Rodri, Phil Foden, Destiny Udogie, Cole Palmer, Dominic Solanke and Alejandro Garnacho are the players who stood out in the 2023-24 Premier League season. ESPN IllustrationAs we say goodbye to a 2023-24 Premier League season filled with ups and downs, Luis Miguel Echegaray gives awards to the players and teams who delivered, as well as those who didn't live up to the hype and failed to meet expectations.
Who was the MVP this season? Which team earned an A and which one earned an F for its performances? LME gives his analysis, grades and takes on all of it.
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Player of the season: Rodri
In football, the parameters we use to measure the value of a player are based on many factors, including goal contributions, leadership qualities and growth, to name a few. Statistics help paint a picture, but what happens when a player's importance is multifaceted and subtly impactful that it sometimes gets unnoticed, even by the league itself?
Welcome to the game of Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, better known as Rodri, the best player in the world in his position and my winner of Player of the Season. With Manchester City having one hand on the trophy and looking for a historic fourth consecutive league title, Rodri's presence in the midfield has been crucial to their success. Man City can win without striker Erling Haaland, but I don't think you can say the same thing when they don't have Rodri. It's evident when you look at this season, where City's three league losses (Wolves, Arsenal and Aston Villa) did not have the Spanish international due to suspension. He also has a record of 49 matches without featuring in a losing side in the Premier League.
If Pep Guardiola's side is a Ferrari, Rodri is the engine. Guardiola has called him irreplaceable, someone who could play in any era. Rodri's game is timeless, with no bells or whistles. He is an everlasting watch, making sure his side delivers without the need for attention.
This campaign, aside from his seven goals and nine assists in 33 league appearances, he has made 3,508 successful passes, the most in the league, and the best pass completion percentage (92%) out of any midfielder. In fact, in his position with that particular statistic, Rodri leads Europe's top five leaves out of any midfielder who has played at least 25 matches.
Basically, Rodri keeps the team moving, but he is also their protector in front of the backline as well as a danger going forward. The only thing he doesn't do is go in goal and, honestly, he'd probably do a great job if given the chance.
City look like they will win this Premier League title once again, and while their squad is full of magnificent talent, it's Rodri -- the no-nonsense, zero-attention-needed holding midfielder -- who wins my vote for POTS. To borrow what former Spain and Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque once said of Sergio Busquets: If you watch the game, you don't see Rodri. But if you watch Rodri, you see the whole game.
Runners-up: Declan Rice (a tremendous first season with Arsenal) and Ollie Watkins (tied-third for most goal contributions in the league with 32, helping Villa earn a Champions League spot).
Goal of the season: Alejandro Garnacho
"I don't think I've ever been in a stadium where I've seen an overhead kick that good ... and I was there for Wayne Rooney's against Manchester City," reflected Gary Neville on Sky Sports right after seeing the 19-year-old's audacious finish against Everton on Nov. 26 at Goodison Park.
The game was Everton's first after the initial announcement of a 10-point deduction against the club, so it was only natural to hear a loud, defiant home crowd eager in pushing their team to a victory against the Red Devils. But inside the first three minutes, Garnacho turned the stadium into the quietest place on Merseyside.
United right-back Diogo Dalot crossed in a hopeful ball from the right wing into the box, and the Argentina international took a few steps back in order to find his angle and the ball. Not only did he find it, he obliterated it, releasing a breathtaking bicycle kick that rocketed over Jordan Pickford and into the top right corner. It was the football version of Picasso's Guernica: fiery and beautiful at the same time.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes called it "out of this world" after the game. We have seen bicycle kicks in the past, but this one was special because Garnacho had to track back, away from goal and meet a cross coming from the opposite direction.
"Probably he's watching too many Cristiano clips! We all know that he's a big fan," said Fernandes.
A goal of the season winner and one that would undoubtedly make Ronaldo proud.
Who knew you could enjoy this goal EVEN more! @ESPNFutbolArg's commentary of Alejandro Garnacho's goal is superb