Paul Merson argues the Premier League should have named an Arsenal star who took them to ‘another level’ as its Player of the Season over Phil Foden of Manchester City.
The Citizens star swept a Premier League and FWA double for 2023/24 en route to winning a sixth top-flight title. Foden enjoyed his career-best season at Etihad Stadium as Manchester City beat Arsenal to the crown. He offered 19 goals and eight assists from 35 appearances.
Foden registering 27 goals and 11 assists over 52 outings across all competitions further saw the 23-year-old win the Football Writers’ Association’s Football of the Year award. Just Erling Haaland outscored their midfielder in all competitions (38) and in the top-flight (27), as well.
Paul Merson thinks Declan Rice was the Player of the Season over Phil Foden
Foden further beat Arsenal star Declan Rice and Manchester City teammate Rodri to win the FWA Footballer of the Year award with 42% of the votes. But Highbury hero Merson believes the Premier League should have selected Rice over Foden for its Player of the Season award.
Merson admires what Foden gave Manchester City but feels Rice deserved the award having taken Arsenal to ‘another level’. The 25-year-old joined a team who fought to win the title in 2022/23 but fell away over the last stretch and made the race go to the final day in 2023/24.
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“Declan Rice has taken Arsenal to another level,” Merson told Sky Sports. “I think Phil Foden has not taken [Manchester City] to another level. I think he has been outstanding but Declan Rice has taken Arsenal to another level.
“He’s just nearly got them to where Manchester City are. I think he has been consistent the whole season through. I mean, Phil Foden has been outstanding, of course. But I am just thinking outside the box, just what I see.
“[Rice] has come in, Arsenal last season nearly got there [and he] took them to another level. I just can’t remember a game where he hasn’t been at least a seven or eight out of 10. Foden has been outstanding but, for me, I say Declan Rice.”
Declan Rice enjoyed a career-best season after joining Arsenal
Foden recorded a career-best season in 2023/24 with 19 goals with just his second double-digit return in seven terms. Yet he achieved the tally as a slight flat-track bully having scored only against Tottenham (1) and Aston Villa (3) among the clubs who ended in the top seven.
READ MORE: Everything to know on Arsenal’s Declan Rice from his girlfriend to height
Rice, on the other hand, stepped up throughout his first season at Emirates Stadium after he joined Arsenal in a club-record transfer from West Ham United. The midfielder even offered seven goals and nine assists through 38 games in his most prolific and creative season ever.
West Ham sold Rice after his most prolific season in claret-and-blue with four goals. He also had his most creative campaign in 2021/22 with four assists. Yet Mikel Arteta saw Rice could provide Arsenal more from a box-to-box role, along with his world-class defensive attributes.
