No Ronaldo, Mane in Premier League's Player of the Season shortlist irks fans
Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the notable absentees from the Premier League's Player of the Season shortlist.
FollowIn what has irked fans of Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, the two stars were among the notable absentees from the Premier League's Player of the Season shortlist.
The top-goal scorer Mohamed Salah, teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold, Man City playmaker Kevin de Bruyne, teammate Joao Cancelo, Arsenal's young sensation Bukayo Saka, Southampton's James Ward-Prowse, Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min and West Ham's Jarrod Bowen have been nominated for the prize.
The winner will be decided through votes from football fans world over. These will be combined with those of the 20 club captains and a panel of football experts to decide the winner.
But fans have been left wondering why Mane and Ronaldo are not in contention for the award despite enjoying superb seasons for Liverpool and Manchester United, respectively.
While the Senegalese star has scored 15 goals in 33 league appearances as the Anfield club bid for an unprecedented quadruple, the 37-year-old legendary striker has been the only shining light in Red Devils' dismal season with 18 league goals. Ronaldo also bagged the Premier League player of the Month award twice. This has left fans irked, with several taking to Twitter to question the omission of both these footballers.
Here's a look at some of the reactions:
Man City's De Bruyne, who recently scored four goals against Wolves, and Salah, who has 22 strikes so far this season, will hope to clinch the award for the second time. The Belgian midfielder scooped the prize two years ago, while the Egyptian claimed the honour in 2018.
De Bruyne has been instrumental in propelling Pep Guardiola's side to their potential fourth Premier League crown in five years. The 30-year-old star has scored 15 goals and seven assists for City in the league this season. The Belgium international aims to become only the fourth player to win the award more than once, a list that includes Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic and Thierry Henry.
Also read: Did De Bruyne mimick Haaland's 'Zen' celebration in 4-goal burst? Man City star responds
Completing the shortlist is City defender Cancelo, who has played the most minutes of any of their outfield players. The Portuguese has completed the most passes in the division, scoring or assisting eight goals.
Salah, who leads the race to bag the Golden Boot, has to his credit 22 goals in 34 appearances and also racked up a league-high of 13 assists. His Liverpool teammate Alexander-Arnold too, has had a fantastic campaign for Jurgen Klopp's side. The 23-year-old has 12 assists and two goals in the league, with two games of the season remaining.
Tottenham's Son is just one goal behind Salah on the scoring charts and will be hoping to lead the team into the top-four of the table. The South Korean hopes to become the first Tottenham player to land the yearly award since Gareth Bale achieved the feat in 2013.
As for West Ham's Bowen, who has scored ten goals this season, the star has had a stellar campaign and played an essential role in leading the Hammers to the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Arsenal's Saka, who has amassed 11 goals and six assists, has been a vital cog in the Gunners' wheel and will be hoping to lead the team to a place in next year's Champions League.
Lastly, Saints skipper Ward-Prowse, who has scored nine goals this season, has been stellar with his trademark set-piece ability.
While there is no doubt that the players shortlisted for the Premier League player of the Season award have had a fine campaign for their respective teams, several fans are disappointed not to see some of their favourite players on the list. Regardless, the winner among those named will be a genuinely deserving one.
