David Raya, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice have all been recognised after Arsenal’s title-winning season.
Arsenal’s remarkable title-winning campaign has not gone unnoticed by their Premier League rivals. Five of their players have been named in the 2025/26 PFA Team of the Year, a nod from those who know the challenge best.
David Raya, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice all make the cut in the player-voted XI. It comes after a season where Mikel Arteta’s side finally ended a 22-year wait to lift the Premier League trophy.
The selection is hardly a surprise, dominated by the players who formed the backbone of Arsenal’s success.
Arsenal conceded only 27 league goals all season, the best defensive record in the division for a third year running. Nineteen clean sheets helped them finish seven points clear of Manchester City.
Raya was behind every one of those 19 shutouts, ending the campaign with his third straight Premier League Golden Glove and a new personal best to his name.
Arsenal Defence Dominates PFA Team of the Year
Alongside Raya, three of the defenders who shielded him all season also make the team.
Saliba’s inclusion extends his impressive run, he’s now made the PFA XI for a fourth straight season, a testament to the respect he commands among his peers.
Gabriel, too, is recognised for the third year running after anchoring the league’s meanest defence once again.
For Timber, this is a first appearance in the PFA Team of the Year, a milestone in his Arsenal journey.
With Timber joining Raya, Saliba and Gabriel, four of Arsenal’s five representatives come from the defensive side of Arteta’s team.
It underlines just how crucial Arsenal’s defensive resilience was throughout the season.
During the run-in, they kept four clean sheets in a row. Raya eventually finished four clear of his nearest rival in the Golden Glove race.
Rice Recognised Again After Arsenal Title Win
Rice rounds out the Arsenal contingent after another commanding season in midfield.
It’s now three years in a row that he’s been voted into the Premier League Team of the Year since arriving in North London.
The 27-year-old was ever-present during Arsenal’s title charge, chipping in with four league goals, but his influence stretched far beyond the numbers.
His consistency was further recognised when the PFA named him on its six-player shortlist for Players’ Player of the Year earlier this summer, with Raya and Gabriel also making the cut.
Five Arsenal players also made the PFA Team of the Year after the 2023/24 season, when they finished runners-up to Manchester City. That tally dropped to three last year, with Saliba, Gabriel and Rice holding onto their spots.
This time, though, the recognition comes with the Premier League trophy in hand.
Arsenal’s title was built on contributions from across the squad, but the PFA vote shows just how much respect their defensive core and Rice commanded from those who had to try and break them down.