It’s only March, but the Premier League title race is already done and dusted. In spite of their 2-0 setback in the Manchester Derby last weekend, Manchester City have the 2021 Premier League title on lockdown. Pep Guardiola’s side are still 11 points clear of their archrivals at the top of the table, and there’s no reason to think City will take their foot off the gas pedal any time soon.
So, for the second year in a row, we’ll have a drama-free title race. That certainly doesn’t do much for bettors, who may instead turn their attention to the race for PFA Player of the Year. Soccer betting sites have updated their PFA Player of the Year odds as the campaign enters the stretch run. We haven’t had a repeat winner since Cristiano Ronaldo accomplished the feat for Manchester United back in 2008 and 2009, but Kevin De Bruyne will be looking to do just that.
De Bruyne has been arguably the best player in England for the last half-decade, but he finally earned his first PFA Player of the Year trophy last season. City’s star midfielder is in the mix to do so again in 2021, but he isn’t the favorite at this point. That would be none other than Bruno Fernandes, who has almost single-handedly helped lead Manchester United out from underneath City’s shadow since his arrival in town last year.
Who are some of the frontrunners for PFA Player of the Year?
Bruno Fernandes (-110)
United will almost surely come up short in their bid to win the Premier League for the first time since 2013. However, for the first time since Alex Ferguson’s retirement, the Red Devils finally seem to have a clear direction. The steady hand of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves plenty of the credit, but the lion’s share of the praise should go to Fernandes.
He has only been in England for a little over a year, but the Portuguese attacker has already made an indelible impact. Since his arrival in January of last year, Fernandes has piled up an incredible 34 goals with 21 assists across 62 appearances in all competitions. In Premier League play this season alone, Fernandes has scored 16 times along with 10 assists. He ranks second in the league behind Mo Salah in goals, while he’s third in assists behind Harry Kane and De Bruyne.
Manchester is 🔴🔴🔴 #mufc pic.twitter.com/eH5yBpWHUi
— Bruno Fernandes (@B_Fernandes8) March 7, 2021
It takes a special player to lead his team in both goals and assists, and Fernandes is primed to get the job done for United. He has admittedly struggled to leave his mark against some of United’s better opponents this season, but his overall impact on the side cannot be ignored. Fernandes is a worthy PFA Player of the Year favorite, though the -110 odds don’t offer much upside at this point.
Ruben Dias (+500)
Ruben Dias is far from the biggest name on a City squad full of world-class talent, but Fernandes’ compatriot is making quite a name for himself this term. Dias came over from Benfica as a part of Guardiola’s spending spree last summer. Dias wasn’t a particularly well-known commodity when City splashed £60 million for him last September, but he has quickly asserted himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
Of Course, Defenders Don’t Often Win Pfa Player of the Year
Virgil van Dijk won the award two years ago for his efforts in helping to transform Liverpool’s backline. City’s defense wasn’t as porous as Liverpool’s was prior to Van Dijk’s arrival, but he is still earning plenty of praise for City’s rise back to the top of the league. Van Dijk was the first defender since John Terry (2005) to win the award.
Strong team performance! Time to get ready for the next one! 🦈 pic.twitter.com/CYdA6OnOTL
— Rúben Dias (@rubendias) March 3, 2021
City have allowed just 19 goals in 28 Premier League fixtures so far this season, which is easily the best mark in the top flight. No other side has allowed fewer than 25. You can’t quantify the impact of a defender as easily as you can with an attacker, but Dias has wasted little time in establishing himself as one of City’s core pieces.
While the odds from online sports betting sites at +500 offer some potential profit, I still think Dias is unlikely to actually win the award. There’s just too much quality competition for the defender to win it this season.
Harry Kane (+500)
For all of his individual accomplishments, Harry Kane is still in search of his first PFA Player of the Year. Kane is currently tied for second in the league in goals (16) and leading the top flight in assists (13), but Tottenham’s place near the bottom of the top-half of the table could ultimately crush his chances.
Kane is arguably in the midst of the best season of his career, which is saying something. He has a pair of Premier League Golden Boots to his name, while he also won PFA Young Player of the Year back in 2014-15. He also bagged a career-high 30 league goals back in 2017-18, but he missed out on PFA honors as Mo Salah began to make a name for himself at Liverpool.
