- Adrian Durham slams FWA decision
- Unhappy with Bruno Fernandes winning award
- Erling Haaland finishes third
Adrian Durham has voiced his disapproval after Bruno Fernandes was named as the Football Writers’ Association’s player of the year.
Manchester City are still eying a domestic treble this season, and having the chance to accomplish this would not have been possible without Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian has been prolific in front of goal, netting 25 times in the Premier League alone and registering seven assists.
Haaland is on course to win the golden boot, and he has been a consistent performer across the season, scoring in his three most recent league appearances.
Erling Haaland loses out to Bruno Fernandes in FWA awards
Despite Haaland’s brilliance for Man City, Bruno Fernandes has been declared as the official Football Writers’ Association player of the year.
The midfielder claimed 45 per cent of the votes, while Arsenal’s Declan Rice finished in second place, losing out by 28 votes.
Haaland came third, which is a real kick in the teeth for City’s star striker. After all, his contributions have done bigger things than Fernandes’ have for Man United.
Adrian Durham blasts FWA decision
Speaking on talkSPORT’s Fiery Fridays podcast, Adrian Durham has taken aim at the FWA for selecting Fernandes over Haaland and Rice.
According to the pundit, the 31-year-old contributed to Ruben Amorim’s sacking, while Haaland and Rice are pushing their respective teams towards the Premier League title.
Arsenal & City giving us a title race while also dealing with Europe & domestic cups. Yet Bruno is Football Writers' Player of the Year despite playing less than 40 games and being part of a team that got a manager sacked in United's laziest ever season? https://t.co/Kw0YaZwV2d
— Adrian Durham (@TheAdrianDurham) May 8, 2026
He said: “Arsenal & City giving us a title race while also dealing with Europe & domestic cups. Yet Bruno is Football Writers’ Player of the Year despite playing less than 40 games and being part of a team that got a manager sacked in United’s laziest ever season?”
Haaland will win the awards which matter
The FWA player of the year award is subjective, but this is not the case with the Premier League golden boot.
If City can prevent Igor Thiago from scoring this evening, Haaland is certainly the most likely player to receive that honour.
Additionally, Haaland has already lifted the Carabao Cup this season, while triumphs in the Premier League and FA Cup remain a possibility.
So Fernandes can enjoy his award, but it is simply not the same as recording actual team successes.
