Rice has to win Premier League POTY. And if Arsenal win the Champions League. Rice should also win the Ballon d'Or.”
Jill Scott's POTY Pick
Jill Scott
Finally, Jill Scott went a little outside with her thinking as she named Jarrod Bowen. The West Ham United captain has been vital for his side over the past few seasons and will no doubt be key for the Hammers if they can avoid relegation.
He certainly hasn't got the same headlines as the other names on this list, but that's always more difficult when playing for a team at the bottom end of the table. Explaining her call, Scott said :
"I would put Jarrod Bowen there. We need to give credit to players who keep their club in the league. He is so consistent as well."
She added, "If they stay up, it's because he's driven the team [forward]."