- Bradley Price
Three Manchester City players claim places in the 2021/22 PFA Team of the Year
Manchester City have had three players awarded places in the 2021/2022 Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year. Kevin De Bruyne claims his fourth PFA TOTY appearance, with Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo both claiming their second PFA TOTY appearances.
City have added their sixth Premier League title to the trophy cabinet, making it four Premier League victories in the last five years for Pep Guardiola's men. Many of the City players have had a standout season in the league this year, with their peers choosing to award three of them a place in this year's Team of the Year. Kevin De Bruyne leads the way while also having been nominated for the PFA Player of the Year this season, after claiming the award for the last two years. This makes it the fourth time he has claimed a place in the PFA TOTY after yet another successful season at the Etihad.
This year, De Bruyne really showed his goal-scoring threat; registering 15 goals in the Premier League, his highest ever tally, as well as contributing to 8 assists, including the assist to Ilkay Gundogan's winner in City's dramatic 3-2 victory over Aston Villa on the final day of the season to secure the title. De Bruyne was crucial to City's performances in the final run in and finds himself yet again with a worthy seat in the PFA's TOTY. Bernardo Silva also joins the Belgian in the midfield of this year's PFA TOTY – for the second time with City. Bernardo has proven to be crucial this season for Guardiola, as he navigated the club to another league title.
Bernardo has found himself playing in a multitude of different roles this season from being the goal scorer, scoring 8 goals this season, including a beautiful strike at Villa Park back in December, or playing a deeper role and driving the ball forward. Bernardo was another crucial player for City this year, especially around the earlier half of the season, often stepping up when required – and this has earned him a worthy seat in the PFA's TOTY.
Joao Cancelo earns City their third seat in this year's PFA TOTY with a consecutive appearance after his inclusion in the 2020/21 edition.
Cancelo was another standout performer this year, playing a vital role from left-back while chipping in with 7 assists. He found himself playing away from his familiar right-back position, instead finding himself on the left more often, but also proved absolutely vital for Guardiola as City found themselves facing a defensive injury crisis during the run-in.
Cancelo's versatility and silky dribbling proved to be invaluable – and along with the occasional 'trivela' pass – helped City maintain the lead they had worked so hard for at the top of the table, securing another Premier League trophy.
Full PFA TOTY:
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Rudiger, Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Salah, Ronaldo, Mane.
Written by: @FodenFanatic47
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