Manchester City’s Portuguese defender Ruben Dias has won the Premier League Player of the Season award in his debut campaign in the English top-flight, while Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has won the Premier League Manager of the Season award.
Ruben Dias have had an incredible season with Manchester City, bolstering a defence which had been largely ineffective in recent years, as he lead them to the Premier League title and FA Cup triumph in his debut campaign following a high-value transfer from Benfica last summer. Guardiola wins the Manager of the Season after leading City to their fifth Premier League title which is also his third in four seasons in England.
Ruben Dias wins the Premier League Player of the Season award after having a brilliant debut season
Manchester City defender Ruben Dias has been named the Premier League Player of the Season, as he becomes the second City player in two years to win the Player of the Season award after Kevin De Bruyne in 2019-20.
The Portuguese stalwart joined City from Benfica in September and now had won his second individual award after being named the Football Writers’ Association Men’s Footballer of the Year last month, having an impressive debut campaign with the Champions. Notably, he had also won the Etihad Player of the Season, as he was adjudged Manchester City’s top performer this season.
Dias is widely acknowledged with providing City with a defensive solidity and leadership at the back that was largely lacking in the earlier season, more after the departure of City legend Vincent Kompany. His impact in the City squad was regarded to be almost similar to what Van Dijk had for Liverpool, making an instant impact and making the defence rock solid.
Dias became only the fourth defender to win the prestigious award, after Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic, former City captain Vincent Kompany and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and also just the second Portuguese to win it after Cristiano Ronaldo double in 2006-07 and 2007-08 with United.
Dias had commanding displays at the back for City along with Stones, who was also a massively transformed figure this season, as he became a mainstay in the City team which boasted the best defensive record in the league, recording 15 clean sheets in and winning 23 of the 32 games he played, as City recorded a 21 game winning streak in all competitions.
Dias was on the shortlist for the Premier League’s best player award, alongside Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, Spurs striker Harry Kane, West Ham’s Thomas Soucek, Chelsea’s Mason Mount, and City teammate Kevin De Bruyne, whom he beat for the award.
Dias became one of the pivotal figures of the City squad who were crowned the Premier League champions, as well as won a fourth successive Carabao Cup and reached their first-ever Champions League final. He displayed crucial leadership qualities, making an instant impact and constantly marshalling the City defence, conceding only 32 goals in total in the league as his partnership with John Stones at the back became important for Guardiola.
Dias has also been named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year as well, as he was joined there with five other Manchester City players and also been nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Season award.
On the other hand, Guardiola beat off competition from Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers, West Ham’s David Moyes and Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to the become the manager of the season.
Guardiola guided City to their fifth Premier League title which is his third in four seasons in the English top flight, as he also won the Carabao cup or the fourth successive season and Lead city to their first-ever Champions League Final, where they eventually suffered a heartbreak as they lost to Chelsea 0-1.
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