Alan Shearer has singled out three standout performers from Arsenal’s Premier League title-winning campaign.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer was full of praise for Mikel Arteta’s side, describing their triumph as the culmination of a “long, hard and stressful road.”
And when asked to name his star men from the season, he had little hesitation.
“I think the three outstanding players for Arsenal have been, from back to front, David Raya, the goalkeeper, Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice,” Shearer said.
“I just think those three, for me, have been the outstanding players week after week after week, delivering performance after performance when it got tough.
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“There are periods during a season where you have to knuckle down and you have to accept the criticism, but I just think those three, for most of the season, have been the brilliant players, the outstanding players, the go-to players.”
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Shearer went further, agreeing with Patrick Vieira in naming Raya as his Premier League Player of the Season.
“I would actually have those three in one, two and three. David Raya is the player of the season for me. Him, Gabriel and Declan have been outstanding.”
Beyond the individual praise, Shearer was also keen to praise Arsenal’s achievement as a collective.
The former Newcastle striker knows better than most what it feels like to chase a title and not quite get it.
“They’ve been the best team, they’ve been the most consistent team, they’ve found a way to win games when they weren’t playing that well, which you have to do being the champions,” he said.
“All the hard work, all the dedication, all they’ve had to go through, not only this season but last season, the season before, the season before that. They’ve been the best team, they deserve it.”
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