The PFA has now recognised the huge contributions of Aaron Ramsdale, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba to Arsenal after giving them a prestigious award.
For the first time in 15 years, Arsenal had four players make the PFA’s Team of the Year at its annual award ceremony on Tuesday. Not since the 2007/08 campaign has the PFA named as many of the Gunners’ stars in its best XI for the past season. Only twice have they had more.
Arsenal enjoyed a club-record six inclusions in 2003/04 after Arsene Wenger took the club to their Invincibles Premier League title. Five of the Gunners’ 2002/03 FA Cup-winning squad also made the PFA’s Team of the Year. Now, the north London team are back with a big bang.
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Four Arsenal players win the PFA’s prestigious Team of the Year award
Mikel Arteta taking Arsenal back to Premier League title contention in surprising fashion last term saw the PFA recognise his stars. As voted by their peers, the PFA named Ramsdale as the best goalkeeper over the past 12 months. He kept 14 clean sheets in 38 league matches.
The PFA also recognised Saka as its Young Player of the Year on top of naming the Arsenal product in its Team of the Year. He is the first Gunners player to claim the award since fellow homegrown hero Jack Wilshere. The club’s current Under-18s head coach won it in 2010/11.
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Cementing an integral presence in the heart of Arsenal’s backline further secured Saliba his place in the PFA’s Team of the Year. While Odegaard’s efforts in his first season as Arsenal’s captain further secured the Norway skipper a spot. It is the first inclusion of all four players.
Only Manchester City had more inclusions than Arsenal’s four in the PFA’s Team of the Year after their European treble. Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne, John Stones, Rodri and Ruben Dias made the XI. Harry Kane and Newcastle United’s Kieran Trippier rounded out the team.
Saka, Saliba, Ramsdale and Odegaard excelled under Arteta in 2022/23
Professional players vote on who makes the PFA’s Team of the Year and recognised the huge contributions that Ramsdale, Saka, Saliba and Odegaard made for Arsenal last season to win the prestigious award. They inspired a shock Premier League title challenge in north London.
Arsenal entered the season only aiming to qualify for the Champions League after falling just short in 2021/22. Yet Arteta’s side spent 248 days atop the Premier League table in search of their first title since 2003/04. They finished the campaign five points shy of Manchester City.
Odegaard led by true example in his first season as Arsenal’s captain with 15 goals and eight assists. Only Gabriel Martinelli registered as many goals under Arteta in the top-flight. While Saka fired home 14 times and offered a team-high 11 assists ahead of Leandro Trossard (10).
Only Ramsdale and Gabriel Magalhaes also started all 38 of Arsenal’s Premier League games in 2022/23. Saka played the third-most minutes (3,194) behind the goalkeeper (3,420) and centre-half (3,411). But Saliba’s back injury exposed the Frenchman’s absolute importance.