Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has named centre-back Gabriel as “Arsenal’s best player” this season.
Many have tipped the Brazilian’s teammate, Declan Rice, for the PFA Player of the Year, but speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football Podcast, Scholes said:
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“I would probably go with Gabriel. I think he has been Arsenal’s best player.”
“People say Declan Rice – Brilliant player, but I don’t think he has done enough to win the Player of the Year.”
The statisticians back up Scholes’ opinion
At the moment, WhoScored have both Gabriel and Declan Rice on the exact same rating – 7.26, which makes them the joint-highest performers in the Gunners squad this campaign, with Bukayo Saka (7.23) just behind them. Another potential candidate, David Raya (6.65) does not have a particularly high rating.
From a statistical point of view, then, Scholes makes a good case, and there is an argument as well that defenders are often overlooked for the individual awards.
Only three centre-backs – Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, Chelsea’s John Terry and Aston Villa’s Paul McGrath – have won the PFA Player of the Year during the Premier League era, with the other 30 being midfielders or forwards.
Arsenal players may lose out to a Man United star
After winning the Football Writers Association award last week, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is now odds-on to secure the PFA prize too.
Scholes himself says he would “probably” nominate the Portuguese international. He is just one assist shy of equalling the Premier League record heading into the final two matches of the campaign.
Of course, it is only current players who will have a say when it comes to the voting. There will be a considerable time to wait to see who gets the accolade, as the winner will be announced in August.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here