Phil Foden has won his first major individual award in the Premier League. The fact that Manchester City are once again on course for the title also has to do with his goal tally
The Premier League championship has not yet been decided, but journalists have traditionally already decided on their Player of the Year. On Friday, it was announced that the prestigious Football Writers’ Association award would go to Phil Foden.
The attacker is currently one point behind leaders Arsenal with Manchester City, but the reigning treble winners have only played 34 games. Individually, Foden is having his best season to date, contributing a strong 16 goals and seven assists in 31 league appearances. To date, eleven goals and five assists from the previous season had been his best haul.
Within hours of announcing his winner, the 23-year-old left-footer was praised by his coach Pep Guardiola at the matchday press conference ahead of Saturday night’s home game against Wolverhampton for his “influence in the final third”, but also for his “work rate”.
Foden, who succeeds teammate Erling Haaland, came out on top with 42 percent of the vote ahead of Arsenal’s Declan Rice and City teammate Rodri.
Women’s award: City attacker Shaw wins ahead of James
Foden’s award also means that the journalists’ poll has gone to players from the same club in consecutive years for the first time since 2007 and 2008. Back then, Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo won twice in a row. The record winner of the award is Thierry Henry, who won three times during his time at Arsenal FC in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
In the women’s category, the award, which has been presented there since 2017/18, also went to the sky-blue part of Manchester. Two-time winner Sam Kerr of Chelsea FC is followed by 27-year-old Jamaican attacker Khadija Shaw.
Thanks in part to her 21 goals in 18 league appearances so far, the Sky Blues are also on course for the title. Shaw won with 53 percent of the vote ahead of Lauren James (Chelsea).
