PFA Awards 2016: Date, Time and Nominees List
The top players of the 2015-16 Premier League season will be recognised during the Professional Footballers' Association Awards on Sunday, April 24, at London’s Grosvenor House.
A total of 22 candidates will be eligible for four awards: Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Women’s Player of the Year and Women’s Young Player of the Year.
The event will not be broadcast, but fans will be able to watch a highlights package on BBC One on Monday, starting at 11:30 p.m. BST (for UK viewers).
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Here’s a look at the full list of nominees:
| Dimitri Payet | Dele Alli |
| Harry Kane | Harry Kane |
| Jamie Vardy | Jack Butland |
| Mesut Ozil | Philippe Coutinho |
| N'Golo Kante | Romelu Lukaku |
| Riyad Mahrez | Ross Barkley |
| Beth Mead | Beth Mead |
| Gemma Davison | Danielle Carter |
| Hedvig Lindahl | Hannah Blundell |
| Izzy Christiansen | Keira Walsh |
| Ji So-Yun | Nikita Parris |
Preview
Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur are still battling it out for the 2015-16 Premier League title, and, unsurprisingly, both teams are well-represented in the men’s categories.
The Foxes have no less than three players nominated to win the Player of the Year award, with Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante. Spurs’ Harry Kane is also on that list, the only player to be nominated for both awards.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has forbidden him and Dele Alli from attending the event, however, per the Guardian’s David Hytner. Spurs will play West Bromwich Albion on Monday, and asked where his players will be the day before, Pochettino said:
"At home. At home. At home! But this is normal and all people can understand. It’s a shame, but we play Monday.
It’s true that the players would like to go but I think the responsibility when you have a big game for us like West Brom on Monday – you need to stay at home, rest and focus on the game. After the game on Monday, we have time for a party or to congratulate the players – for everything!
"
Kane is expected to take home the Young Player of the Year award, beating out team-mate Alli and Everton’s Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley. He has outscored Lukaku this season so far and played a pivotal role in Tottenham’s title push, scoring a number of decisive goals throughout the season.
Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho and Stoke City’s Jack Butland have also been nominated, but neither is seen as a likely recipient. Alli may be Kane’s toughest competitor in the category.
Per OptaJoe, the 22-year-old Kane is scoring goals at an historic rate:
The race for the Player of the Year award is a little trickier. Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil is the only member of the group who didn’t make the PFA’s Team of the Year, and the Gunners’ collapse in the title race likely rules him out.
West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet is also unlikely to win, having missed a number of matches during the season. The Hammers are still battling for a UEFA Europa League ticket, while the other four nominees are all involved in the title race.
The Leicester City trio would all be deserving, but they might end up stealing votes from each other. Per John Cross of the Daily Mirror, it has happened before:
Kante has been the driving force behind Leicester’s midfield, and without the Frenchman, Mahrez would have to shoulder more defensive responsibilities, limiting his opportunities in the attacking third.
The Algerian is the league’s highest-scoring midfielder by some distance, and he’s been instrumental in opening up space for Vardy.
And while Vardy’s scoring numbers may have dipped slightly after his remarkable start to the season, his Cinderella story is easy to fall in love with, and plenty of voters will be compelled to vote for a storybook ending to his season.
From a statistical point, Mahrez is the likely favourite, but don’t be surprised if the voters reward Vardy, Kante or perhaps even Kane on Sunday.
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