Drumroll please… welcome to the talkSPORT End of Season Awards!
The 2025/26 Premier League season has concluded, and Arsenal have ended their 22-year wait for the title as they finished top after three consecutive runners-up finishes.
Manchester City finished second and bid farewell to Pep Guardiola, with Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool making up the rest of the Champions League spots.
Bournemouth, Sunderland and Brighton miraculously also qualified for Europe, and it was West Ham who will join Wolves and Burnley in the Championship next season after their relegation.
Once again, the Premier League delivered drama and suspense across all 38 matchweeks and talkSPORT have decided on six winners for a variety of awards, although one in particular is certainly unwanted.
Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist appeared on the Breakfast show to go through their picks, which could cause some debates…
Player of the Season
McCoist – “It’s a tough one… there’s been some great performances. Declan Rice comes into the equation, Gabriel, (Igor) Thiago at Brentford has had a wonderful season.
“(Nico) O’Reilly at City, tremendous season, and (Antoine) Semenyo, with both clubs, he’s been brilliant.
“But, I’m giving it to Bruno Fernandes. I just think he’s been absolutely outstanding in a Manchester United team that, a lot of people didn’t think would finish in the Champions League places…
“I think he’s been brilliant. I think his contributions… yes, there’s some things that probably irritate you a little bit, with the hand gestures and all that kind of stuff.
“But come on, I think he’s led from the front with his goals, his assists, the way he’s played and I think, in a season where you can have one or two candidates, I just think he shades it for me.
Stelling – “He does for me as well, I’ve got Bruno Fernandes down. His assists, his goals. You see his frustrations during games, but that’s because he wants so much to do well.”
Manager of the Season
Stelling – “There are a couple of obvious ones to be contenders. Andoni Iraola, who’s done an incredible job at Bournemouth.
“Regis Le Bris, not just keeping Sunderland up but getting them into Europe as well, phenomenal. Unai Emery, top four with Aston Villa despite the restrictions, and winning the Europa League again.
“But for me, it is the man who’s masterminded the Premier League winner’s season, and that’s Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.
“Look, a lot of 1-0s in there, a lot of critics saying too many of the goals have come from set-plays, but he’s done it, he’s won it, and that is all that matters at the end of the day.”
McCoist – I’m a little bit concerned because I’m agreeing with you totally! I mean, in a season where… Keith Andrews (Brentford), absolutely magnificent.
“You mentioned Unai Emery, Iraola was absolutely tremendous. Regis Le Bris, who you spoke about, what a job at Sunderland, absolutely remarkable.
“However, we’re talking about a man here with three second-place finishes, serious question marks towards the end of the campaign. They were getting tagged, and I hate the term ‘bottlers’, I hate it, but the question was, could they get themselves over the line?
“They have got themselves over the line and not only that, they’ve got an opportunity at the weekend (Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain) to have an absolutely unbelievable season.
“Will they do it? I don’t think they will, because I just think PSG are a level above anything I’ve seen. But, Arsenal will give PSG problems that a lot of teams won’t give PSG, so they’re not without a chance, and that’s why I give it to Arteta.”
Unsung hero of the season
McCoist – “I’m going for a man who was injured towards the end of the season, I’m throwing Dan Ballard into the equation.
“I think he’s been absolutely tremendous, he epitomises everything that’s good about the Wearsiders, the spirit that he showed. He’s had an absolutely tremendous season, absolutely magnificent, I’m so pleased for Sunderland.
“Honourable mentions, (Danny) Welbeck, there’s been some good performances. Eli Junior Kroupi would come into the equation as well. But, Dan Ballard.”
Stelling – “Ethan Ampadu for me, at Leeds. 40 appearances this season, he’s 25, a leader on the field and a big contributor to a good season for Leeds United.”
Future star
Stelling – “I’m going to go for a man who was overlooked for quite a long time at the club he’s at, couldn’t get a start, they brought in big-money signing after big-money signing.
“I’m going to go for Will Osula at Newcastle United. He’s quick, he’s got five (goals) in his last seven, he’s only 22, and I think he can go on to even better things.”
McCoist – “I’m going for Rio Ngumoha. I mentioned Junior Kroupi, Archie Gray is a good one, Max Dowman would come into the equation, Alex Scott…
“But I just think Ngumoha… I thought he should have had more game time. I think he’s direct, positive, great on the eye and I think, with a bit of freedom now (Mohamed) Salah’s away (from Liverpool), he’ll get a lot more game time.”
Best signing
McCoist – “Some great signings, by the way. (Rayan) Cherki, Semenyo, different class.
“(Bryan) Mbeumo at United… I mentioned it before, you look at signings, and Mbeumo and (Matheus) Cunha, in particular, just look as though they can handle Old Trafford, they can handle Manchester United.
“But, I’ll still stick with Granit Xhaka. I think, particularly early on in the season, brilliant signing (for Sunderland).”
Stelling – “I’ve got Granit Xhaka as well. £13million, 34 Premier League appearances.
“Just the one goal and half a dozen assists, but a leader on the field. He created 34 goalscoring chances as well, a brilliant piece of business by Sunderland.”
Worst signing
Stelling – “There are a few contenders here, aren’t there? Some of them, I’m sorry to say, at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea).
“It hasn’t worked out for Liam Delap, it hasn’t worked out for Jamie Gittens… you know what? I think there’s more to come from both of those two, so I wouldn’t write them off by any means.
“It hasn’t worked out for Alejandro Garnacho either. But for me, just because of the hoo-ha beforehand and the humungous £125million price tag, I’m afraid the worst signing, as it is now for me, goes down as Alexander Isak.
“Three goals and one assist, you don’t get much for your £125million, do you?
McCoist – “That’s not up for debate, we’re agreeing again. As you say, the whole hoo-ha, which got to the stage (that) it was boring, everybody in tears. Obviously injuries haven’t helped, I get that.
“The price tag, you talk about the pressure on Arne Slot next season, there is so much pressure on Isak to attempt to pay back some of that fee. It’s been a disaster.”