A general view ahead of the 2026 PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House on August 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sincla...
A general view ahead of the 2026 PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House on August 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images)
Arsenal were big winners at the PFA Awards on Tuesday night, with five men and three women in the Teams of the Year, and Olivia Smith winning the Women’s Young Player of the Year award.
Alessia Russo, Declan Rice, Mariona Caldentey, William Saliba, Emily Fox, David Raya, Olivia Smith, Gabriel Magalhães and Jurriën Timber of Arsenal Pose with the PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Premier League and WSL Team of the Year Awards during the 2026 PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House on August 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images)
Alessia Russo, Declan Rice, Mariona Caldentey, William Saliba, Emily Fox, David Raya, Olivia Smith, Gabriel Magalhães and Jurriën Timber of Arsenal Pose with the PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Premier League and WSL Team of the Year Awards during the 2026 PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House on August 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images)
The PFA Awards on Tuesday night gave clear recognition to Arsenal’s performances in 2025/26, with five men’s players in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, three members of the women’s team in the PFA WSL Team of the Year, and an individual award for Olivia Smith.
Starting with the Premier League Team of the Year, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya joined defenders Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, and Jurrien Timber in the side. With midfielder Declan Rice also named, Arsenal players filled five of the 11 slots in the side.
They were joined by Manchester City quartet Nico O’Reilly, Rayan Cherki, Erling Haaland, and Antoine Semenyo, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, and Brentford’s Igor Thiago.
David Raya, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Jurriën Timber of Arsenal pose with the PFA Premier League Team of the Year award during the 2026 PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House on August 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images)
David Raya, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Jurriën Timber of Arsenal pose with the PFA Premier League Team of the Year award during the 2026 PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House on August 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images)
In the WSL team, Arsenal defender Emily Fox was joined by midfielder Mariona Caldentey, and forward Alessia Russo.
Arsenal’s three entrants matched Chelsea (Hannah Hampton, Ellie Carpenter, and Lauren James) and Manchester City (Kerstin Casparij, Yui Hasegawa, and Bunny Shaw). The final spot was taken by Tottenham Hotspur’s Toko Koga.
As a result, across the men and the women, no club had more entrants in the 2026 Teams of the Year than Arsenal.
Alessia Russo, Olivia Smith, Emily Fox and Mariona Caldentey of Arsenal Women pose with the PFA Young Player of the Year and PFA WSL Team of the Year during the 2026 PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House on August 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images)
Alessia Russo, Olivia Smith, Emily Fox and Mariona Caldentey of Arsenal Women pose with the PFA Young Player of the Year and PFA WSL Team of the Year during the 2026 PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House on August 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images)
As well as the three players in the WSL Team of the Year, the Arsenal Women also saw Olivia Smith awarded the Women’s PFA Young Player of the Year award, voted on by her fellow professionals.
Smith has now become the first Arsenal player to win the award since Leah Williamson in 2015, but it’s not the first time Smith has won it herself.
The 22-year-old was also named the PFA Young Player of the Year with Liverpool in 2025. The Canadian is the only non-English player ever to win the award.
Olivia Smith of Arsenal Women wins the Women's Young Player of the Year award during the 2026 PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House on August 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Olivia Smith of Arsenal Women wins the Women's Young Player of the Year award during the 2026 PFA Awards at the Manchester Opera House on August 25, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)