Bruno Fernandes won, but Declan Rice was the real number one.

Bruno Fernandes' FWA Player of the Year award is controversial because Declan Rice is considered the biggest icon of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Bruno is the cornerstone of Manchester United.

Bruno Fernandes winning the Football Writers' Association (FWA) Player of the Year award wasn't a complete shock. But it certainly generated a lot of debate.

Some argue that Bruno deserves the award. Others believe Declan Rice is the best player this season. Both arguments have merit.

Bruno Fernandes' success stems from his isolation at Manchester United.

Looking at Manchester United in the 2025/26 season, it's hard to find a player who has had a greater impact than Bruno Fernandes. In a team that was often chaotic, unstable, and even changed managers mid-season, the Portuguese midfielder still maintained a high level of performance.

19 assists in the Premier League is more than enough to demonstrate Bruno's value. But his influence extends beyond just the numbers.

Manchester United this season isn't a perfect winning machine. Michael Carrick's team still has many problems in how it operates. At times, they win more thanks to individual moments than tactical dominance. And in many of those matches, Bruno Fernandes becomes the one who pushes the team to the limit. That's why many English journalists voted for this midfielder.

Bruno has given the impression that without him, Manchester United would collapse. No player at Old Trafford this season has come close to that level of influence. He is both a source of creativity and a link in the team's play, and he consistently appears at crucial moments. More importantly, Bruno has practically carried the team for much of the season.

Bruno continues to show his value and make a difference at Manchester United.

Manchester United doesn't have many players who consistently maintain a high level of performance. This very isolation inadvertently makes Bruno stand out. In the FWA poll, he was the only MU player to receive a vote. This shows that all eyes were on the Portuguese number 8.

Modern football sometimes places a high value on players who can "carry the team forward." Bruno Fernandes perfectly embodies that archetype this season. If Manchester United finish in the top three and return to the Champions League, his biggest contribution will undoubtedly be credited to them.

Declan Rice is the face of the season.

However, that's not necessarily a strong enough reason to say Bruno is better than Declan Rice. If we're talking about all-around ability, consistency, and influence on team success, the Arsenal midfielder is the most outstanding player in the Premier League this season.

Rice doesn't create the flashy moments that Bruno Fernandes does. He's not the type of player who constantly makes decisive passes or takes shots from outside the box. But what Rice brings to Arsenal is the foundation for every victory.

Mikel Arteta built the entire system around the capabilities of the English midfielder. Rice is the type of player who makes his teammates play better. He covers a huge amount of space, helps Arsenal maintain pressing intensity, supports the defense, retrieves the ball, and creates almost perfect tactical balance.

During the season when Arsenal were competing for every major title, Rice became an irreplaceable player. That's the biggest difference between him and Bruno Fernandes. Bruno stood out because Manchester United lacked so many stable players. Rice, on the other hand, stood out within an excellent team. That's much more difficult.

Rice has found stability at Arsenal.

At Arsenal, the vote was split between Bukayo Saka, David Raya, and Gabriel Magalhães. But that very detail reflects a truth: Arsenal is strong because the entire team operates at a high level, and Rice is the heart of that system.

The English midfielder doesn't need to be the brightest star to prove his worth. He has made Arsenal the most formidable team in England this season.

Over 4,000 minutes of playing time across all competitions speaks volumes. Rice is not only a talented player, but also incredibly resilient. There have been matches where he played without being in peak physical condition. At one point, Arteta moved him to right-back, and Rice still performed without complaint. That's the quality of a true leader.

Modern football is increasingly lacking in versatile midfielders like Rice. He doesn't show off, he doesn't rely on highlights, but he always appears at the right time when the team needs him most.

What makes the debate surrounding the FWA award so interesting is that Bruno Fernandes and Declan Rice represent two different types of excellence. Bruno is the difference-maker in a chaotic team. Rice is the foundation that allows a team to function perfectly. One pushes the team to its limits. The other transforms the entire system into a winning machine.

The FWA's choice of Bruno Fernandes wasn't unreasonable. However, considering his impact on the title race, his consistency throughout the season, and his ability to elevate the team, Declan Rice is arguably the most outstanding figure in English football this season.

And perhaps, if Arsenal win the Premier League or the Champions League, many will look back on this award as one of the most regrettable decisions the FWA has made in recent years.

Source: https://znews.vn/bruno-fernandes-thang-nhung-declan-rice-moi-la-so-mot-post1650089.html