Harry Kane is having a sensational 2020-21 season. ⭐ pic.twitter.com/zxZxRKe3P1
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 7, 2021
Kane’s consistency shouldn’t go overlooked, but he always seems to be eclipsed when it comes to individual awards. Spurs are also just seventh in the Premier League table as of this writing. While team success isn’t everything when it comes to winning individual trophies, it does play a role. Kane could gain some traction if he helps lead Tottenham back into the top-four at the season’s end, but we’ll see.
At +500, though, I do think Kane makes for a better bet than Dias. That’s especially the case if he winds up leading the league in both goals and assists.
Ilkay Gundogan (+600)
It’s tough to say whether Ilkay Gundogan has lived up to expectations since arriving in Manchester. The former Borussia Dortmund standout has dealt with no shortage of injuries since making the switch. As a result, the German international has very few memorable moments to his name since signing with the Sky Blues.
However, we’re finally seeing what he’s capable of now that he’s fully healthy. Gundogan played in just five of City’s first 11 games this season, and he didn’t record a goal or an assist in any of them. Things have taken quite a turn ever since, though. Gundogan has been on fire since December. Across 12 games, the 30-year-old has bagged an incredible 11 goals with a pair of assists.
⚪️ Joachim Andersen
🦊 Harvey Barnes
🔵 Joao Cancelo
🔴 Bruno Fernandes
🔥 Ilkay Gundogan
⚒️ Jesse Lingard
🐺 Ruben Neves
🇧🇷 RaphinhaWho gets your vote for February’s @EASPORTSFIFA Player of the Month?
➡️ https://t.co/8W5E1TDy45#PLAwards pic.twitter.com/X6kGvNED82
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 5, 2021
He accounted for two goals in City’s statement 4-1 victory over Liverpool and followed that up with another brace at the expense of Spurs. Gundogan’s resurrection has coincided with City storming its way to the top of the league, which is something that could earn him some extra recognition come awards season.
His odds could improve from here if he continues his torrid pace, but his early-season struggles could cost him the chance to actually lift the trophy. Gundogan has clearly put his fingerprints all over City’s presumptive title run, though, which makes him a decent value bet at his current +600 odds.
Kevin De Bruyne (+1200)
There’s really nothing left to say about the greatness of Kevin De Bruyne that hasn’t been said a thousand times before. At this point, the Belgian’s efforts are likely underappreciated because we have grown so accustomed to them. Unfortunately, injuries may take him out of the PFA Player of the Year picture.
De Bruyne has just three goals in league play this season. The fact that he still ranks second in the league with 11 assists is impressive, but I doubt that will be enough to lift him past the rest of the field. De Bruyne having won the award last season also likely hurts his chances more than it helps. Voter fatigue is real, especially when it comes to individual honors in England.
Kevin De Bruyne has revealed the 6 words Jose Mourinho said to him which ended his stay at Chelsea. “Jose called me into his office in Dec, & it was probably the 2nd big life-changing moment 4 me. He had some papers in front of him, & he said, ‘1 assist. Zero goals. 10 recoveries pic.twitter.com/4jvKVSzPvy
— Frank Khalid (@FrankKhalidUK) March 7, 2021
Is De Bruyne the best player in the Premier League? Probably. The list of candidates from Manchester City is a long one, though, and Dias and Gundogan are both arguably more deserving of recognition this term.
Mohamed Salah (+2500)
As is the case with De Bruyne, you can argue that Mohamed Salah is underrated at this point. All he’s done since arriving on Merseyside is put up staggering numbers. Salah burst onto the scene with his record-breaking 32 goals back in 2017-18, and he hasn’t looked back from there.
Liverpool’s Egyptian King is at it again this season, leading the league with 17 tallies. Salah has won a pair of Premier League Golden Boot awards since joining the Reds, and he’s the frontrunner to make it three this year.
Unfortunately, Liverpool’s title defense season has gone off the rails. Thanks in large part to an incredible rash of injuries and middling overall performance, Jurgen Klopp’s side have fallen all the way to eighth in the table. It’s a surprising place for a team that won the league in dominant fashion just last year.
While Salah is very much alive in the Golden Boot conversation, PFA Player of the Year honors will likely elude him thanks to Liverpool’s failure of a season.
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith has been a staff writer with GamblingSites.org since early 2017. Taylor is primarily a sports writer, though he will occasionally dabble in other things like politics and entertainment betting. His primary specialties are writing about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and domestic and international soccer. Fringe sports like golf and horse racing aren’t exactly his cup of tea, bu …
