Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker, has been named the 2022-23 Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Players’ Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s talented attacker, Bukayo Saka, has secured the Young Player of the Year accolade.

Haaland’s impressive debut season at Manchester City, following his £51 million move from Borussia Dortmund in June 2022, played a significant role in this achievement. The 22-year-old scored a remarkable 52 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions, contributing to Manchester City’s historic treble win in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.

Haaland made history by becoming the first player in Premier League history to score 36 goals in just 35 appearances, securing his first Golden Boot in the English top flight. Additionally, he provided eight assists, and his 44 goal involvements matched the highest-ever total in Premier League history, set by former Arsenal star Thierry Henry.

Haaland triumphed over strong competition, including his teammates John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne, as well as Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, and former Tottenham Hotspur player Harry Kane, now with Bayern Munich. He had previously been named the FWA Footballer of the Year, Premier League Player & Young Player of the Year, and Man City Player of the Season.

In response to receiving this award, Haaland expressed his gratitude, saying, “It’s an honour to win this prestigious award. To be recognized by your competitors is a great feeling and I would like to thank everyone who voted for me. It was an unforgettable season for the team and for me personally. Winning the treble was something I never imagined, so to achieve that with such a special group of players was an amazing feeling.”

He also acknowledged his teammates, stating, “John, Rodri, Ruben, and Kevin all deserve their place in the Team of the Year, and I am delighted that their efforts have been rewarded with this recognition too.”

Haaland had also been nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, but this honor was claimed by Bukayo Saka, who has demonstrated outstanding form in the 2022-23 season. Saka’s exceptional contributions were acknowledged by the PFA voting members.

Saka, aged 21, stood out as a key performer for Arsenal, who finished second in the Premier League last season. He scored a career-high 15 goals and provided 11 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions, with 14 goals and all 11 assists occurring in the Premier League. Notably, he was one of only two players in the league to achieve double figures for both goals and assists, alongside Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Upon receiving the award, Saka expressed his gratitude on social media, saying, “PFA Young Player. It’s an honour for me to accept this award and have my name alongside the previous winners. To have your peers acknowledge you is a very special feeling!”

Both Saka and Haaland were also included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, which featured a total of nine players from Manchester City and Arsenal.