POTS: Top 6 contenders for 2023-24 Premier League Player of the Season award

The 2023-24 Premier League campaign has been nothing short of extraordinary. Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are all locked in a three-way battle for the Premier League title.

Only a handful of players have been Player of the Season (POTS) on two occasions in their careers. The elite list includes the likes of Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic and Kevin De Bruyne, with only Ronaldo winning it in consecutive years (2007 and 2008).

As the 2023-24 Premier League season heads into a dramatic finale, let's take a look at the top six contenders for the POTS award.

#6 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

The 2017-18 Player of the Season will be looking to add a second Premier League title and a second POTS as well. Mohamed Salah remains in the hunt with 15 goals and nine assists in 22 games to his name.

The Egyptian will be eyeing a record-equalling fourth Premier League Golden Boot as he sits three goals behind league leader Erling Haaland. Salah would be ranked much higher in the list if not for the injury sustained during the Africa Cup of Nations.

There is no doubt that Salah is one of the best to ever play for the Reds. But if he can guide Liverpool to another league title along with a second POTS award, he will go down as one of the greatest Premier League players of all time.

#5 Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Erling Haaland was the favorite to repeat his performances from last season and claim back-to-back POTS awards. Unfortunately, an injury lay-off that kept him out for nearly two months has allowed others to take over.

But the Norwegian is still very much in the hunt for another POTS award as he sits at the top of the Golden Boot race with 18 goals and five assists in 23 Premier League games. Last season, Haaland was the first player in Premier League history to win POTS and the Young Player of the Season awards in the same campaign.

At this point, everyone is running out of superlatives to describe the Manchester City forward. As City make a run to their fourth consecutive Premier League title, they will be counting on Haaland and his goals to take them all the way.

#4 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

What a season it has been for Ollie Watkins and Aston Villa as they continue to fight for a place in the top-four of the Premier League! Villa under Emery have gone into this season with tactical astuteness, organization and individual brilliance, mostly led by Watkins.

The 28-year-old is currently second in the Premier League Golden Boot race with 16 goals and is tied for top spot in the playmaker category with 10 assists. With a league leading 26 goal contributions to his name, Watkins has been Villa's main source of goals for Emery this season.

The Villans have fallen short in recent games and lost their grip at the top of the table. But as we approach the end of the season, they will rely on the forward's goalscoring form to guide them for a place in the UEFA Champions League next season.

#3 Declan Rice (Arsenal)

Arsenal's record £105m signing has been worth every single penny thus far. After faltering in the last 10 games of the league last season, Declan Rice has provided the Gunners with much needed leadership and defensive stability.

The defensive midfielder is unmatched when it comes to interceptions, with 35 in 28 games, which is sixth in the league and the highest by any midfielder in the top six clubs. To go along with his defensive ability, the 25-year-old midfielder has managed to score a season-high six goals to go along with five assists.

Rice has played in every league game this season and will continue to do so as Arsenal will be looking for their first league title in 20 years. If Arsenal pull it off, it will be due to the willingness of Rice to lift the Gunners to another level, which makes him a contender for the POTS award.

#2 Phil Foden (Manchester City)

Very few would argue with Pep Guardiola when the Manchester City manager said Phil Foden is the best player in the Premier League after his brace against Manchester United. The Sky Blues have been blessed with a creative genius, who seems to be a complete player at only 23 years of age.

The Manchester City academy product is already having his best season in front of goal with 11 goals in 28 league games. The seven assists to his name does not do justice to his importance when it comes to creating chances for his teammates.

His performances in recent months have propelled him to number two in these rankings. If he keeps this up, he will be the first English player to win the POTS award since Jamie Vardy in 2016.

#1 Rodri (Manchester City)

The third Manchester City player in the list but undoubtedly the most important one to the team - Rodrigo Hernández 'Rodri' makes a very strong case for being the best defensive midfielder in the world, let alone the Premier League. The defensive midfielder leads the league with the most passes (2634) and touches (2989).

Manchester City play at the pace that Rodri plays at as it is often seen that they struggle when he is absent. While Haaland, De Bruyne and Foden grab all the headlines, it is Rodri that gets the team ticking on all cylinders.

The Spaniard has been effective in the final third as well with six goals and five assists in his tally. He can always be relied upon and often comes up with a clutch goal in the tightest matches.

As top players like Haaland and Salah have missed a few games this season, Rodri makes plenty of appeal to be named as Premier League POTS.

Edited by Shardul Sant